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== Developments ==
== Developments ==


The launch of the FTR in York generated almost saturation coverage in the local media.<ref name="ltt">Thomas, R. (2006), 'The future of public transport' meets hostile response in York, ''Local Transport Today'', no.444, 1 June 2006.</ref> On 10 May [[The Press (York)|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 12 May. On 17 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" neither does<ref name="ltt">2nd ref</ref>. This claim however seems unlikely in light of the levels of hostility towards the Ftr from [[University of York]] students, most of whom live on the Ftr route, which is the main bus route from the university campus to town. The student press has referred to the Ftrs as "cumbersome purple monstrosities" which "constantly arrive late" and offer "below par service"<ref>http://www.nouse.co.uk/2008/01/23/the-monopoly-of-the-ftr-bus-service-is-set-to-stay-if-we-do-not-act/</ref> Student anger has been particularly directed at the price of tickets on the Ftr, which increased by 20% in 2008 for a single ticket from campus into town.<ref>http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=19801669896</ref> <ref>http://www.nouse.co.uk/2008/01/23/yusu-begin-negotiations-with-ftr/</ref> The price issue was eventually resolved when the students' union negotiated a £2 student price for a return ticket from the campus to town. <ref>http://www.nouse.co.uk/2007/10/24/su-clash-with-ftr-over-ticket-cuts/</ref> <ref>http://www.nouse.co.uk/2007/01/23/ftr-its-still-a-bus/</ref> <ref>http://www.nouse.co.uk/2007/01/23/ftr-are-cause-of-controversy-once-more/</ref>
The launch of the FTR in York generated almost saturation coverage in the local media.<ref name="ltt">Thomas, R. (2006), 'The future of public transport' meets hostile response in York, ''Local Transport Today'', no.444, 1 June 2006.</ref> On 10 May 2006 [[The Press (York)|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 two days later, and this was followed by national press coverage.<ref name="guardian">Clark, A. (2006), [http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,,1774881,00.html The rise of the purple people-eaters], ''[[The Guardian]]'', 15 May 2006.</ref> On 17 May 2006, 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"<ref name="ltt">2nd ref</ref>. This claim however seems unlikely in light of the levels of hostility towards the Ftr from [[University of York]] students, most of whom live on the Ftr route, which is the main bus route from the university campus to town. The student press has referred to the Ftrs as "cumbersome purple monstrosities" which "constantly arrive late" and offer "below par service"<ref>http://www.nouse.co.uk/2008/01/23/the-monopoly-of-the-ftr-bus-service-is-set-to-stay-if-we-do-not-act/</ref> Student anger has been particularly directed at the price of tickets on the Ftr, which increased by 20% in 2008 for a single ticket from campus into town.<ref>http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=19801669896</ref> <ref>http://www.nouse.co.uk/2008/01/23/yusu-begin-negotiations-with-ftr/</ref> The price issue was eventually resolved when the students' union negotiated a £2 student price for a return ticket from the campus to town. <ref>http://www.nouse.co.uk/2007/10/24/su-clash-with-ftr-over-ticket-cuts/</ref> <ref>http://www.nouse.co.uk/2007/01/23/ftr-its-still-a-bus/</ref> <ref>http://www.nouse.co.uk/2007/01/23/ftr-are-cause-of-controversy-once-more/</ref>
<ref>http://www.theyorker.co.uk/news/uninews/2099</ref>
<ref>http://www.theyorker.co.uk/news/uninews/2099</ref>


[[FirstGroup plc|FirstGroup]] is presently the only large UK transport company promoting such vehicles, with major operators such as [[Stagecoach Group|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.
[[FirstGroup plc|FirstGroup]] is presently the only large UK transport company promoting such vehicles, with major operators such as [[Stagecoach Group|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.


