BBC All aboard! The country bus: the Northern Dalesman

[Mallard60022]

Been thinking about this programme and I think there could be a series of shorter but 'unusual' bus trips covered. I'm just reading Great British Bus Journeys and that is quite good fun.

In fact I think that decent 'cab ride' views of certain stretches of rail line (e.g parts of: Settle Carlisle, Carlisle Newcastle, Newcastle Berwick Edinburgh), could even appeal to the 'non enthusiast' viewer. Just for fun and relaxation. Few rail passengers get to see out front or out back, except when in the Obbo Cars on various lines. If the shorter (say 45 minutes) runs had decent commentary just highlighting landmarks or historical info e.g. Forth & Tay Bridge Crossings, Severn Tunnel (not all the way through   ) Totley Tunnel (ditto) and those lovely rural branch lines as well as a couple of industrial or City landscape (such as Manchester and Croydon (possibly Tram routes on old lines) and Docklands Railway, then it would be interesting in many ways.

Phil

[melmerby]

By the look of the foliage and the weather it may have been a bit later than May. It looked like a service bus and not a 'special' with 'stooge'passengers but you could be right that it was at the start of the 'season'. 

Phil

It said in the Radio Times that the passengers were "selected"

Maybe it was an extra, run during the week in addition to the normal schedule?

 

Keith

[Butler Henderson]

They can only charge if the bus is considered solely for tourism. Which I assume is what a summer Sunday service is classed as.

That is the reasoning the two County Councils have adopted

[Butler Henderson]

I had not realised it was a Sunday service.

Whilst the real service is Sunday/Bank Hol the BBC chartered bus was on a weekday; the quick giveaway in the program was the local bus in Richmond which is strictly not Sundays or Bank Hols.

[melmerby]

Whilst the real service is Sunday/Bank Hol the BBC chartered bus was on a weekday; the quick giveaway in the program was the local bus in Richmond which is strictly not Sundays or Bank Hols.

Further to my comment above the RT article says there were 15 or so "invited" passengers and there was one journalist from the RT who wrote the article plus some technicians we didn't see!

 

Keith

[Tim Hall]

So was this the Buttertubs that some rather fit blokes cycled up/past last year, en route to France?I wondered why the new fencing on the left side as 'we' travelled up there was so posh. There was a drone sequence just before Buttertubs I seem to remember; I liked that and it obviously wasn't windy at the time.

I was also intrigued to see, in the far distance at times in the pre Hawes part of the run, what looked like Power Station plumes. That could have been Eggborough and Ferrybridge?

By the look of the foliage and the weather it may have been a bit later than May. It looked like a service bus and not a 'special' with 'stooge'passengers but you could be right that it was at the start of the 'season'. 

Phil

The plumes could have been Teesside, which is distantly visible from the moors near Catterick, for example.

[ColinK]

....and if your drivers (of course it is understood that you are) are all as professional as this chap then it will be a pleasure to travel these routes (what's it like in winter though.......?)

Phil

 

 

Hi,

 

I'll try and answer some of the points raised.

 

I'm fairly certain that most of the Dalesbus services have regular drivers, indeed only two of us drive 'our' Dalesbus route.  I enjoy it, and being interested in the countryside, am able to explain to visitors what they are seeing, hopefully adding to their enjoyment.  We get quite a few tourists from overseas on our bus too.  Being regulars, we know all the connections which have to be made with other buses and trains.  There is also a practical reason for having dedicated drivers - route knowledge; as many routes only run on Summer Sundays and Bank Holidays, it isn't sensible to train everyone at a garage on routes that they may never do.

 

The real hero in all this is the Dalesbus Organisation, basically a voluntary organisation which arranges the services and, critically, raises the funds to pay for them.  It is a real credit to everyone in Dalesbus who achieve a excellent and effective public transport network enjoyed by many.  If anyone has any money to spare, Dalesbus could happily use it to help provide the bus services.

