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caeos
Barsoom
148 Posts |
 Posted - 30/11/2007 : 22:41:00
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http://www.thebiglemon.com/
quote:
* STOP PRESS *
30 November 2007
Due to a situation beyond our control we regret to say we are unable to operate our service any longer.
There are a number of reasons why, and a full statement will be issued next week. In the meantime we would like to thank all of our passengers and apologise to those for whom such a sudden termination poses significant inconvenience.
If anyone has bought a week ticket or a 6-journey lemonade pass I will refund them in full, including postage if you are able to send them to our office.
Please accept my sincere apologies once again
Tom Druitt
Managing Director, The Big Lemon CIC
* * * * * * *
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Miriam Binder
Earthsea
United Kingdom
5815 Posts |
Posted - 30/11/2007 : 22:55:48
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| Maybe someone should alert the Monopoly commission to the state of bus services in Brighton & Hove |
"Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety" - Benjamin Franklin |
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Control Panel
Discworld
1213 Posts |
Posted - 30/11/2007 : 22:56:14
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Bad luck, BLT - and well done for trying.
Look forward to reading more about this.
Your time might yet come.
And you have been a thorn in Roger French's side. Will his fares now increase? |
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long time no see
Earthsea
United Kingdom
6771 Posts |
Posted - 01/12/2007 : 05:53:29
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Empty Buses
on a route that many did not know
was a failed Business Plan.
Life In The City. |
Edited by - long time no see on 01/12/2007 12:11:08 |
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Martha Gunn
Barsoom
225 Posts |
Posted - 01/12/2007 : 12:26:00
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quote:
Originally posted by long time no see
Empty Buses
on a route that many did not know
was a failed Business Plan.
Life In The City.
I disagree. It is a victim of the Brighton & Hove bus Compnays council bank rolled monopoly and why the town will never have a worls class public transport system.
Tell me one other company that gets the kind of financial assistence given to it that Brighton & Hove Council provides to Roger French? Then, one the one hand fares rise as he tells us of the rising costs of petrol, then, to snuff out the Big Lemon, he introduces cynical cheap fares that he can afford to sustain such is their position of dominance.
Still, the bus option is the easy option for low calibre council officers. If they had a bit more about them as a department, the town would be looking at better options than the bus. |
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Martha Gunn
Barsoom
225 Posts |
Posted - 01/12/2007 : 12:36:12
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http://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/index.cfm?request=c1175074
More money that could be spent on better transport initiatives instead spent on measures to stop buses from killing pedestrians.
How about getting buses to slow down and then officer time (and taxpayers money) would not be wasted designing out a problem that could be easily alleviated by a bit of common sense.
How much of your taxes goes to schemes that heavily involve Brighton & Hove buses in terms of making their operation more profitable? Where is our dividend from the Go-Ahead group? |
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long time no see
Earthsea
United Kingdom
6771 Posts |
Posted - 01/12/2007 : 12:40:18
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quote:
Originally posted by Martha Gunn
quote:
Originally posted by long time no see
Empty Buses
on a route that many did not know
was a failed Business Plan.
Life In The City.
I disagree. It is a victim of the Brighton & Hove bus Compnays council bank rolled monopoly and why the town will never have a worls class public transport system.
Tell me one other company that gets the kind of financial assistence given to it that Brighton & Hove Council provides to Roger French? Then, one the one hand fares rise as he tells us of the rising costs of petrol, then, to snuff out the Big Lemon, he introduces cynical cheap fares that he can afford to sustain such is their position of dominance.
Still, the bus option is the easy option for low calibre council officers. If they had a bit more about them as a department, the town would be looking at better options than the bus.
Sure BUT more Important the drivers Rushed through the main Brighton area,
not enough knew his route or cost.
He drove fast and failed to get anyone.
Bad Business Plan. |
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Daveb
Earthsea
2211 Posts |
Posted - 01/12/2007 : 13:01:47
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| Sounds like bad driving and trainnig. |
We're all doomed!
Head for the hills before they start heading for you! |
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Miriam Binder
Earthsea
United Kingdom
5815 Posts |
Posted - 01/12/2007 : 16:18:21
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| I've been behind a BL bus a few times ... their driving was no worse and certainly better then some of the driving I've seen from Roger French's crew. |
"Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety" - Benjamin Franklin |
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long time no see
Earthsea
United Kingdom
6771 Posts |
Posted - 01/12/2007 : 18:13:10
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So have I
and I noticed Every bleedin' time a Empty Bus.
FACT
Bad Business Plans
will go down FAST. |
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Infinite Poppadum
Discworld
1292 Posts |
Posted - 01/12/2007 : 18:17:28
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Yes, the Falmer route was not the best one to start a firm with.