On 15 May the issue reached the national press.<ref name="guardian">Clark, A. (2006), [http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,,1774881,00.html The rise of the purple people-eaters], ''[[The Guardian]]'', 15 May 2006.</ref> Some [[transportation planning|transport planners]] believe that the complaints are an expression of general [[middle class]] hostility towards public transport,<ref name="ltt2">Emmerson, G. (2006), Is the 'ftr' really the future of public transport?, ''Local Transport Today'', no.445, 15 June 2006.</ref>.
Some [[transportation planning|transport planners]] believe that the complaints are an expression of general [[middle class]] hostility towards public transport,<ref name="ltt2">Emmerson, G. (2006), Is the 'ftr' really the future of public transport?, ''Local Transport Today'', no.445, 15 June 2006.</ref>.


Despite initial criticisms the York trial has now attracted good and increasing customer service ratings.{{Fact|date=November 2008}} The Leeds service was converted to ftr gradually and there was much less vocal criticism.{{Fact|date=November 2008}}
Despite initial criticisms the York trial has now attracted good and increasing customer service ratings.{{Fact|date=November 2008}} The Leeds service was converted to ftr gradually and there was much less vocal criticism.{{Fact|date=November 2008}}

Revision as of 00:04, 14 December 2009

ftr
File:FTRLogo.png
An "ftr" bus in York on Route 4
ParentFirstGroup plc
Founded2006
HeadquartersAberdeen, Scotland
Service areaYork
Leeds
Swansea, South Wales
Luton, Bedfordshire
Service typeBus rapid transit
Fuel typeDiesel
OperatorFirstGroup plc
Websitewww.goftr.com

ftr is an example of bus rapid transit, currently in operation in Great Britain in York in North Yorkshire, Leeds in West Yorkshire, Luton in Bedfordshire and in Swansea in South Wales. ftr has been introduced by First Group, using Wright StreetCar articulated buses in conjunction with infrastructure upgrades by local authorities. The vehicles are branded as the future of travel, the operator stating that "ftr" is SMS shorthand for "future".[1]

Elements

ftr is a collection of many innovations being introduced 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.

Vehicles

Each 'StreetCar' vehicle costs over £300,000, and has a separate driver ('pilot') compartment at the front, resembling to some extent similar designs in continental Europe. Otherwise the vehicle itself is a modified 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 vehicles are air-conditioned and have tinted windows to enhance the on-board ambience along with ergonomic seating although the seats themselves are more like modern tram seats with arguably less padding than ordinary bus seats. On-board information is provided using an "infotainment" screen which displays the next ftr stop (in a similar fashion to Transport for London's i-Bus system) and related information to that stop including local attractions/facilities and connecting bus/train routes, the screen also displays adverts for local businesses.

Ticketing system

The main fundamental difference to conventional bus services is the method of fare collection. This initially involved payment of cash fares to a self-service ticket machine or to a conductor known as a "Customer Service Host" 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. On the ftr Route 4 in Leeds, all METRO bus passes and permits are issued and accepted on the bus. Ironically, in York issues with ticketing machines mean the ftr buses have now gone back to having dedicated conductors to collect tickets, some of the only buses to do so.

Current Operations & Future Trials

York

The first instance of ftr in the United Kingdom was the conversion of Route 4 in York, which is operated by First York. The service began on the 8th May 2006, after the city council had made significant and expensive alterations to the road layout to accommodate the new vehicles.

Route 4, runs between Acomb and the University of York and was revised on the introduction of the new 42-seat vehicles to operate every 10 minutes Monday-Friday, every 10 minutes Saturday, every 20 minutes Monday-Saturday Evenings & Sundays replacing eight conventional 41-seater buses each hour.

Leeds

First Bus "ftr" in Lowtown, Pudsey, Leeds, on the Route 4

Following the cancellation of the Leeds Supertram project, the local Passenger Transport Executive Metro suggested various bus rapid transit options as a replacement, one of which was an ftr service.

