Traffic

[Cheese]

2 minutes ago, Leyther_Matt said:

As I’ve posted on here previously, if the buses went cashless then the receipts would go through the roof and be far more representative of actually usage. I’ve used two different routes previously and both times it was rife not issuing tickets and pocketing the fiver. Made even easier once it went to one bus per route. 

So you're saying the bus drivers are ripping the club off, and in turn destroying the only viable matchday transport route for a massive amount of fans? That's quite an allegation...

Edited September 9, 2023 by Cheese

[Leyther_Matt]

Just now, Cheese said:

So you're saying the bus drivers are ripping the club off, and in turn destroying the only viable matchday transport route for a massive amount of fans? That's quite an allegation...

Seen it with my own eyes. Only got given a ticket because we asked for one because we weren’t sure which route we were going back. Standing room only on so many buses in the past so any sort of business argument didn’t exist. And that was with 5,000 fewer season tickets. 

[FrancisFogarty]

•  

56 minutes ago, Cheese said:

If it's worth it, they'll keep doing it.... I suspect it's been costing more than it brings in for a long time, hence the stupid ticket prices.

You're right, but the gripe now is not so much about the £7, we're used to that. I hear more complaining about the earlier bus times, and the fact that buses don't get off the car park as a priority.

We know the reasons why, but that's what people are going on about.

 

I'm looking into getting on a bus from a pub. Less than £5.50 a pint and setting off at 2 instead of 12:45 (for me).

 

[Cheese]

Just now, Leyther_Matt said:

Seen it with my own eyes. Only got given a ticket because we asked for one because we weren’t sure which route we were going back. Standing room only on so many buses in the past so any sort of business argument didn’t exist. And that was with 5,000 fewer season tickets. 

I find that hard to believe, as it would be so easy to detect. Someone from the club could just observe how full the buses are when they arrive at the ground, then look at the amount of tickets sold. Wouldn't even need to count if the descrepancy is as big as you're inferring.

[Traf]

3 hours ago, stevieb said:

All by design. 

 

3 hours ago, Marc505 said:

I agree. Only very rarely get it now when I'm heading back into Bolton or if there's a train strike, but whenever I get on what was the 11 (can't remember what number it changed to now) there's a little crew of elderly folk who sit at the back and they're such a nice, genuine bunch who've been going the match for donkeys, look out for eachother, driver even waits up for one who isnt great on her feet and then gets out of their cab to help her off.

Was talking to them last time and they're convinced the buses are being phased out but in a way that can be blamed on folk not using them enough. The prices, timings, routes are just not a service anymore. They cancel the buses and they'll have no other viable way of getting to games.

Both correct. The club can't be arsed with the buses.
So put the prices up to reduce passenger numbers and when that doesn't work, say you now have to be at the ground at 1.15pm.
The buses were designed to be convenient, they're now far from it.

Nothing is done by accident, it's all part of the plan.

[BOWTUN BAKED]

You'd think with being green, ULEZ, getting cars off the road etc, that the match bus would get a better backing.

Surprised the club hadn't approached the local authority/Burnham to subsidise it

All very odd but definitely being phased out on purpose. Is there no local services go from town to the Middlebrook?

[Leyther_Matt]

9 hours ago, Cheese said:

I find that hard to believe, as it would be so easy to detect. Someone from the club could just observe how full the buses are when they arrive at the ground, then look at the amount of tickets sold. Wouldn't even need to count if the descrepancy is as big as you're inferring.

Cheese, believe what you want but I have literally witnessed it. And reported it to the club. It’s like they’re being driven by 1980s turnstile operators. 

[Dr. Feelgood]

2 hours ago, Leyther_Matt said:

It’s like they’re being driven by 1980s turnstile operators. 

You're surely not saying ... etc. etc.

[bwfcuk]

12 hours ago, Cheese said:

I find that hard to believe, as it would be so easy to detect. Someone from the club could just observe how full the buses are when they arrive at the ground, then look at the amount of tickets sold. Wouldn't even need to count if the descrepancy is as big as you're inferring.