He could have done well with a limited stop one from Portslade which avoided Churchill Square |
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long time no see
Earthsea
United Kingdom
6771 Posts |
Posted - 01/12/2007 : 18:51:10
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He
had a Bang On Great Green Eco Bus.
Great fares, good idea.
But he changed times
had to take down his timetable,
and failed to get enough customers.
And I am aware how Special His Eco Bus was
but most, or not enough, were not aware.
And it was not a Wise
Total Route.
If he started up again
and since Brighton is now doing a A259 Bus lane
he should do a Eco Special going from Eastbourne to Shoreham.
That route with
a once a hour bus would be a Bang on Hit
and this time get Local TV on the Bus Route.
It would even go on London TV news.
As as for all the other buses
no problem, he will be the ONLY REAL ECO Bus running
FACT. |
Edited by - long time no see on 01/12/2007 18:55:23 |
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Daveb
Earthsea
2211 Posts |
Posted - 01/12/2007 : 19:05:35
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Originally posted by long time no see
Sure BUT more Important the drivers Rushed through the main Brighton area, not enough knew his route or cost.
He drove fast and failed to get anyone.
I thought this was aimed at the drivers not the owner?
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We're all doomed!
Head for the hills before they start heading for you! |
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long time no see
Earthsea
United Kingdom
6771 Posts |
Posted - 01/12/2007 : 19:15:06
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But Daveb
that Owner also drove it at times. |
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Daveb
Earthsea
2211 Posts |
Posted - 01/12/2007 : 19:18:53
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It would be easy to "cherry pick" a profitable route.
I wonder if he would be granted a licence on the mostt profitable? |
We're all doomed!
Head for the hills before they start heading for you! |
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long time no see
Earthsea
United Kingdom
6771 Posts |
Posted - 01/12/2007 : 19:30:13
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As a Eco Bus
he should get any route.
As for the Mega other buses
they still will never have a problem
but they will look Out Dated. |
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Fluffy Sheep
Discworld
1178 Posts |
Posted - 02/12/2007 : 02:30:19
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| We`ve had `Mad Jeff` doing his bus runs in this area for years, a one-man company, and nobody thought he`d last more than a couple of months. He drives a great scruffy, wobbly double-decker and diverts where he chooses/where folks ask/off normal bus routes. Not Eco, not cherry-picking, but bloody marvelously doing his Own Thing. |
Row faster, slaves! Caesar wants to waterski! |
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Daveb
Earthsea
2211 Posts |
Posted - 02/12/2007 : 08:54:10
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Good luck to Mad Jeff.
Here in Roger French world he would be watched by the B&H bus Stazi! Any detours would be punished. |
We're all doomed!
Head for the hills before they start heading for you! |
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Control Panel
Discworld
1213 Posts |
Posted - 02/12/2007 : 09:19:26
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| What is the pull Roger French has over the Council? |
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Daveb
Earthsea
2211 Posts |
Posted - 02/12/2007 : 09:29:31
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B&HCC want to be seen as a go-ahead city with good public transport (Rapid Transport Sysytem).
They see Roger French as the person to provide that.
All Roger French has to say is how can I provide that with other traffic in the way of my buses and competition from others.
With all their green credentials you would think B&HCC would support and help fund Big Lemon?????
Again it may that with investment in other forms of transport (monorail, trams) it may be achievable?????
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We're all doomed!
Head for the hills before they start heading for you! |
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long time no see
Earthsea
United Kingdom
6771 Posts |
Posted - 02/12/2007 : 10:57:43
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Monorails cost over budget
as with trams.
Big Lemon had the Future Eco Bus.
R.French is stuck in the Past
FACT. |
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Horseman7
Barsoom
United Kingdom
160 Posts |
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long time no see
Earthsea
United Kingdom
6771 Posts |
Posted - 02/12/2007 : 12:40:24
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£7 entrance fee
Bastards. |
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Daveb
Earthsea
2211 Posts |
Posted - 02/12/2007 : 13:21:33
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It would be interesting to hear him speak.
Any chance of free bus travel to the venue??? |
We're all doomed!
Head for the hills before they start heading for you! |
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Fluffy Sheep
Discworld
1178 Posts |
Posted - 02/12/2007 : 19:07:11
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| Re. `Mad Jeff`, I believe there have been many attempts by officialdom/ the rival bus company to curtail his style of operating - and they`ve failed. Thing is, it`s just one man, and one bus, and his regulars are nearly all friends and/or neighbours, so they aren`t going to shop him. As his diversions aren`t predictable it`s not that easy to monitor them. One up for Individual enterprise! |
Row faster, slaves! Caesar wants to waterski! |
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Martha Gunn
Barsoom
225 Posts |
Posted - 02/12/2007 : 20:31:30
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quote:
Originally posted by Control Panel
What is the pull Roger French has over the Council?
