Ftr

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The correct title of this article is ftr. The initial letter is shown capitalized due to technical restrictions.
A new ftr bus
A new ftr bus

The ftr system is an example of the new public transport concept of bus rapid transit, in this case using Wright StreetCar articulated buses in conjunction with infrastructure upgrades provided by the local authority. The vehicles are branded as the future of travel, the company stating that "ftr" is texting shorthand for "future". Each 'StreetCar' vehicle costs over £300,000, and features a separate driver ('pilot') compartment at the front, resembling to some extent similar designs in continental Europe.

The main fundamental difference to conventional bus services is the method of fare collection - which involves payment of cash fares to a self-service ticket machine rather than to the driver who is not intended to have any contact with passengers. This feature was promoted as helping to reduce journey times, although achieving this would depend somewhat on a large-scale transfer to prepaid tickets, available for example through a network of PayPoint retailers. Otherwise the vehicle itself is modified over a conventional bus, with styling similar to contemporary trams and greater distances between axles in order to maximise the low-floor area for easily-accessible seating.

The first instance of "ftr" in the United Kingdom is the conversion of route 4 in York, where the service began on 8 May 2006, the city council having made significant and expensive alterations to the road layout to accommodate the new vehicles. It has been announced that Swansea will be the recipient of a similar operation in 2007, with Sheffield and Leeds also due to have at least one route converted to the same standard.

ftr is a collection of many innovations all being trialled simultaneously. The vehicle type, its configuration, the fare collection arrangements, the changes to infrastructure and an integrated data handling system for voice radio, vehicle location, real time passenger information, on-board displays, vehicle diagnostics, and ticket machine data.

It is fully expected that some of these innovations will be modified, enhanced or deleted with experience.

ftr is receiving awards for technical innovation and its Project Director specifically for her contribution to the industry.

Contents

[edit] York

Service 4 (Acomb-University) was revised on the introduction of the new 42-seat vehicles to operate six times an hour (every 10 minutes) in both directions, replacing eight conventional 41-seater buses each hour. On the face of it this is a reduction in capacity although the Streetcar buses have a much higher nominal standing capacity, which in practice is never achieved as this would result in crush-loading preventing adequate flow of boarding and alighting customers at bus stops.

The migration of passengers to off-vehicle ticket purchase has been slower than expected despite incentives.

With more than anticipated numbers of passengers still buying tickets on-board the quicker boarding times have not materialised partly due to technical problems with the on-board ticketing equipment (such as software glitches and coins being rejected). A rush of passengers (for example at the railway station) can therefore delay a vehicle by several minutes causing the bus nominally 10 minutes behind to catch up and usually pass the busier one in front.

The length and manouvreability of the vehicles is another issue in a comparatively small and congested city like York, with severe problems at constrained points where two opposing vehicles meet or at bus stops where two buses have bunched running the risk of junctions being blocked. York service 4 follows a somewhat tortuous route involving some relatively narrow streets and tight turns for which the articulated Streetcars are not best suited, and a general lack of space for proper bus priority means that the vehicles are prone to becoming held up in traffic jams.

Experience elsewhere in the UK has led to self-service ticket machines being located at roadside bus stops (London) or conductors being carried (Sheffield Supertram) in order to minimise the time spent stationary. In the former instance inspectors carry out the necessary random on-board ticket checks to prevent fare evasion, in a similar way to the current situation in York.

[edit] Leeds

Following the cancellation of the Leeds Supertram project Metro are considering various bus rapid transit options which may include an ftr service. Many observers consider that the extent to which "ftr" is successful in Leeds will determine whether large-scale adoption of the concept throughout other British urban areas is likely. FirstGroup is presently the only large UK transport company promoting such vehicles, with other major operators such as Stagecoach and Lothian Buses preferring to avoid the additional outlay involved in procuring the Streetcar-type bus and instead purchase a larger number of conventional single and double deckers for fleet renewal and upgrading.

