Posted on Mon 11 Oct 2021 at 16:57 by
Annie Willingham Yesterday I met with the operations manager for First Bus Bath and Wells and we spoke through the feedback you had given us through the feedback form sent out last week. Thank you so much to all of you who filled it out as it really did shape the discussion.
What was discussed?
- Delays with the bus service. Whilst there are external factor which can mean there are delays in the bus service (especially in the morning) such as school traffic and road closures, there is nothing more frustrating than just waiting and not having any answers. Whilst First work on updating the App we’ve been recommended www.bustimes.org which allows you to see all the buses in real time in Bath. First are also sending bus monitors when available to some of the bus stops to offer verbal updates.
- Facemasks not being worn on the buses. Whilst First can only recommend that face masks are worn on the buses, a lot of the feedback received was from people not feeling safe on the buses due to others not wearing a mask. As a community we need to look out for each other so if you can please do wear a face covering.
- 20 and 22 routes. This is another point that was highlighted by you. The 22 route has been caught up in lots of unexpected traffic, First are hoping that this settles down and becomes more steady throughout the semester. I also raised if the time of the route could be extended, so that the last bus is not at 19:30. Unfortunately at the moment this is not possible, however, we will remain in discussions with First about this and I encourage you to email Bath-Uni.feedback@firstgroup.co.uk. If you are getting the 20 route and need to make a similar journey once the service has stopped, you should be able to swap to the U1 or U2.
- Email to First not working. The correct email address how now been circulated and updated. If you wish to contact First directly with any feedback please email Bath-Uni.feedback@firstgroup.co.uk.
- Queues at the bottom of Bathwick Hill. First confirmed that there are some U1 which will go back to Grand Parade before looping back round to Bathwick Hill. U1 drivers have been told to just go around the roundabout and pick students up if there is a large queue at the bottom of Bathwick. Last week there was an issue on one of the days due to an accident in Bath preventing these buses from coming to do the Bathwick to campus route.
- App not working or updating. First are looking into the App and the data on the roadside from buses, including the GPS system. The Council run the roadside boards at the bus stops (using the timetable given by First). We were told that if they have a specific time on them to wait (e.g. 5 mins) then the bus is being tracked live. If it just says the standard time of arrival (e.g. 08:53) it has not been updated with the live tracking.
- Making space for wheelchair users or prams. Just a reminder if you are standing on the bus to keep the designated area for wheelchair users or prams clear and to move from the priority seats when possible.
As always please keep feeding back your comments! When you use your voice it is what helps to create a change. We encourage you to put pressure onto First directly using the email address bath-uni.feedback@firstgroup.co.uk.