A deal has been struck between Stagecoach and Arriva North
East, which means customers using buses across the area can benefit from
added convenience through fully integrated ticketing.
Daily and weekly tickets that can be bought by Stagecoach customers in
Cumbria can be purchased and used on services operated by both
companies.
This means passengers who want access to
Stagecoach’s full Carlisle network will no longer have to wait for a
Stagecoach bus to be able to buy their weekly ticket.
Likewise,
those travelling to locations in the north east served by Arriva, can
now catch any Cross Pennine bus with the same ticketing scheme.
The
agreement also applies to M-Ticketing, with each operator accepting the
other's mobile tickets. They are working on a new feature accepting
each other's smart tickets.
NOW SEE THE LATEST ON THE NEW FOCUS FLICKR SITE
The second album of buses from Norwich city centre can now be viewed by clicking here
Vivarail has confirmed that the company’s first two completed D-Trains will be available for delivery early next year.
Construction of the two trains is under way at the company’s workshop
at Long Marston, where they will be made available as either two- or
three-car units, and as either diesel or battery-powered variants.
Offering the refurbished former London Underground D-Stock vehicles
in a choice of motive power will enable operators to run the D-Trains on
either electrified or non-electrified routes, although it is not yet
known where they are likely to enter service. They are currently being
advertised for sale.
The Vivarail website http://vivarail.co.uk/ has messages of support from industry leaders Nigel Harris Rail Magazine, David Horne MD, Virgin East Coast, Alex Hynes MD, Northern Rail, Toby Rackcliff West Midlands ITA.
The trains can be built and delivered ahead of the forecast schedule
due to increased production capacity as Vivarail scale up for 2017 and
beyond. The trains are already being prepared for construction at the
Quinton Rail Technology Centre. They can be supplied as either 2- or
3-car units and with or without UAT, and will be fully compliant with
all standards and regulations up to and including PRM-TSI.
The trains can be ordered with any of the following power configurations:
DEMU
Battery with a range of up to 50 miles
Diesel/battery hybrid
Vivarail can offer a full maintenance package and driver training for ease of implementation.
NOW SEE THE LATEST ON THE NEW FOCUS FLICKR SITE
The current bus scene in Norwich city centre is the focus of attention for the first of two albums on the flickr site. Part 1 is specifically buses operated by First Group as 'Network Norwich'. These can now be viewed by clicking here
Launched on Monday, 22 May 2017, an extra service leaves Glasgow
at 1847 (1906 on Sundays) while in the opposite direction, a new, 1858
service (1858 on Sundays) has been introduced from Manchester Airport to
Glasgow Central.
Four coach 350 EMU's are currently operated on Glasgow to Manchester
Airport services
Each of these call at stations including Lockerbie, Carlisle,
Oxenholme, Lancaster, Preston, Wigan and stations in Manchester,
including Manchester Airport.
The extra trains will allow customers to extend their evening plans
whether it’s afternoon tea at Glasgow’s Willow Tea Rooms or a roast
dinner with extra Yorkshire puddings at Sam’s Chop House in Manchester.
Brand new, five carriage trains will start running on the route from
early 2019 as part of a £500million investment which will mean more
seats for customers.
Each state-of-the-art train will have free Wi-Fi, charging points at
every pair of seats and an on-board entertainment system allowing people
to watch the latest films and TV shows.
In December 2018, TPE will also begin operating a brand new direct service between Glasgow and Liverpool Lime Street.
Commenting on the change, Jerry Farquharson, Service Planning
Director for TransPennine Express said: “We are delighted that we’ve been able to add in these extra
services as part of our timetable change and I’m sure this will be
welcome news for customers who use or are planning to travel on this
popular route.
“This change is just the start and more improvements are coming including brand new trains and more seats.”
By the end of next year, no fewer than 19 new double-decker Postbuses will come into service
in Eastern Switzerland. They are the first British vehicles to be produced for PostBus.