I dont think the club are arsed as I'm  sure they don't make anything from the bus service , they probably still subsidise it so no concern to them if the drivers are pocketing the odd £7.  They'll just let it fail and and take no blame at all. Another cunning plan from Mr H...

[athywhite1958]

13 hours ago, Leyther_Matt said:

Seen it with my own eyes. Only got given a ticket because we asked for one because we weren’t sure which route we were going back. Standing room only on so many buses in the past so any sort of business argument didn’t exist. And that was with 5,000 fewer season tickets. 

When the buses first started operating I think it was £1.50 each way, £3.00 return, the bus from Athy was always packed and we (our group of  only ever got a ticket when the driver knew the inspector was to get on

Edited September 10, 2023 by athywhite1958

[L/H White]

4 hours ago, Leyther_Matt said:

Cheese, believe what you want but I have literally witnessed it. And reported it to the club. It’s like they’re being driven by 1980s turnstile operators. 

[Traf]

10 hours ago, BOWTUN BAKED said:

Is there no local services go from town to the Middlebrook?

Surprisingly not, on a Saturday afternoon.

It's either the train or the 575 bus to the Beehive.

[Traf]

516 from Leigh...

[Leyther_Matt]

1 hour ago, Traf said:

516 from Leigh...

That service was basically the justification the club used for ending the Leigh match bus. At £4 returns it’s great when it runs, but in the past I know they’ve bypassed the Middlebrook stop post-match so they don’t get stuck in traffic or just doesn’t bother running it at all around those times. 

[Dr. Feelgood]

14 minutes ago, Leyther_Matt said:

That service was basically the justification the club used for ending the Leigh match bus. At £4 returns it’s great when it runs, but in the past I know they’ve bypassed the Middlebrook stop post-match so they don’t get stuck in traffic or just doesn’t bother running it at all around those times. 

It's a normal commuter bus* & has existed a minimum of 60 years, probably much longer.

I guess it's available for football fans getting on at the Beehive, by Lostock Lane but that's not it's primary function.

The club & th'owd SELNEC should get their act together for matchdays in these days of attempts to force people onto public transport.

 

*the Horwich-Wigan bus from near the Crown, through Blackrod, up Tanner's Brow (Brew), Scott Road, Aspull & New Springs was very oddly also the number 16. It caused no confusion as everyone knew.

[embankment]

Was ok with the 1 bus at 13.05 from Westhoughton. Plenty of time for a pint and kebab in the Fan Zone and then into the hotel .

But last match ( Derby) it was late only arriving at the Stadium at 13.55 .

So massive queue to get in the fanzone.  

So went to Nam Ploy 

After the match with 8 mins extra time , "buzz' didn't get off the carpark till 17.30 ish .

That's way too long .

There is a service bus leaves Middlebrook at 17.50 back to Howfen. 

Might as well get that .

Or share a taxi back at 18.30 when all the traffic has gone.

 

[Leyther_Matt]

4 hours ago, Dr. Feelgood said:

It's a normal commuter bus* & has existed a minimum of 60 years, probably much longer.

I guess it's available for football fans getting on at the Beehive, by Lostock Lane but that's not it's primary function.

The club & th'owd SELNEC should get their act together for matchdays in these days of attempts to force people onto public transport.

 

*the Horwich-Wigan bus from near the Crown, through Blackrod, up Tanner's Brow (Brew), Scott Road, Aspull & New Springs was very oddly also the number 16. It caused no confusion as everyone knew.

It’s only existed since Middlebrook was built as far as I’m aware (although it may have served in some form prior to that for people working at the Aerospace). There actually also used to be the 615 that ran from Leigh to Middlebrook and on to Wigan from there. 

