27 January 2012

On the Buses, you may remember or you may be too young to remember, was a classic British TV situation comedy aired in 74 episodes between 1969 and 1973. The first spin-off film was the most successful film of 1971, beating the James Bond spyfest Diamonds are Forever. On the fortieth anniversary in 2011 fans attending an On the Buses Rides Again weekend travelled in a Routemaster bus to the London suburb of Borehamwood to take photos of a manhole cover – the very manhole apparently where, in the film, Olive Rudge got her bottom stuck. Olive was the frumpy sister of main man Stan, played by the great Reg Varney.

However this article is about an entirely different comedy, well not entirely different in that it also concerns buses. And not entirely a comedy either, though certainly completely farcical. And perhaps more a tragegy than anything else since I am not too hopeful of a happy ending!

I have written about this before but I am returning to the subject since I now know a lot more about it. I refer to the rather ludicrous, bizarre, farcical, nonsensical, illogical situation whereby bus operators of many services in Scotland are not allowed to display on the bus destination blind the destination of the service, thus causing some confusion to passengers – especially visitors and irregular users – and serving no good purpose at all. This is becoming increasingly common and can be found on services all over the country operated by three of the four major operators – Stagecoach, First and McGills.

At this point I have to get a bit technical and legalistic but don’t be put off, it’s not that complicated! This concerns bus services which have been split into two or more registered services under 50kms in order that these services are not subject to EC Regulation 561/2006 on drivers’ hours and the need for vehicles to be fitted with a tachograph. Thus Stagecoach services from Aberdeen to Fraserburgh (which operate through journeys over this route with no change of bus or driver) are registered as two separate services – with the same route number – from Aberdeen to Ellon Park and Ride, and from Ellon Park and Ride to Fraserburgh.

According to the Traffic Commissioner for Scotland’s interpretation of the The Public Service Vehicles (Registration of Local Services) (Scotland) Regulations 2001, operators cannot advertise on the destination blind that these are through services. They may however be advertised as connecting services where passengers wishing to continue on the connecting service may do so without leaving the vehicle and through tickets may be issued – try putting that information on the destination blind! The result is that we now have different bus companies (and indeed sometimes the same bus company) resorting to a variety of expedients to indicate to passengers where buses are going, without actually saying so! So the Fraserburgh service informs passengers it is going to Ellon Park and Ride for Fraserburgh (that clearly implies a change of bus – which is a lie). Variations include A and onwards to B, and A continuing to B (there are a few more). But surely A continuing to B means that the bus is going to B via A – but you’re not allowed to say B via A therefore why is it OK to say A continuing to B which has an absolutely identical meaning. Some bus services have been split into three separate registered routes so that it is necessary for the driver to change the destination indicator twice during the journey! There are further pecularities about this situation, including what and how information can be presented in timetables for these journeys, but I don't want to bore you, dear and valued Sustainable Scotland reader.

I would like to make it clear that the bus companies involved are not doing anything dubious or exploiting some loophole by registering services as split journeys – there are good operational and economic reasons why they should do do. Also, and surprisingly, the EU cannot be blamed here (as it often can when it comes to stupid legislation) – what has happened is the result of interpretation and enforcement of Scottish law by Scottish officials.

When I first became aware of what was going on I wrote to Stagecoach, who explained why they had been forced into introducing unhelpful and misleading destination indicators, and they blamed the Traffic Commissioner and so I wrote to her (possibly the Traffic Commissioneress) and was passed on (or fobbed off) to an underling, who shall remain nameless – if not blameless! I will not go into details about emails which passed between us – more from me than from him. Suffice it to say that I was not entirely satisfied with the response, so I have now written to Transport Scotland, the Scottish Government agency (or quango) which is responsibe for transport of all kinds in Scotland, including the promotion of sustainable transport in line with the Government's commitments to achieving carbon-emission reduction targets. I have presumed that they will be interested in this peculiar interpretation of legislation which results not merely in no benefit to passengers, but to positive disbenefit to actual and potential bus passengers. I have not so far received a reply from Transport Scotland, but they are still within their own self-declared and generous (to them) 20-day reply limit.

This is how I ended my letter to Transport Scotland:

You are responsible for encouraging public transport in Scotland. The situation I have outlined is crazy. It is quite prevalent and spreading (it’s even more farcical when through journeys have been split into three). Clearly the situation is riddled with anomalies, inconsistencies, differences of interpretation, illogicalities and contradictions and is the result of sheer pettifogging, obfuscatory, jobsworth, nugatory, hair-splitting idiocy on the part of the overpaid, overpensioned apparatchiks who have created this Alice in Wonderland surreal scenario.

So what are you going to do about this?
When are you going to do it?
Why not immediately!

I do not accept, or believe, that nothing can be done about it, without a change in the law. It is a matter of interpretation, of common sense, and the dubious legality of anyone being penalised for providing accurate information to the public.

I will report back to Sustainable Scotland when I have further news, whether it is news of buck-passing, an attempt to justify the unjustifiable, or a glorious victory for common sense.

There might be some of our readers who wish more information about On the Buses; the Olive's-bottom-in-the-manhole trip; the official On the Buses Fan Club; and also the official On The Buses Appreciation Society.

This article appears on the official Sustainable Scotland website. The officialness of this site has been certified by the Official Officialising Officer (OOO).

Next >