The ftr system was chosen, and the service began in early 2007. It runs on Route 4 Olive Line (part of the Leeds Overground colour coded network of high frequency First Bus Routes) between Pudsey and Whinmoor, via Seacroft and City Square. This route also runs every 10 minutes Monday-Friday, every 12 minutes Saturday (reduced from every 10 minutes on the 19th July 2009), every 30 minutes Monday-Saturday Evenings & Sundays.

Leeds City Council & METRO have announced they are studying the feasibility of a trolleybus system and tram-train options for the Harrogate-Leeds railway line which would also traverse the city centre streets and the local rail network. Whether this will be instead of the Quality Bus Patnership/Bus Rapid Transit system is uncertain.

Swansea

Swansea has gained a similar operation from the 1st June 2009 with ftr's running on Route 4 in a phased introduction until September when the route will be withdrawn and the route will be renamed the Swansea ftrmetro which will link Morriston, the City Centre and the University/Singleton Hospital. Extensive streetworks have being carried out in the city centre.

Luton Airport

Four FTR buses were working for First Capital Connect, providing a frequent link between the airport and Luton Airport Parkway railway station. Three of these have now been replaced by Mercedes Citaros, releasing the FTRs for use in Swansea. The use of bigger buses reflects growth in the number of people using the airport rail link, which has more than doubled since the Parkway station opened in 1999. It now carries almost 10 million people a year. The FTR (along with the Mercs) are branded as train2plane and run every 10 minutes, 19 hours a day (05:00 - 00:00), and connect with all trains from London during the night.

Developments

The launch of the FTR in York generated almost saturation coverage in the local media.[2] On 10 May 2006 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 two days later, and this was followed by national press coverage.[3] On 17 May 2006, 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"[2]. This claim however seems unlikely in light of the levels of hostility towards the Ftr from University of York students, most of whom live on the Ftr route, which is the main bus route from the university campus to town. The student press has referred to the Ftrs as "cumbersome purple monstrosities" which "constantly arrive late" and offer "below par service"[4] Student anger has been particularly directed at the price of tickets on the Ftr, which increased by 20% in 2008 for a single ticket from campus into town.[5] [6] The price issue was eventually resolved when the students' union negotiated a £2 student price for a return ticket from the campus to town. [7] [8] [9] [10]

FirstGroup is presently the only large UK transport company promoting such vehicles, with 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.

Some transport planners believe that the complaints are an expression of general middle class hostility towards public transport,[11].

Despite initial criticisms the York trial has now attracted good and increasing customer service ratings.[citation needed] The Leeds service was converted to ftr gradually and there was much less vocal criticism.[citation needed]

Industry sources believe that FTR projects may be being used by the government as a cheap alternative to light rail.[3]

See also

References

  1. ^ "FTR - the future of travel". Retrieved 2007-06-03.
  2. ^ a b Thomas, R. (2006), 'The future of public transport' meets hostile response in York, Local Transport Today, no.444, 1 June 2006. Cite error: The named reference "ltt" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b Clark, A. (2006), The rise of the purple people-eaters, The Guardian, 15 May 2006. Cite error: The named reference "guardian" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  4. ^ http://www.nouse.co.uk/2008/01/23/the-monopoly-of-the-ftr-bus-service-is-set-to-stay-if-we-do-not-act/
  5. ^ http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=19801669896
  6. ^ http://www.nouse.co.uk/2008/01/23/yusu-begin-negotiations-with-ftr/
  7. ^ http://www.nouse.co.uk/2007/10/24/su-clash-with-ftr-over-ticket-cuts/
  8. ^ http://www.nouse.co.uk/2007/01/23/ftr-its-still-a-bus/
  9. ^ http://www.nouse.co.uk/2007/01/23/ftr-are-cause-of-controversy-once-more/
  10. ^ http://www.theyorker.co.uk/news/uninews/2099
  11. ^ Emmerson, G. (2006), Is the 'ftr' really the future of public transport?, Local Transport Today, no.445, 15 June 2006.
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