Eastern Switzerland has become the PostBus hub for double-decker buses with the addition of 19 new vehicles. Double-decker Postbuses have been part of the fleet in Eastern Switzerland since 1995. The third generation is now being produced, as the double-decker buses used up until now are becoming outdated. The first two of the new vehicles will be used on the Engelburg–St. Gallen–Heiden routes and then subsequently in the Obertoggenburg and the regions of Rorschach and Goldach. Passengers are more comfortable on double deckers on the winding routes and they offer more seats than articulated vehicles: they have 78 seats and 55 standees, whereas articulated Postbuses have more standing spaces than seats.
These are the first Postbuses to have been produced in the United Kingdom and the first ever British
double-deckers in Switzerland, and are supplied Alexander Dennis, a market leader in this sector. The vehicles ordered for Eastern Switzerland are based on their Enviro500 standard model, but the company has adapted them to PostBus’s needs and Swiss regulations. The first new double-decker was presented to the media in Engelburg (canton St Gallen) on 19 May. During an open day event on 20 May, the local population was able to view the vehicle at the regional PostBus garage.
Between now and the end of 2018, the 19 double-decker Postbuses used in Eastern Switzerland up until now will be replaced gradually by the new vehicles. The new vehicles are equipped with two sets of stairs to the top deck, and they have three doors instead of two. Both decks have dual display screens and free WiFi. The vehicles are 13 metres long, 4 metres high and meet the strict Euro 6 emission standard. Besides Eastern Switzerland, PostBus uses double-decker buses for regular services and leisure traffic only in Graubünden and in Central Switzerland. The four in service in Graubünden will be replaced in the next two years by new double-decker buses.
A rail strike planned to disrupt three rail companies this weekend has been cancelled after a bomb attack at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester.
Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union on Southern Railway, Arriva Rail North and Merseyrail were due to walk out for 24 hours on May 30.
But, after 22 people were killed and 59 injured in the
bombing, the Union announced it had decided to suspend the industrial
action. RMT general secretary Mick Cash said: "In light of the
horrific bombing in Manchester and the heightened safety and security
alerts on the transport service, the RMT executive has taken the
decision to suspend the 24-hour strike scheduled for May 30 on Southern,
Arriva Rail North and Merseyrail.
The strike was originally planned as part of an ongoing dispute over driver-controlled operation on new trains.
Talks have been held between the RMT and Southern, without
any breakthrough to the row over changes to the role of conductors to
on-board supervisors (OBS).
It is not yet known whether it will be rearranged following the bomb attack.
After public pressure, and the intervention Irvine's MSP, Stagecoach says they have reinstated use of unofficial bus stops for the 23 service.
Due to complaints received by the Strathclyde Partnership
for Transport (SPT), Stagecoach said they have had to abandon using the
popular layby.
However after much uproar Stagecoach will now be using the stop again.
A spokeswoman for Stagecoach said: "We have liaised with SPT
over the past few days and are pleased to be able to advise that from
today, April 12, temporary stops will be installed at several locations
on Paterson Avenue and Livingstone Terrace with permanent facilities to
follow.
"This will mean that our services will be able to serve
these stops from today, offering additional recognised bus stops in safe
places in the area, and we can remain compliant with the legislation of
only serving recognised bus stops in accordance with our live
registered route."
Blind resident Craig Happell, who lives in Paterson Avenue,
used to walk with his guide dog to a layby next to his house to catch
the number 23 bus into Irvine Town Centre, said: "This has been a bus
stop for over 20 years and as I am registered blind has proved a great
asset in making it easier to get into town in particular in Winter and
poor weather.
"Both the bus stop outside 11 Paterson Avenue and outside
the Coach and Horses, Dickson Drive are completely unsuitable for
myself."
"In particular the distance from the Coach and Horses, Dickson Drive and my home.
After receiving numerous complaints Cunninghame South MSP Ruth Maguire gave her backing to bus-users.
