the Citi 2 runs every ten minutes ...

Written: 31/01/08

I'm putting online, with the complainant's permission, an exchange he had with StageCoach Cambus yesterday about the service on Citi 2. This is the bus that runs into Cambridge every ten minutes ... allegedly. When I turned up at the bus stop at 09:05 yesterday Davinder was already there. The bus finally arrived at about 09:35 so I'd waited half an hour and Davinder and woman who was also there had waited rather longer. Anyway enough pre-amble, here's the emails:

From: Davinder Hunjan
To:
Subject: Service Complaint : Citi 2 Milton Location
Date: 30/01/2008 13:27 All

I am becoming increasingly concerned about the level of inconsistent and non time tabled approach the Citi 2 Service provides from Milton.

As a regular user who buys a weekly Megarider I pay you upfront to provide a regular 10 minute service as you have advertised. [Provision under the Goods and Services Act]

In all the time I have used it you have never been able to provide a consistent service. On average I wait 25 minutes for a bus from 9:00am and the same at 17:00hrs from the city centre. When they finally arrive they seem to be in pairs. The worst case example has been a 50 minute wait then three arrived.

I am aware of my position legally to attempt a claim back of all my costs, but more to the point what is wrong with the service and what are you doing to correct this ?

Best Regards
Davinder Singh Hunjan
[...]

Now Davinder works for the City Council, which means that Stagecoach take him a bit more seriously than the average complainant (of which there are many judging by the comments I see on cam.transport) so he got a reply the same day. Here it is.

Dear Mr Hunjan

As an employee of the city council I am sure you will be aware that Stagecoach work in partnership with both the city and county councils in Cambridge with the aim of providing regular, reliable and punctual bus services. You are also no doubt fully aware of the issues we have to face on a daily basis in regard to traffic congestion. It is only possible to provide such a service in conditions that allow buses to complete journeys unhindered by traffic congestion. The problem in Cambridge is that the congestion is so unpredictable. No two days are ever the same. How can you schedule for a journey that takes 45 minutes one day and 60 the next?

Stagecoach have agreed to deliver improved punctuality and reliability if the council can deliver geunine and effective bus priority schemes. You only have to look at what happens when the schools are on holiday to realise that traffic congestion is the common enemy.

Furthermore the current situation with the city centre redevelopment, the rationalisation of the traffic management in the city through the core traffic scheme, work in relation to the guided busway and other non-related resurfacing and maintenace works such as at Addenbrookes at the moment only adds to the congestion and delays to bus services.

For our part we are using on street monitors as well as data from real time information to identify where buses are being delayed to see what can be done to improve scheduling. Realistically, until something is done to dramattically reduce traffic congestion within Cambridge, all of this will ever amount to is cosmetic changes to the schedules.

Specifically the citi 2 service has to cope with congestion at Addenbrookes roundabout, through Perne Road and at Brookfields Tavern, along Mill Road, through the City Centre, Milton Road and across the A14 at Milton roundabout. It is hardly surprising therefore that we find it difficult to operate services to the timetable day in day out.

Rest assured that we are doing everything we can to improve the service and to provide a service to our customers that meets with their expectations . The reality of the situation is that this problem can only be resolved with the cooperation and commitment of the city and county councils.

Regards

Alan Woods
Operations Manager
Stagecoach in Cambridge

Which at first glance leaves you sympathising ... but hang on, the Citi 2 runs at ten minute intervals. All the things he describe should slow them down, so they'll take longer to arrive, but that shouldn't matter: if they set off at ten minutes intervals they should arrive at each stop at ten minutes intervals, more or less. How come within two hours of starting out we've got gaps of over half an hour?

My experience of using the Citi2, which I mainly do outside the rush hour, is that my average wait time at any stop is over ten minutes when, given a ten minute periodicity, it should be five. My strong suspicion is that they're not running as many buses as they need to service the route.
 

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