First Potteries repainted Enviro200
The new First Bus corporate livery continues to spread across the Potteries fleet, with around one-third of its members now sporting it. Once the rollout is complete it will probably be the first time for well over 20 years where a consistent identity is present, with that period having been marked by numerous attempted-and-aborted schemes and change at corporate level. Even now, multiple other obsolete liveries can be seen, but stability in terms of fleet and brand is being achieved.
Meanwhile, Bus Service Improvement Plan and successor funding has found its way to North Staffordshire. Its deployment by the local authorities there has been odd in some cases, with some 'fresh air express' services introduced alongside more valuable additional evening and Sunday provision. There remains much more to be done. At the same time, adoption of artificial intelligence scheduling by First Potteries has had some bizarre results, including a gross loss of regularity on some corridors.
One of the various other challenges that face bus services in Stoke-on-Trent in particular can be seen behind 67178 (YX66 WBT). That is the urban decay to have afflicted the area over the past 30 years. Industry has gone, replaced by warehouses and call centres; the bus industry has been slow to react and patronage has crashed as a result, although - so the city council claims - schemes including discounted fares and the aforementioned service changes funded by government largesse are leveraging some reversal of that.
Nevertheless, the days of major flows to and from potbanks and such are over. Many of those buildings now sit forlornly empty or have been demolished; countless damaging road closures have been caused by these structures becoming so dangerous that collapse is imminent, and that is before those that mysteriously catch fire are considered. While it may be a difficult picture, some regeneration is in hand, not least a large project around Stoke-on-Trent railway station that has seen a large new multipurpose building erected and a huge extent of bus priority measures.
The bus in question was new to First Solent in 2016 for Eclipse branded routes. It is on King Street in Fenton while working a 6A journey from Hanley to Blythe Bridge.
First Potteries repainted Enviro200
The new First Bus corporate livery continues to spread across the Potteries fleet, with around one-third of its members now sporting it. Once the rollout is complete it will probably be the first time for well over 20 years where a consistent identity is present, with that period having been marked by numerous attempted-and-aborted schemes and change at corporate level. Even now, multiple other obsolete liveries can be seen, but stability in terms of fleet and brand is being achieved.
Meanwhile, Bus Service Improvement Plan and successor funding has found its way to North Staffordshire. Its deployment by the local authorities there has been odd in some cases, with some 'fresh air express' services introduced alongside more valuable additional evening and Sunday provision. There remains much more to be done. At the same time, adoption of artificial intelligence scheduling by First Potteries has had some bizarre results, including a gross loss of regularity on some corridors.
One of the various other challenges that face bus services in Stoke-on-Trent in particular can be seen behind 67178 (YX66 WBT). That is the urban decay to have afflicted the area over the past 30 years. Industry has gone, replaced by warehouses and call centres; the bus industry has been slow to react and patronage has crashed as a result, although - so the city council claims - schemes including discounted fares and the aforementioned service changes funded by government largesse are leveraging some reversal of that.
Nevertheless, the days of major flows to and from potbanks and such are over. Many of those buildings now sit forlornly empty or have been demolished; countless damaging road closures have been caused by these structures becoming so dangerous that collapse is imminent, and that is before those that mysteriously catch fire are considered. While it may be a difficult picture, some regeneration is in hand, not least a large project around Stoke-on-Trent railway station that has seen a large new multipurpose building erected and a huge extent of bus priority measures.
The bus in question was new to First Solent in 2016 for Eclipse branded routes. It is on King Street in Fenton while working a 6A journey from Hanley to Blythe Bridge.