Ruth has written to the Chief executive of Strathclyde
Partnership for Transport (SPT), Gordon Maclennan, to make him aware of
the difficulties caused by these changes
Ruth Maguire said: "The changes in service of the Number 23
bus are clearly having a negative impact on residents who rely on it,
and risk leaving people faced with expensive taxi bills or dependent on
family and friends to go about their daily lives.
"It also risks exacerbating the problem of social isolation – already a major concern for the local health services."
Stagecoach previously said: "Our drivers have been using the
layby in Paterson Avenue as an unofficial stop for some time now.
However, it is not a recognised bus stop and never has been. Following
complaints to SPT, they have advised that only recognised bus stops
should be used, in accordance with the live registered route of service
23.
"We continue to serve the official bus stop at 11 Paterson
Avenue. However, we are sorry to hear of this customer's concerns and
understand that this change will result in him having to travel slightly
further to the nearest bus stop. We are happy to meet with the customer
involved to discuss his concerns and hopefully provide reassurance
about his future travel with us."
Transport for London subsidiary Docklands Light Railway
Ltd has invited expressions of interest in contracts to supply and
support up to 77 driverless light metro trainsets.
The initial requirement under the DLR Rolling Stock Replacement
Project is for 43 trainsets, of which 33 would replace two-thirds of the
existing fleet and 10 would increase overall capacity. The first three
sets would be delivered for final acceptance testing by June 2021, and
enter revenue service from June 2022. The remaining 40 would be
delivered from July 2022, with the last entering service no later than
June 2024.
There would be options for up to 34 additional sets to be ordered within 72 months of the award of the initial contract.
‘These new trains will enable us to increase capacity on the DLR by
30%, significantly improving the comfort, reliability and quality of our
service’, said Danny Price, TfL’s Director, DLR, on May 17. ‘Ordering
them now ensures that we get the best value for money in the long term
and can support continuing growth in east London.’
The 750 V DC third-rail fixed-formation train sets are required to be
between 86·4 m and 88 m long, longer than the existing trainsets, and
have wide gangways, air-conditioning, real-time passenger information
and mobile device charging points. They should have a design life of at
least 35 years, and must be capable of automatic operation using the
existing SelTrac digital train control.
DLRL is seeking to let two contracts as one lot. The Manufacture
& Supply Agreement would cover design, supply and commissioning of
the train sets, while the Fleet Support Agreement would cover the
provision of technical support and spare parts for up to 35 years.
Procurement is being conducted using a negotiated procedure with
prior call for competition. DLRL envisages that between three and five
companies will be invited to tender later this year. The contracts would
be awarded in summer 2018 on the basis of the most economically
advantageous tender, with an estimated value of between £500m and £850m
excluding VAT.
DLRL intends to run a separate procurement to seek private finance
for the train sets. It may also require the disposal ‘in a sustainable
manner’ of up to 94 existing vehicles.
NOW SEE THE LATEST ON THE NEW FOCUS FLICKR SITE
On the other side of London is Ealing Broadway where a selection of buses and train images have been placed into two albums, which can now be viewed by clicking here and here
A further selection of buses and coaches that serve Heathrow Airport are now in another album, which can be viewed by clicking here
Fans of railway buffet car fare were dealt a blow today after yet another train company announced it was ending on-board catering services.
Chiltern Railways,
which runs trains from Marylebone to Banbury and Birmingham, said it
was doing away with its buffet services from this Saturday because too
many passengers were bringing their own food on board.
In a statement, the company said: “Increasing numbers of
customers are choosing to purchase food and drink at the shops and cafes
at our stations.
This has led to fewer people purchasing on board and the delivery of the service is no longer sustainable.”
Chiltern, the latest train operator to axe on-train catering, urged passengers to “purchase before travelling”.
From Saturday, passengers will have to do without the
breakfast choices of sliced Scottish smoked salmon served with
free-range scrambled egg on toast (£4.95), a bacon and sausage bap
(£3.75) or porridge with a choice of flavours, including apple and
cinnamon, date and apricot and dark chocolate and ginger (£2.60).