[edit] Criticisms

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The launch of the ftr generated almost saturation coverage in the local media.[1] On 10th May The Press devoted four full pages to it, including its front page and a double page spread of 12 readers' letters, almost all of them hostile. The next day the paper published a defence of the vehicles' teething problems by First York's commercial director accompanied by another five hostile letters. Another full-page article appeared on 12th May. On 17th May councillor Ann Reid was quoted as saying "The majority [of complaints] seem to have come from those who don't live on the route or certainly don't even catch the bus", it should also be noted that neither does Ann Reid.[1]. On the 15th May the issue reached the national press.[2] Some transport planners believe that the complaints are an expression of general middle class hostility towards public transport.[3]

The York trial has so far been largely unpopular with the public. The service it replaced was viewed by most as relatively modern and adequate, and some passengers consider the new vehicles are less convenient to use due to new payment systems and technical difficulties. The fares also went up in the period leading up to the introduction of the ftr (see York Press, York Vision, Nouse, etc.), and it has been suggested that the buses appear futuristic purely for show, which does not benefit the public in any way. A Facebook group "I Hate The New Bus Society" has been formed, which now has over 840 members, with the aim of increasing awareness of problems with the buses and taking action against some of the problems. This contrasts to the 'ftr's might not be perfect but i don't hate them' group, which has only 16 members.

Other criticisms include:

  • The presence of two personnel on the buses (a driver and a customer host) may increase costs compared to the conventional buses which only required a driver.
  • Industry sources believe that ftr projects may be being used by the government as a cheap alternative to light rail systems.[2]
  • The separation of the driver from the passengers makes passenger communication with the driver more difficult, creating problems for anyone in need of directions or advice.
  • The ticketing machine does not give change, nor accept one, two or five pence coins. Passengers must have exactly the right change to board. In addition, discount tickets are not available so a family of four, for example, would need four amounts of exact change.
  • Passengers without the correct change for their ticket may be ejected from the bus at the next stop which may cause a problem for vulnerable passengers at night.
  • The automatic ticketing machines require passengers to select their tickets and insert their correct change in the space of only a few seconds, which may make them difficult to use for elderly or disabled passengers. The route that the ftr buses take in the York scheme pass by a retirement home and a hospital for the mentally ill so these passengers may not be uncommon.
  • The length of the vehicles can cause congestion when more than one bus arrives at a stop at the same time.
  • Some have commented that the new ticketing system makes fare avoidance easier although the CCTV systems within the vehicles are an attempt to minimise this.
  • The bus often fails to stop at the correct bus stop or mechanical problems prevent the doors from opening when they are supposed to.

[edit] Support

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Several features of the new service during its trial in York have pleased passengers, including:

  • The conductors (when present) can make for a more pleasant journey as they can assist passengers in buying tickets or give travel advice. However, there will not be conductors when the trial period has concluded. This role is, however, provided by drivers on conventional buses anyway.
  • The group seating areas in the back half of the buses allow large groups to sit together and talk more easily during the journey. However, when not in groups this is a rather unpleasant feature, as how the seat is designed means you are touching the person next to you.
  • The vehicles have been designed to make refubishment straightforward to freshen their appeal every few years. FirstGroup's record has not been impressive when it comes to maintaining the appearance of its existing fleet of conventional buses.
  • They are fully air-conditioned, allowing for a more pleasant journey in the summer months, however the old-fashioned alternative (opening a window) is not available on the ftr buses.

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ a b Thomas, R. (2006), 'The future of public transport' meets hostile response in York, Local Transport Today, no.444, 1st June 2006.
  2. ^ a b Clark, A. (2006), The rise of the purple people-eaters, The Guardian, May 15th 2006.
  3. ^ Emmerson, G. (2006), Is the 'ftr' really the future of public transport?, Local Transport Today, no.445, 15th June 2006.

[edit] External links

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