{"id":3538,"date":"2023-12-14T02:36:40","date_gmt":"2023-12-14T02:36:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/camcab.co.uk\/it-seems-inescapable\/"},"modified":"2023-12-14T02:36:40","modified_gmt":"2023-12-14T02:36:40","slug":"it-seems-inescapable","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/camcab.co.uk\/it-seems-inescapable\/","title":{"rendered":"It Seems Inescapable …"},"content":{"rendered":"
\u00a0… Politics and Transport<\/span><\/p>\n\n And, talking of nationalised bus services, are we deliriously happy that Stagecoach, GoAhead and Arriva are now owned by international investment companies who have no loyalty whatsoever to dear old Blighty. First Bus was subject to a similar take-over offer, but it was rejected – for now!<\/p><\/div>\n … excellent publicity IN PRINT<\/span> …<\/p>\n … as above at the raiway station. And they’ve got trams.<\/p>\n \u00a0But Nottingham City is bankrupt.<\/p>\n One way of getting out of this embarrassing situation is to sell assets. So will Nottingham City be forced to sell its lovely bus and tram system?<\/p><\/div>\n Another “fire sale<\/span>” in the offing? Maybe there is a bonus – at least a sale would get rid of the silly new livery …<\/p>\n … and get back to something more sensible that customers will recognise.<\/p>\n And even “lowly” Somerset could be next.<\/p>\n But they do not run their own services.<\/p><\/div>\n We already know that Manchester’s Bee Network has struggled mightily.<\/p>\n Mayor Andy Burnham – he of the big plans for a new network (remember his maps, (click on the graphic below to enlarge<\/span>) – is coming to realise that a rebrand with a trendy apian logo, buckets of yellow paint and new “contractors” do not necessarily make a working network.<\/p><\/div>\n … Steve Rotheram has ordered even more yellow paint and is aiming to get a very small part of his new but expanded network<\/span> into St Helens by 2026.<\/p><\/div>\n Rumours are flying around that some routes are to be doubled in frequency <\/span>from 2026 although nothing has yet been published officially.<\/p><\/div>\n For the new SL1 setvice, he recorded no publicity whatsoever, “helpful” staff who didn’t know the bus route, confused passengers ringing the bell to get off at stops not served by the “express” and very poor regulation of the service under pressure. Of course, there are no maps and no timetables!<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p><\/div>\n