Mike Hewitson, head of policy at rail passenger watchdog
Transport Focus, said: “Some passengers on Chiltern will be disappointed
about the withdrawal of catering on their trains, particularly those
who travel on long journeys.”
In 2015, Southern Railways ended on-board catering, also blaming the popularity of station coffee shops and food outlets.
However, Great Western Railway, which runs long-distance
services from Paddington, has maintained and improved its Pullman
services.
Its dinner menu includes slow-braised Somerset pork belly and West Country-reared fillet steak, accompanied by selected wines.
Lothian Country has announced timetable and fares information for its new Queensferry service launching on Sunday 4 June.
Service 43 and the limited stop X43 will operate between St Andrew Square and Queensferry with buses every 20 minutes during the day from Monday to Saturday and every 30 minutes during the day on Sundays.
Lothian Country is a wholly owned subsidiary of Lothian Buses but will operate as a standalone business with its own buses and products provided on an entirely commercial basis.
There will be two fare zones; city and cityWEST. Travel in one zone will be £1.60 for an adult single and 80p for a child single. Travel in two zones will be £2.60 for an adult single and £1.30 for a child single.
Lothian Country is introducing the cityWEST Day ticket which will offer customers unlimited travel on Lothian Country and Lothian day services across both cityWEST zone and city zone for £5 for an adult and £2.50 for a child. The Network Day ticket and Lothian Buses Ridacard will be valid in cityWEST zone and city zone.
Customers are also being offered an introductory m-ticket deal, where they can purchase ten cityWEST single journey tickets for £25. These can be downloaded from tfeapp.com on Android and Apple devices.
Richard Hall, Managing Director of Lothian Buses, said:
“This new commercial service will provide important transport links for work and leisure between Queensferry and Edinburgh. We are pleased to be in a position to provide these vital services, following extensive analysis of passenger journey patterns and commitments from The City of Edinburgh Council to retain and improve bus priority measures. However, the ongoing provision of these services is wholly dependent on customer usage levels. It’s important that the community embrace our new venture to ensure its future viability.”
Lothian Country will introduce the following services from 4 June 2017:
Service 43 - St Andrew Square (north side), George Street, Frederick Street, Queensferry Street, Queensferry Road, A90, B924, Dalmeny Main Street, Bankhead Road, Station Road, Burgess Road, The Loan, Hopetoun Road, Bo’ness Road, Builyeon Road, Ferrymuir Road, (Mon-Sat daytime 43 calls at Ferrymuir Retail Park), Kirkliston Road to Queensferry Scotstoun Avenue. Return via outward route reversed.
Service X43 – route as 43 but omits Ferrymuir Retail Park.
Stopping pattern: all stops St Andrew Square to Queensferry St at Drumsheugh Place then Learmonth Terrace, Craigleith (at Holiday Inn), Blackhall, Clermiston Road North, Parkgrove Road, Barnton then all stops to Queensferry (Scotstoun).
Southampton will play host to a special celebration of Solent Blue Line's 30th anniversary this summer.
Vintage vehicles and fun family activities will be
located next to the city’s famous Bargate on Sunday 4 June for Solent
Blue Line’s 30th birthday party.
Now known as Bluestar, the firm is laying on the
special family event in support of Southampton Children’s Hospital
Charity. And managing director Andrew Wickham is expecting the
festivities to attract a significant crowd.
“We are thrilled to be celebrating 30 years in
Southampton, alongside those who have worked with us and travelled on
our buses over the last three decades,” he said.
“This promises to be a fantastic celebration of
Solent Blue Line’s history here. People will even be able to take to the
roads in vintage buses - with three special heritage routes running
across the town during the event.
“I’m very much looking forward to welcoming guests to
our party, which is to be held in support of our corporate charity. A
very worthy cause.
The event takes place between 10am and 4pm on Sunday 4 June next to the Bargate in Southampton.