[FrancisFogarty]

19 hours ago, Traf said:

 

Both correct. The club can't be arsed with the buses.
So put the prices up to reduce passenger numbers and when that doesn't work, say you now have to be at the ground at 1.15pm.
The buses were designed to be convenient, they're now far from it.

Nothing is done by accident, it's all part of the plan.

I’ve said this before, we are now seeing the business side of Sharon and FV.

They still have credit in my book, and perhaps us buses wankers are small potatoes compared with keeping the Hotel and the suites full. 
 

[FrancisFogarty]

22 hours ago, Cheese said:

I find that hard to believe, as it would be so easy to detect. Someone from the club could just observe how full the buses are when they arrive at the ground, then look at the amount of tickets sold. Wouldn't even need to count if the descrepancy is as big as you're inferring.

The no.5 driver has always given tickets as far as I can recall. I’d not like to be caught up there with nae ticket to get home.

Picture the scene. Pissing down, home defeat, middle of November, it’s pitch black, can’t get on a bus. No thanks.

There was a driver once on the no.7 who said the machine wasn’t working. He picked every fucker up. There must have been fifty standing. Upstairs, on the stairs everywhere. People were complaining like buggery to Blakey. He was nowhere to be seen on the way back.

The driver, not Blakey.

Edited September 10, 2023 by FrancisFogarty
New shit has come to light.

[Dr. Feelgood]

3 hours ago, Leyther_Matt said:

It’s only existed since Middlebrook was built as far as I’m aware (although it may have served in some form prior to that for people working at the Aerospace). There actually also used to be the 615 that ran from Leigh to Middlebrook and on to Wigan from there. 

It hadn't only existed since then I can assure you.

As I describe above the 16, it was an LUT bus back in the day, has existed since before I was old enough to know.

Starting on Lever Park Ave., it went up Leigh Lane passing what became Horwich baths, along Victoria Rd. to Chorley New Rd., past St. Joe's, to Salisbury Rd. before the new duel carriageway, passing de Haviland/Aerospace toward Westhoughton, Daisy Hill, Love Lane, past the old LUT garage & into the bus station.

I can vouch for 60+ years & doubt it started then.

[Traf]

5 hours ago, FrancisFogarty said:

I’ve said this before, we are now seeing the business side of Sharon and FV.

They still have credit in my book, and perhaps us buses wankers are small potatoes compared with keeping the Hotel and the suites full. 
 

The size of potato shouldn't matter.

If you're portraying yourselves as a family club at the heart of the community, look after those families in the community.
Don't charge a family of four £28 return on the bus and then make them kill an extra hour at the stadium where they'll end up spending more money.

if anything, they should put parking up to £15 a game and subsidise the buses that way. We're supposed to be taking vehicles off the road, aren't we?

Edited September 10, 2023 by Traf
missed a word.

[Leyther_Matt]

8 hours ago, Dr. Feelgood said:

It hadn't only existed since then I can assure you.

As I describe above the 16, it was an LUT bus back in the day, has existed since before I was old enough to know.

Starting on Lever Park Ave., it went up Leigh Lane passing what became Horwich baths, along Victoria Rd. to Chorley New Rd., past St. Joe's, to Salisbury Rd. before the new duel carriageway, passing de Haviland/Aerospace toward Westhoughton, Daisy Hill, Love Lane, past the old LUT garage & into the bus station.

I can vouch for 60+ years & doubt it started then.

Fair enough, I stand corrected 👍 

[tomski]

Move the ground back to town. Simples

[Tonge moor green jacket]

How many other clubs subsidise a bus service? I have no idea.

A private company without the ability to use taxation to subsidise the cost.

I've no idea as to how much the fare needs to be to make it pay for itself, but that will also depend upon numbers. Catch 22 again.

Perhaps they could have a section on the website where groups could advertise their own travel from a given location- pub etc, so that folk can pick one nearby and use that. A minibus or a big one depends upon numbers.

[Dr. Feelgood]

Is this not what 'Supporter's Trusts' are (supposed to be) for ?