March 12th, 2008
This month, Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly gave a salutary warning to First Great Western on their performance and value for money to customers (passengers). The company will have to spend £29 million to, among other things, increase stock, increase compensation to passengers, and a basic requirement of a franchise: to run their trains on time.
Read the Guardian summary
This follows the revelation that FGW had cooked their punctuality and cancellation figures, although FGW said this happened through a mistake, and was not done on purpose.
This could be good.
Posted in trains | No Comments »
November 13th, 2007
Do you tut-tut at the degradation of your surroundings? A couple of years back (it seems), English Heritage launched the Save our Streets campaign and urged people to take an interest in their environment and record the state of our streets, lighting and signage. If only this campaign was promoted more widely and the results recorded. Are the streets near you scarred with bad repairs, usually with poor quality tarmac? Are they filthy with stains, chewing gum and rotting cigarette butts? Are they obstructed by wheely bins or badly parked cars? Are the signs broken or graffitied? Are there too many street lights? Too bright? Too dark?
Conduct a street audit near you and send it to your local councillor. They are elected by you and therefore have a responsibility to take note of your concerns. Find out who your local councillor is by searching according to your postcode at www.upmystreet.com.
Posted in enlightened, soapbox | No Comments »
November 13th, 2007
Recently, I have become very interested in the concept of viral marketing, that is, using the power of word of mouth, human to human, to get messages and ideas across. The Cluetrain Manifesto sets out exactly how and why companies and organisations who like to act like companies, together with their platitudinous management speak and their computerised apologies and promises should take note of this movement. I found the following statement immensely powerful and inspiring:
“We are not seats or eyeballs or end users or consumers. We are human beings – and our reach extends your grasp. Deal with it.”
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October 19th, 2007
If you find yourself waiting for your train at a station fortunate enough to have a food outlet, you may be interested in a BiTE discount card which apparently will give you 20% off food and drinks from outlets like Pumkin, Caffè Ritazza, Burger King and Upper Crust among others.
I have just sent off for one, will see what happens.
Posted in food, trains | No Comments »
October 15th, 2007
I have so much backlog to go through for updates on local train issues I thought I would kick-off with a disappointment and share my frustration at both my outward and return journey on Saturday 13th October, travelling from Salisbury to Bristol.
Out. Took the 10.40 to Bristol Temple Meads. Surely a ‘peak’ service considering many travelling rugby fans on route to Bath Spa, many shoppers and long-distance weekend travellers with luggage. We had a two-coach 158. The train did not empty at Salisbury greatly and although we were lucky to find seats many at this stage were filling the corridors and even the guard’s cab! Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in madness, trains | No Comments »
September 26th, 2007
In my effort to campaign for better public transport links between south and north Wiltshire I have not as yet looked in great detail at actual services provided by rail, their cost, convenience and duration (bus to come). I feel it is important to express the problems with current service in this way as for too long those in authority (Wiltshire County Council, First Great Western and Department for Transport) have assumed the service cuts are a very localised issue for Melksham and therefore felt more justified in ignoring it. Well it isn’t. With Wiltshire CC winning its bid to become the only local authority in the county and the majority of county services being based in Trowbridge and increasingly Chippenham, it is more important than ever for transport links between south and north to be improved. Read the rest of this entry »
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September 24th, 2007
The new name and dates for the new Wiltshire unitary authority has been decided. It is to be called Wiltshire Council or WC for short.
There will be some increase in the time for the transition and we can actually ‘enjoy’ the result of our democratic actions last May for a little longer. WC will come into effect after elections in May 2009 with the election of about 98 new members, one for each new ward following a Boundary Commission review. However in the meantime the ‘transition cabinet’ will comprise a majority Tory membership dominated by current county councillors (four of eight).
“We are working really hard to involve as many people as possible in this transition. This is a most important change for Wiltshire and we all want to work together to ensure it produces the very best for Wiltshire residents,” said Mrs Scott, who assured members of the council about the transition.
[From WCC Communication Dept press release]
My request for information about getting involved in new citizen scrutiny groups/community panels, sent to the Communications Dept back in July remains unanswered.
Posted in people | 1 Comment »
August 23rd, 2007
Heaven knows (literally) how the Chinese government will administer this one!
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20227400/site/newsweek/
Posted in interesting, madness, people | No Comments »
August 21st, 2007
An e-petition to 10 Downing Street is requesting that Network Rail be designated a public authority so that people may request information from it under the Freedom of Information Act
At the moment it is very difficult to request certain details about the running of the railways from Network Rail owing to technicalities in the way the body is organised. It is a powerful public body in terms of the influence it has on strategy and direction for the railways yet is not a proper public body and cannot be interrogated as such. Why?
Consider signing this petition in order to place pressure on the Secretary of State and Prime Minister to take a closer look at how Network Rail operates.
Posted in people, trains | 2 Comments »
August 14th, 2007
Awaiting the 0830 Salisbury to Southampton service yesterday (13/08/07) my eye fell upon the front page story of The Times which reported the threatened legal action by First Group against the rail watchdog London TravelWatch. This is the story as reported by the BBC and here are some letters written in response to The Times and published on their online ‘paper’.
TravelWatch have issued a response to the article in The Times in which they say that after a series of talks FGW have agreed to withdraw the threat. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in people, soapbox, trains | No Comments »