Council and Stagecoach strike deal for Winchester Bus Station
A multi-million pound deal for a bus station in the heart of a Hampshire city has been struck.
Stagecoach, who own Winchester Bus Station in The Broadway, have agreed to sell the freehold of the site to Winchester City Council.
The council say that the £4m investment will ensure the future of bus operations in the city centre.
The decision brings to a conclusion more than 20 years of negotiations
over the site which started in the 1990s when Stagecoach first
indicated a desire to vacate the site.
The council say they want to make improvements to the site in the
short-term and to propose changes that will improve the flow of buses
through the town and increase pedestrian safety.
In the longer-term, they say the purchase will bring new opportunities
and have significant benefits for the regeneration of central
Winchester and the continuing use of bus services.
Initial changes to improve the routing of buses will be on an interim basis.
However the council say it will not constrain further consideration of
supplying bus services and routes in the town centre as part of
engagement work being undertaken by architects for the Silver Hill site JTP, who are helping to shape a vision for the Silver Hill site by producing a supplementary planning document.
The well known exit and facade of the bus station back in the National Bus Company era when Bristol VRs and Leyland Nationals were the staple diet of the subsidiaries such as Hants & Dorset. March 1983 saw two such examples as they prepared to depart on their various duties.
The bus station has been a regular focus of bus related events none moreso than those organised by FoKAB, Friends of King Alfred Buses. Established in 1985 they are best known for their annual New Year's Day events. A rather handsome former Hants & Dorset Bristol Lodeka departs the bus station, with a Bristol Omnibus Company RE type in the background.
The affectionately named ‘Bubble Cars’,
that have run on the Chiltern Railways line between Princes Risborough and
Aylesbury, made their last journey on the Chiltern Railways
route on Friday 19th May.
First brought into service in Britain in 1960, the two heritage
class 121 trains were purchased by Chiltern Railways in 2003 and have
serviced the 18-minute journey from Princes Risborough to Monks
Risborough, Little Kimble and Aylesbury ever since.
As single
carriage trains, they were recognisable for their small size and open
environment allowing customers to see ahead through the front windows of
the train.
David Bowker and John Parkin have kindly provided a selection of images from the final day, which include a cake specially baked and prepared for the day's events.
Air Transat, Icelandair and Norwegian Air Shuttle are the least punctual airlines in Britain, research from Which? has found.
The
consumer group analysed landing times for 850,000 flights at 25 UK
airports and found that on average only 75% of all flights arrived on
time.
Dutch airline KLM was the most punctual carrier, followed by Qatar Airways.
Air Transat was the most tardy, with only 55% of flights landing within 15 minutes of their planned arrival time.
Icelandair and Norwegian were not much better, with on-time performance rates of 56% and 60%, respectively.
A spokesperson for Montreal-based Air Transat said it was not wholly responsible for its low punctuality ranking.
"The
statistics in this report do not take into account the delays caused by
factors beyond our control such as weather and air traffic control.
"When these factors are excluded, our punctuality rate is in fact 78%."
Icelandair also blamed issues such as air traffic strikes as well as renovations at Reykjavik airport for its performance.
A new campaign has launched in Liverpool City Region with the intention of inspiring people to travel by bus to get them where they need to be. Welcome Better By Bus.
For the first time, Merseytravel, Arriva and Stagecoach have teamed up to be the driving force behind Liverpool City Region’s newest bus campaign. Better By Bus will be a catalyst to motivate people to change their travelling habits away from the car, and choose to use the bus for work, play and everything in between.
Many people have not got the bus for a long time and so are unaware that most vehicles now boast on board Wi-Fi, USB charging and e-leather seats - there has never been a better time to be a passenger. Better By Bus will highlight the benefits of stepping aboard, whether it is to have some me time, collect the day’s thoughts or enjoy a whole host of wonderful city region views – all of which can be enjoyed from the comfort of a seat.
