the stinking enigma Posted October 10, 2019 Share Posted October 10, 2019 I was going to edit that but I quite like hard brained as a concept. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolley Posted October 10, 2019 Share Posted October 10, 2019 Or a way of life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Mexico Posted October 10, 2019 Share Posted October 10, 2019 2 hours ago, woolley said: I'll risk a contrary view. It isn't a U turn. They are not putting the full sized buses back on to run empty again. They are using the ring and ride minibuses and keeping that system but saying that they will also incorporate these specific runs at these set times. So there is a timetabled service but it will also divert to pick people up at home. It seems like a compromise worth trying. Credit to them. In some ways it's worse than a U turn because they have ended up running the old timetable, but with the extra cost of providing the dial-a-ride type service. According to the press release: Quote From Monday 4 November, minibuses will leave Jurby Bretney at 9.25am, 11.25am and 12.25pm, Jurby Threshold at 9.30am, 11.30am and 12.30pm and reach Ramsey at 10am, midday and 1pm. The service will leave Ramsey bus station for Jurby at 9am, 11am and midday. All passengers waiting at the stops at these times will be collected and pre-booking will not be necessary. The services will continue to be flexible and passengers can be collected from their homes along the way by contacting the team on +44 1624 697440 or visiting www.bus.im/connect Standard fares will apply for the services, which will run Monday to Saturday, in addition to existing scheduled services arriving at the Jurby Threshold shelter at 6.55am, 8.15am, 9.02am, 2.52pm, 4.12pm, 4.27pm, 5.27pm, 6.22pm, 7.04pm, 9.02pm and 10.54pm Monday to Friday, and at 6.55am, 8.02am, 2.02pm, 5.27pm, 9.02pm and 10.54pm each Saturday. Sunday services will remain unchanged. What they've done in effect is reinstate the lost services that filled the gaps in the timetable, but with the option to detour to pick up extra passengers, providing they get to Ramsey on time. The only saving will be that of running a minibus rather than singledecker, which isn't that great[1] and of course there may be other problems (too many passengers, passengers with lots of shopping, older or disabled people who find getting into a minibus difficult). [1] Obviously if they hadn't bought all those minibuses there would have been very considerable savings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P.K. Posted October 10, 2019 Share Posted October 10, 2019 2 hours ago, Albert Tatlock said: They had a meeting with residents who moaned about the mini bus service not working and wanting regular bus services back on. How does a youngster there with no car get to/from work in Ramsey/Douglas etc. ? Call me old fashioned but shouldn't they have done their research before they doled out a load of public money on the basis of someone's so-called masterplan....? I'm not going to complain about a lack of joined-up thinking as that would have required some thinking to be done in the first place... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Down Posted October 10, 2019 Share Posted October 10, 2019 common sense and thinking - two things that will instantly ban you from anything governmental Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolley Posted October 10, 2019 Share Posted October 10, 2019 We'd need to know more about the operational costs to judge the comparison between the former service, the current ring and ride and the proposed hybrid. I can't see the adaptation costing a lot more than what is being done now with the same vehicles and personnel. It's just laying down a timed availability if you haven't booked in advance. One other possibility did occur to me. Perhaps the ring and ride has been a total failure with very few bookings and this is a move that avoids loss of face. Just me being cynical of course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P.K. Posted October 10, 2019 Share Posted October 10, 2019 2 hours ago, woolley said: We'd need to know more about the operational costs to judge the comparison between the former service, the current ring and ride and the proposed hybrid. I can't see the adaptation costing a lot more than what is being done now with the same vehicles and personnel. It's just laying down a timed availability if you haven't booked in advance. One other possibility did occur to me. Perhaps the ring and ride has been a total failure with very few bookings and this is a move that avoids loss of face. Just me being cynical of course. Unfortunately it's a cynicism born out of a government track record that is a litany of financial mismanagement.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uhtred Posted October 10, 2019 Share Posted October 10, 2019 10 hours ago, Albert Tatlock said: How does a youngster there with no car get to/from work in Ramsey/Douglas etc. ? They buy a car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kopek Posted October 10, 2019 Share Posted October 10, 2019 With todays propensity for car ownership, it is likely that those who can afford a car will have one, those who cannot afford a car, or whose hubby uses the car to get to work leaving """"The Wife"""" and kids stuck in the Bretney will need some alternative arrangment to get the Hell outta Jurby for a few hours!!! If they are stuck in Jurby all day what are they going to do? Teach the kids to strip a washing machine in their front garden!@!