Regular, comprehensive reliable bus service?
Would like to see that in our urban areas first...
Don't know of one.
Cloud cuckoo land.
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The Great Parking Debate
- Thread starter Spark
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Regular, comprehensive reliable bus service?
Would like to see that in our urban areas first...
Don't know of one.
Cloud cuckoo land.
Rob
TS Team
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- Steel Vengeance
You probably want Alton Towers to fund a better rail service to Uttoxeter station as well?
Public transport in this country is often poor, unreliable and expensive. That is of course regretable. Alton Towers aren't going to solve this problem on their own! Maybe if the district and county councils showed a desire to improve public transport to the park (despite probably having no money to do so) then Alton Towers might be interested in helping.
SuperMuscleMan
TS Member
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- Colossus
Alton is not a regional player, marketing is aimed and is broadcast nationwide. Local councils could help but as the towers chop and change their hours a council funded bus route cant be made.
Ultimately a speedy train station to park connection would not stop or be part of a normal bus route. Thus why should locals pay for it when its not really benefiting them either in terms of service or financially.
Basically i believe at a minimum the towers should have is a towers express to a main line station which is flexiable and follows the opening hours (including when they extend).
If my local independent supermarket can provide a bus service for upto 20 miles away for £1 per person (with a tea and crumpet included) 6 days a week, mutiple times a day. Then Alton could invest in the environment and provide a reliable and flexiable service with a tiny proportion of the money made from parking.
All well and good, but imagine how much this would put up the parking charge!
Doesn't have to put up the parking when they could charge £1.50 for it and it could surely run a break even?
One thing i noted is that Google maps tells me it's impossible to use public transport to get to Alton towers. (I'm at Heathrow). Given that's how I assume most people look into a route, it's not very encouraging.
One thing i noted is that Google maps tells me it's impossible to use public transport to get to Alton towers. (I'm at Heathrow). Given that's how I assume most people look into a route, it's not very encouraging.
RicketyCricket
TS Member
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- Taron
I know it's a near the capital city, but Thorpe get it right with their shuttle bus service. That's why it's overrun with teens. When I was 13-16 me and my friends would regularly visit as it easily accessible for non-drivers.
Alton Towers on the other hand was always a very inconvenient journey if you didn't have a car, and I'd only visit once every couple of years with my family.
The only bus option at the moment gets you into the park for around half 11 I believe? It's far too much hassle and not a great day out if the park closes at 4. There must be so many teens out there willing to spend time and money at the park, but they simply can't do it.
Alton Towers on the other hand was always a very inconvenient journey if you didn't have a car, and I'd only visit once every couple of years with my family.
The only bus option at the moment gets you into the park for around half 11 I believe? It's far too much hassle and not a great day out if the park closes at 4. There must be so many teens out there willing to spend time and money at the park, but they simply can't do it.
Steve74
TS Member
But then that raises the question - Does Towers want to be overrun with teens like Thorpe? Do they want unaccompanied groups of teens running round? It's bad enough on traveller days!
In the few years I've been following the theme park world there has definitely been a shift towards families at Alton and teens/young adults at Thorpe.
RicketyCricket
TS Member
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- Taron
I did think that - but the bottom line is that Merlin like money. So why actively discourage thousands of people from visiting?
DiogoJ42
TS Member
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Because teens don't have any money.
Dave
TS Founding Member
1) So did I attack your opinion or make a personal attack? two different things.
2) The defib is great, could save a life, you also conveniently ignored the other points I made about supporting the local community such as providing first responder support to the area. Nice deflection:
3) Thorpe have in place a regular bus service because it’s in a major population centre. The ultimate issue at Towers is that the national public transport links are terrible. It’s an absolute chore to get to that part of the country by rail or bus (Uttoxeter has a poor service and the next biggest town (Leek) doesn’t even have a train station. If the train companies could get the guests to uttoxeter in a timely manner Towers would put on a bus.
They have tried it multiple times in the past as far as Nottingham but guest didn’t use it.
SuperMuscleMan
TS Member
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- Colossus
My point is that it would be some of the money promices for the relief road. So basically its a different version to the original plan to invest in mocal
Points 1 and 2 - im not stooping to that level. If you have beef dm me.
Point 3 When did thus occur? Was it with a bus that was frequent, had good hours and offer good value?
Alsty
TS Member
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- Shambhala
I believe the Alton Towers first responders do also go to calls in the local community, but anyway... that's well off the topic of parking.
I think improving public transport links is always a good thing. Imagine if you were a tourist visiting the UK. You're effectively imposing that they hire a car if they wish to visit the park. Compare that with places like PortAventura, Europa-Park, Phantasialand, etc which are all accessible by public transport. Alton Towers must be missing out on some footfall.
I think improving public transport links is always a good thing. Imagine if you were a tourist visiting the UK. You're effectively imposing that they hire a car if they wish to visit the park. Compare that with places like PortAventura, Europa-Park, Phantasialand, etc which are all accessible by public transport. Alton Towers must be missing out on some footfall.
Martin
TS Member
I don't think we'll see any major improvements to public transport until (so probably never) the resort is year round and attracting substantially more visitors outside of peak periods. But part of that relies on the industry as a whole in the UK becoming more popular. The location compared to Thorpe or, say, DLP, doesn't help.
Which is obviously a massive shame. I do think there are many simple and sensible actions that could be taken by Towers, private operators, local and national government to increase the demand and feasibility of public transport in the shorter and medium terms, that don't involve like, *checks thread* creating an open access train operator (although imagine if they did, would run a new 801 for the first year then they'd find some old Pacer after the budget cuts kick in).
Which is obviously a massive shame. I do think there are many simple and sensible actions that could be taken by Towers, private operators, local and national government to increase the demand and feasibility of public transport in the shorter and medium terms, that don't involve like, *checks thread* creating an open access train operator (although imagine if they did, would run a new 801 for the first year then they'd find some old Pacer after the budget cuts kick in).
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speedy
TS Member
Self driving cars will be the death of paid parking. I can just imagine a stream of cars dropping off passengers, then driving off and parking themselves at the nearest free carpark.
In the future, you wouldn't need to own one, you just order a self drive car via your phone, it will take you to your destination and then it will drive off to the nearest next person that summons the car
speedy
TS Member
As exciting as self driving cars are, I don't think they are the future, at least not individually owned cars.
They are trialing buses with adaptive routes in Singapore. So you use an app to tell it where you are, and where you want to get off, and the driver will take the best route.
Something like this could work for irregular transport such as to Alton Towers. A bit like Uber but the app automatically puts you with other people going the same or a similar route. Short of reopening the railway line this could be the best option!
They are trialing buses with adaptive routes in Singapore. So you use an app to tell it where you are, and where you want to get off, and the driver will take the best route.
Something like this could work for irregular transport such as to Alton Towers. A bit like Uber but the app automatically puts you with other people going the same or a similar route. Short of reopening the railway line this could be the best option!