The campaign will be fronted by some of the region’s up and coming rising stars. After open auditions in Liverpool City Centre, 24 young people were selected from across the region to be the faces of Better By Bus with a promotional advert launching the campaign.
Over the next 12 months, the Better By Bus team will be out and about working with local people by talking with businesses, going into the community and visiting schools to encourage them to think differently about how they travel. As part of the campaign, The Better By Bus Club will be heading into primary schools across the city region to inspire the next generation of bus passengers about how travelling on the bus can have a positive impact on the environment and their everyday lives.
Julie Linforth, campaign conductor for Better By Bus, said:
“We’re very excited to have officially launched Better By Bus. This is the first time Merseytravel, Stagecoach and Arriva have worked together, so we wanted to make sure that the campaign encapsulated the uniqueness of our local people and was something truly engaging.
“Choosing to travel on the bus has so many benefits that we know will be celebrated throughout the campaign. We want to make people aware that Liverpool City Region’s bus offering is constantly improving. We’re building a better bus network for the future."
Rob Jones, campaign conductor for Better By Bus, said:
“The Better By Bus campaign is designed to make bus travel an attractive choice for every person across Liverpool City Region. We have so many exciting things planned over the next 12 months that will inspire people to consider travelling by bus to get them where they need to go.
“It’s time to take the pressure off, let the bus driver do the hard work; use your bus journey to have some me time and do the things that you want to do.”
You can take a look at the brand new Better By Bus advert by heading to www.betterbybus.org
Focus Transport has reached its 6th Birthday and is also celebrating topping 1.6 million Page Views. Our
Focus Flickr site which started in 2014 has reached 1.74 page views, so
to all visitors and contributors to our sites, thank you from the Focus Team.
This
site was originated and run by Richard Lomas until his death and since
then the Focus Team have since taken over and developed the site into
what it is today.
As a tribute to Richard we show
pictures taken by Kath Lomas on a recent visit to the Kirkby Stephen
Rally. Kath regularly posts on Richard's Tram Blog which she has run since Richard's death.
Employees at three rail companies are to stage strikes, the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union has said.
RMT members at Southern Railway, Merseyrail and Northern (Arriva Rail North) will walk out on 30 May.
The
24-hour strike is the latest in a bitter dispute over staffing and
plans to introduce new driver-operated-only (DOO) trains.
It will be the 32nd day of industrial action by Southern workers, who started holding strikes a year ago.
Talks on Monday between the RMT and Southern were adjourned for both sides to "consider their positions".
Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), which owns Southern,
replaced conductors with "on-board supervisors" (OBS) to work across
different services but without the responsibility of closing doors -
which has switched to train drivers.
The union said its decision
to announce fresh industrial action comes in response to Southern
revealing during Monday's negotiations that more than 8,000 trains a
year will run without an OBS.
Mick Cash, RMT general secretary,
added: "That represents a serious safety and accessibility risk and
short of the guarantee of a second safety qualified member of staff."
Andy
Bindon, a director at GTR, said it was "hugely disappointed" with the
strike, and added: "The RMT's proposals would mean cancelling trains and
reducing service levels to our passengers.
"Our service levels
are stabilising at the highest we've seen in years and we cannot agree
to anything which will jeopardise running trains and the service to our
passengers."
In
its dispute with Northern, Mr Cash said the union was "angry and
frustrated" with the company's planned policy of a minimum of 50% DOO
trains.
Richard Allan, deputy managing director of Northern, said
changes needed to be made to the on-board role as the railway is
modernised.
He added: "We believe we would keep a second person on
many of our services and, at some locations, we may choose to staff the
station to give better support to customers."
The company is also
offering to protect workers' jobs and pay, and offer annual pay reviews
for existing conductors if a deal is agreed.
The RMT said Merseyrail's "pig-headed attitude" had forced its hand to strike for a third time.
The
union claimed that during talks Merseyrail had refused to set up a
"safety working group", alongside external safety bodies and the train
manufacturer Stadler, on the principle that a second safety-critical
person would be retained across all services.