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kopek Posted October 10, 2019 Share Posted October 10, 2019 Wooley, if you were to crunch the numbers, which would be better, to run a limited service to and from Jurby to Ramsey, with single deckers or to purchase lots of mini busses and run them back and forth all day??? A minimal service would be Jurby to Ramsey 10 am. a Ramsey to Jurby 4pm., that would get wives and kids out and back again during the working day. Perhaps a 6pm service to get workers without cars home again???? A single decker on that service would probably use less fuel and accrue less wages than all the mini buses buzzing back and forth??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kopek Posted October 10, 2019 Share Posted October 10, 2019 9 hours ago, P.K. said: Call me old fashioned but shouldn't they have done their research before they doled out a load of public money on the basis of someone's so-called masterplan....? I'm not going to complain about a lack of joined-up thinking as that would have required some thinking to be done in the first place... That is so selfish of you PK. How can Mercedes make profit if little old Isle of Man does not purchase lots of their buses??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolley Posted October 10, 2019 Share Posted October 10, 2019 1 hour ago, Kopek said: Wooley, if you were to crunch the numbers, which would be better, to run a limited service to and from Jurby to Ramsey, with single deckers or to purchase lots of mini busses and run them back and forth all day??? A minimal service would be Jurby to Ramsey 10 am. a Ramsey to Jurby 4pm., that would get wives and kids out and back again during the working day. Perhaps a 6pm service to get workers without cars home again???? A single decker on that service would probably use less fuel and accrue less wages than all the mini buses buzzing back and forth??? Ah, well. We are where we are. In the past I've wondered, and have probably mentioned it on here before, if the Jurby conundrum could be addressed by diverting a couple of the hourly buses that run between Kirk Michael and Ramsey, from Ballaugh via The Cronk, Jurby and Sandygate to Sulby, then on to Ramsey, and the same in the opposite direction. I know it would be a bit of a delay to those few journeys affected for passengers traveling from Peel etc. through to Ramsey, but not so much as the seemingly accepted bizarre notion of buses routed from the south to Nobles Hospital via Central Douglas, Promenades, Onchan, Birch Hill and Johnny Watterson's and inconveniencing infinitely fewer people. Obviously Wildlife Park passengers would have to avoid those particular services. It would even give the poor sods in Jurby and environs a direct bus to Peel, the Hospital and Douglas! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
finlo Posted October 11, 2019 Share Posted October 11, 2019 9 hours ago, woolley said: Ah, well. We are where we are. In the past I've wondered, and have probably mentioned it on here before, if the Jurby conundrum could be addressed by diverting a couple of the hourly buses that run between Kirk Michael and Ramsey, from Ballaugh via The Cronk, Jurby and Sandygate to Sulby, then on to Ramsey, and the same in the opposite direction. I know it would be a bit of a delay to those few journeys affected for passengers traveling from Peel etc. through to Ramsey, but not so much as the seemingly accepted bizarre notion of buses routed from the south to Nobles Hospital via Central Douglas, Promenades, Onchan, Birch Hill and Johnny Watterson's and inconveniencing infinitely fewer people. Obviously Wildlife Park passengers would have to avoid those particular services. It would even give the poor sods in Jurby and environs a direct bus to Peel, the Hospital and Douglas! They've already been doing that for year's certainly during the evening. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Declan Posted October 11, 2019 Share Posted October 11, 2019 9 hours ago, woolley said: Ah, well. We are where we are. In the past I've wondered, and have probably mentioned it on here before, if the Jurby conundrum could be addressed by diverting a couple of the hourly buses that run between Kirk Michael and Ramsey, from Ballaugh via The Cronk, Jurby and Sandygate to Sulby, then on to Ramsey, and the same in the opposite direction. I know it would be a bit of a delay to those few journeys affected for passengers traveling from Peel etc. through to Ramsey, but not so much as the seemingly accepted bizarre notion of buses routed from the south to Nobles Hospital via Central Douglas, Promenades, Onchan, Birch Hill and Johnny Watterson's and inconveniencing infinitely fewer people. Obviously Wildlife Park passengers would have to avoid those particular services. It would even give the poor sods in Jurby and environs a direct bus to Peel, the Hospital and Douglas! I also wonder whether one every couple hours of 1/4 hourly buses between the South and Douglas could divert at Ballasalla via Foxdale and St. John's and the hospital. Maybe not ideal for commuters but during the day and evening this would enable a change at St.Johns for Peel and the North. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Down Posted October 11, 2019 Share Posted October 11, 2019 Maybe if they stopped sending near empty buses to places like Willaston - Pulrose and Onchan every 20/30 minutes they might have money left for other services Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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