 

While there are some all year round services, the Ingleton - Settle -Malham service 881 I drive only runs in the summer, indeed the last day of operation is 25th September.  So you can't have a ride on it in the winter, sorry.  

 

However, until a couple of years ago we used a 16 seater minibus on the route.  We sold that bus not expecting the service to continue in 2015.  However, funding was found and the boss said to me 'take your wife out for a trip on a small Optare Solo and see if will fit round the route'.  There was a reasonable forecast on 1st March, so off we went. The bus did fit, but only just; my wife had to lie on the tarmac to see if it would go over a hump backed bridge without grounding.  Once on the moor tops it started to snow, and snow really hard.  Here we are near Malham Tarn,

 

 

As descending the 1 in 5 drop into Settle was far too dangerous, we had to return via Skipton.  Not expecting the snow, the A65 had not been gritted and it was only just drivable.  This is near Giggleswick.

 

 

It was a very slow journey home.

 

I hope this has been of interest.

[sjp23480]

Thanks forthe insights COlin, I had no idea the services are privately funded.

​Steve

[melmerby]

There are several local bus groups which run services in areas a bus company won't run them and a Council won't subsidise them.

 

E.G. when I lived in Melmerby there was a service called "Fellrunner" whose aim was primarily get people from the outlying villages to the shopping centres, doctors etc.

(there weren't however any "tourist" routes!)

It was mainly a voluntary organisation (drivers and admin) plus funding from various sources. The buses were new minibus sized vehicles.

Sadly at times it wasn't very well patronised, the one from Melmerby quite often left empty.

 

Keith

[backofanenvelope]

The Little White Bus seems to be doing well as they have a new bus and seemed to have taken on some new routes though I really should have checked before posting. But Dales buses I usually not running at full capacity.

[Mallard60022]

Community Transport lives..............until the money runs out (very sadly). I do hope these sort of services continue and thanks so much for the added interest in this thread. It is lovely.

Should we perhaps transfer to the TV section as we might drift too far from the railway base?

Phil

[backofanenvelope]

Community Transport lives..............until the money runs out (very sadly). I do hope these sort of services continue

 

 

Yes I think they are a definite life line to many people and I know when we were carless for around 3 months I would've gone mad if unable to get anyway other than walking. I am trying hard not to have a rant about public finances but these community services need our support. Even if it is a summer service.

[RhBBob]

Briefly mentioned above was the program length - two hours !

 

I wonder if we are all used to 'one hour' - as in 12 minutes of adverts and maybe 40 minutes of information.  

 

What made the program first class was that I was able to immerse myself not having to guess how long we had to go, or indeed where the route finished; okay I was totally absorbed as well !

[melmerby]

There was a letter in the latest Radio Times commenting that the pensioners were flashing their passes when they boarded and stating the fact that they aren't accepted on the 830 service.

The reply was that it was a special weekday running of the service and the driver just waved them through anyway.

 

Keith

[PhilJ W]

There was a letter in the latest Radio Times commenting that the pensioners were flashing their passes when they boarded and stating the fact that they aren't accepted on the 830 service.

The reply was that it was a special weekday running off the service and the driver just waved them through anyway.

 

Keith

When I use my bus pass I am waved through sometimes, usually when there is a problem with the ticket machine. I noticed that the driver was having some problems with the machine at times. Also the screen of the ticket machine was blank in a few shots but as the bus was moving this might have been why.

[ColinK]

Many of the dalesbus services are regarded as 'Tourist Services' by the Local Authorities, which means they don't pay the bus companies to carry bus pass holders. This also means that bus passes do not work on the ticket machines - the display shows 'invalid' if you try.

 

However, Dalesbus do have day ranger type tickets which many people buy. These are £10 for adults, £6 for bus pass holders. There is also a special £1 single fare for people under 19.

 

It really is amazing how Dalesbus - remember it is a voluntary organisation - do such a good and professional job.

[lmsforever]

Local buses are under threat Oxfordshire council has cut a swathe of routes and I wonder how many others round the UK are under threat?