Jan Chaudhry-van der Velde, Merseyrail's managing director, said the region was becoming a "pawn in the RMT's national game".
He
added: "We had several meetings with the RMT. In the last one,
Merseyrail put forward a number of initiatives, which we were willing to
explore through a series of working groups.
"These included
having a second member of staff on trains after 8pm. Unfortunately, the
RMT would not talk about these things unless we committed to a second
safety critical person on every single train."
Members of drivers'
union Aslef - also involved in a row with Southern over the same issue -
rejected a deal with the train operator in February, and again last
month.
Jet Stream Tours to operate Gravesend to Tilbury Ferry
A new, interim operator has been announced to run the Gravesend to Tilbury ferry.
The service, on which around 120,000 journeys are made each year, will now be provided by Jet Stream Tours.
It
was being run by the Lower Thames and Medway Passenger Boat Company. A
new permanent contract for the service should be in place later this
year.
The Tilbury Ferry Service is getting a new operator
The new temporary contract for the ferry service is financially supported by Thurrock Council and Kent County Council.
Jet Stream Tours will provide exactly the same service, operating on the same days and to the same timetable.
Fares
will also remain unchanged and the new vessel will continue to accept
passengers with bicycles. Unfortunately, the new vessel will not be able
to accommodate motorbikes.
The service
operates from the Port of Tilbury landing stage under an agreement with
Thurrock Council and on the other side of the river to Town Pier, which
is owned by Gravesham council and uses a pontoon developed in
partnership with Gravesham and KCC.
KCC’s Head of Public Transport Phil Lightowler said: “We’re delighted to be working with Jet Stream Tours.
“We
believe they will provide a first class service that will benefit the
hundreds of passengers that make the trip from Gravesend to Thurrock and
back each day.”
Thurrock Council Portfolio
Holder for Transport and Highways Cllr Brian Little said: “We are very
pleased to be working with Jet Stream Tours and look forward to a great
service for Thurrock’s residents.”
First Bus is updating its mobile travel information app to help make it easier for customers to catch the bus
National bus operator First Bus, is
releasing a new travel information app to include multi-modal travel
information and a door-to-door journey planner in a bid to make it
easier for people to catch the bus.
First Bus currently has two apps
available for customers and will be making major improvements to its
mobile offering over the course of this year. The first phase of these
updates sees changes to the First Bus Travel Information app, which is
available to download now.
The updated First Bus Travel
Information app will be much easier for users to navigate with their
most frequently used information available with one click. Key features
of the app will include:
Multi-modal door-to-door journey planning covering all modes (i.e. bus, rail and tram) and all operators across the UK
Mapping progress along a bus route towards a user’s destination on Google Maps
Users favourite bus stops
Bus stops nearby within a set walking radius (this can be set to 5, 10 or 15 minutes)
Walking directions to the required bus stop
Save favourite journeys made and destinations travelled to
Travel Service Alerts
Commenting about the update to the
First Bus Travel Information app, James Timperley, Director of Retail
Development at First Bus, said: “We’re thrilled to be launching this
update to our Travel Information app. Our aim is to make it easier for
customers to catch the bus and we believe this update to our app helps
to remove some of the key barriers our customers face when trying to use
our services.
“We have worked with The App
Business, Transport API and Google to develop the new version of the
Travel Information app and in doing this we have been able to utilise
their knowledge of transport data to ensure that we have an accurate,
easy to use and reliable app for our customers.
“We look forward to gathering
feedback from customers and being able to integrate it into the
development process as part of the ongoing commitment to develop and
improve our customer facing apps.”
David Tuck, Commercial Director at
The App Business, adds: “The release of the new First Bus app is the
latest output in a long-running collaboration we are very proud of at
The App Business. It’s a transformative piece of work; not only for
customers, who will be able to plan their journeys and travel more
easily across the UK on multiple modes of transport, but also for what
it means for First Group’s mobile offering across the board.”