By cosying up to Roger French, the council can be seen to be promoting public transport over the car. There are better options for public transport but B&HCC prefer to take the easy option - promote the bus - as its the path of least resistence.
Lest we not forget, after the one-way North Street system was generally received as being popular, who demanded it be turned back to two-way? Yes, Mr French.
Essentially, he ticks B&HCC's boxes when residents could reasonably expect the criteria for those boxes to be of a much higher quality.
As an aide, its interesting to note that the powers that be within B&HCC live right in the town - many within walking distance of the major council buildings. Of course for them, the bus is a viable option but for those pushed to the suburbs and beyond by low wages & high house prices, the prospect of a 30min wait for a bus seems a lot less attractive. |
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long time no see
Earthsea
United Kingdom
6771 Posts |
Posted - 03/12/2007 : 16:42:17
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From the Ultra thin Argus today,
the owner of BL
wants to try another route,
I hope it is a busy route like the A259
he would then be the Only Eco Bus on a better route. |
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Horseman7
Barsoom
United Kingdom
160 Posts |
Posted - 06/12/2007 : 14:25:47
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The latest:
Dear Friends
As many will have heard, unfortunately we had to stop running our Service 42 last Friday 30th November. We had a review of the service last week and concluded that we had to slim down and concentrate on the busy times, as we were losing too much money on those times of day that were too quiet. We had planned to run till Christmas Eve, and then start a leaner service using two drivers instead of six, in January. Unfortunately this meant making at least four of our six drivers redundant, and as soon as the situation was communicated to the team, the jitters set in. Over the next couple of days half the team left without notice and we were suddenly in a position where we couldn’t run any services. I had actually considered this as a possibility, and even been advised against telling the staff the situation until the last day of the service; however, I don’t consider that to be fair treatment and so decided to take a risk and share the situation with the team at the earliest opportunity. I also obviously wanted to share our plans with the passengers, and I couldn’t tell anyone what was going on without first telling the staff. Unfortunately the worst-case scenario rapidly unfolded, and as soon as I started implementing Plan B, the circumstances had changed again, and Plan C was needed. Then D, E, F and so on until Friday when the buses didn’t even leave the yard in the morning as the drivers on duty decided not to take them out, and unfortunately declined to tell me. It was obvious then that we were not going to be able to run a reliable service, so I decided it was in the interests of the passengers to have no service rather than a patchy one, as at least they’d know not to wait for us.
We have had a number of meetings this week to find the best way forward, and the plan now is to apply to run the leaner service we had planned next year, whilst working on developing Passenger Clubs for different areas in the longer term. These would involve inviting people who wanted a local service in their area to submit their interest by starting or joining a Club in their area. Club members would be asked to pledge a membership fee, but they would only pay it when the membership reached a certain number, and the service could be started. Then membership fees would be collected to pay for the service implementation, and members would get a discounted (possibly half price) fare. The general public would be able to use the bus too but they would pay full fare unless they decided to join the club. Members of the club would be able to have a say in how the service operated, and the more members there were, the more comprehensive the service could be. Members would also benefit financially if the service was profitable, and could get incentives from introducing other members, much like a bank might give £25 or a bottle of wine to you for introducing a friend to the bank.
However, back to Friday (tomorrow!). As a way of saying ‘Thank You’ to our customers and spreading a little Christmas Cheer, we are going to run a free service tomorrow during the periods 8-11am and 3-6pm, along our route 42 according to our normal timetable. We will then spend the interim part of the day at the Universities and Falmer Station talking to passengers, and getting feedback. There is a rumour that Father Christmas might join us – indeed I did hear that he has a bus-driving licence…
All the best
Tom Druitt
Managing Director
Hang in there Tom.
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Miriam Binder
Earthsea
United Kingdom
5815 Posts |
Posted - 06/12/2007 : 14:36:46
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| You keep plugging away Tom ... Good luck to you! |
"Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety" - Benjamin Franklin |
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long time no see
Earthsea
United Kingdom
6771 Posts |
Posted - 06/12/2007 : 15:29:41
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Some clever ideas
but you do not need a Club to get feedback.
Making it Complex
is not a good move,
I just hope you try a mega 259 run. |
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Miriam Binder
Earthsea
United Kingdom
5815 Posts |
Posted - 06/12/2007 : 15:33:02
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Giving the public a stakeholder interest in the bus company is a shrewd move!
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"Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety" - Benjamin Franklin |
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Bye bye BLT