Airport Run

Started by CNG, November 14, 2010, 07:44:14 AM

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CNG

I would like an action run going direct to the airport and back. I have bassed it on the tertiary open day service they operated. It would run hourly seven days a week, the service number would be 78 during the week and 978 during weekends. Times or the route would not change on weekends, it would be only midi operated, however during the first service in the morning and the last service in the afternoon, it would be stag allocated, midday would be CNG allocated. Weekends would be just all euro allocated throughout the day

78     STAG      MIDI         MIDI        CNG         MIDI      MIDI      STAG
City - 9.00am, 10.00am, 11.00am, 12.00pm, 1.00pm, 2.00pm, 3.00pm

Reid - 9.05am, 10.05am, 11.05am, 12.05pm, 1.05pm, 2.05pm, 3.05pm

ADFA - 9.15am, 10.15am, 11.15am, 12.15pm, 1.15pm, 2.15pm, 3.15pm

Airport -9.30am, 10.30am, 11.30am, 12.30pm, 1.30pm, 2.30pm, 3.30pm

ADFA - 9.40am, 10.40am, 11.40am, 12.40pm, 1.40pm, 2.40pm, 3.40pm

Reid - 9.50am, 10.50am, 11.50am, 12.50pm, 1.50pm, 2.50pm, 3.50pm

City - 9.55am, 10.55am, 11.55am, 12.55pm, 1.55pm, 2.55pm, 3.55pm

978[/b]   EURO      EURO         EURO     EURO     EURO      EURO    EURO
City - 9.00am, 10.00am, 11.00am, 12.00pm, 1.00pm, 2.00pm, 3.00pm

Reid - 9.05am, 10.05am, 11.05am, 12.05pm, 1.05pm, 2.05pm, 3.05pm

ADFA - 9.15am, 10.15am, 11.15am, 12.15pm, 1.15pm, 2.15pm, 3.15pm

Airport -9.30am, 10.30am, 11.30am, 12.30pm, 1.30pm, 2.30pm, 3.30pm

ADFA - 9.40am, 10.40am, 11.40am, 12.40pm, 1.40pm, 2.40pm, 3.40pm

Reid - 9.50am, 10.50am, 11.50am, 12.50pm, 1.50pm, 2.50pm, 3.50pm

City - 9.55am, 10.55am, 11.55am, 12.55pm, 1.55pm, 2.55pm, 3.55pm


Snorzac

Running a service to the airport from 9am till 3pm has no merit!

The Love Guru

Try half hourly from 6am to 11pm and you'd be getting closer to what is needed.

Weekends would need to half hourly and again, operating from first flight to last flight, tho the problem with this is that the feeder services wouldn't have started in the mornings. You'll have to wait for ACTION to start running a proper public transport network before you could make it work. Fly in to Canberra after 6pm on a Sunday (most common time for the average Joe to come home) and you'll be in a cab.

p_stampy

Yeh, I'm pretty sure the airport opens at 530 and the last flight it around 10ish (my sister used to work there at both ends of the day).

That sounds more like a .. school time service, where I dont think the majority of people would even fly in those times?

CNG

#4
Ok this is how the timetable will work I will make the first service start at 6.00am from the city and the last service from the city at 10.00pm. All the services between the current ones would be midi allocated except for on weekends were they would all be euro allocated. However it will still run on an hourly basis. Just to allow the timings to remain simple and because of the current network arrangments. This would attract patronage the service would be free aswell.

geoffrah

#5
Nice idea - but you'd just be running empty buses all day ....
I used the No. 10 service once to pick up a car from the airport - the service was empty beyond the War Memorial - and the driver indicated that was pretty much the norm. It goes up to Campbell Park, back across to ADFA etc. - a really painful and slow route !

If I'm a politician I have my ComCar to get me there, if I'm a public servant or business person I'll have a CabCharge to get me there and back (and these 2 groups are the majority of Canberra airport travellers).

If I'm a family with kids going on holidays - I'd have too much stuff to worry about the hassle of getting a bus from the 'burbs there and back - I'd just use the parking at the airport. In addition - most of the cheap flights leave or arrive very early or late in the day to minimise airport fees - connecting with the infrequent outside peak ACTION services would be a nightmare.

So - who does that leave to use such a service ? 

400:D

78 - Gungahlin Marketplace,Franklin Stage 1,2,3, Flemington Road/Northbourne corridor, Motor Registry, Civic
79 - Dunlop, Macgregor, Latham, Florey, Belconnen Bus Stations, Bruce, Lyneham, Civic
80 - Banks, Conder, Bonython, Tuggeranong, Kambah, Fisher, Stirling, Weston, Deakin, Civic
81 - Woden, Red Hill, Narrabundah, Kingston, Parkes, Civic
83 - Civic, Fairbairn Avenue, Airport

Maybe if you did this from 6am to 9pm at 45 minute intervals. Criticism Welcomed and expected.

Barry Drive

Quote from: 400:D on November 14, 2010, 12:13:03 PM
Criticism Welcomed and expected.
Hard to criticise something that you don't understand. (In other words - what ? ? ? )

Such short memories. ACTION ran route 80 directly to the Airport in 1998 (refer Network 1998). The service was under-utilised and was quickly dumped: 80 was then modified to travel to Fyshwick instead of 50.

Having a look at what some other cities do: a frequent direct service with luggage carrying capacity is best left as a premium sesrvice (e.g. Melbourne's SkyBus); for travel at regular fares the route can be incorporated into a local service and does not need to be direct (Perth's Route 37). So at the most, all that is needed is to divert route 10 via the Airport departures road; Deane's can continue the premium Airliner service for those who need it (and are willing to pay extra).

CNG

#8
That is why I thought operating steertags on that run because it is simmilar to  buses sky bus uses. I don't think airport services from individual suburbs would work, I think operating it from civc would be best as this is the heart of canberra and the major hotel hub in the region. I was thinking however this probably wouldn't work could also include hotel drop off and pick up, which are on or near the route.

Busnerd

Yes Martin, I recall the 80 at the airport too, I used to be at the Airport every friday night and I often saw empty renaults driving by until about 9pm. Yes we would all love a decent airport service, but every major city, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne have premium airport services, Adelaide does not however a lot of the buses just pass through and continue down to Glenelg etc. since it is sort of on the way, Canberra airport isn't really near anything and running a service only going to the terminal is doomed to fail.

Irisbus Rider

Quote from: CNG on November 14, 2010, 01:52:04 PM
That is why I thought operating steertags on that run because it is simmilar to  buses sky bus uses.
Canberra is not Melbourne, and as Busnoob posted, a premium airport service will not work. That's what taxis are for.

The Deanes service is quite adequate for a subsidised service, however, the range of the hours of operation could be increased to cater for early/late flights, and staff. Realistically, a frequency higher than 30 mins on a weekday is not viable.

Snorzac

I have had a good think about buses to the airport, what they need is a few standard 12.5m buses which have the seats on the RHS until about halfway down the bus removed and replaced with a luggage rack, this would cater for demand well.

As far as running times go, the first bus needs to arrive at the terminal at around 5am when check-in opens, at busier parts of the day (early morning) and from about 3pm-7pm the frequency should be every 20min. At less busy times (middle of the day and after 7pm) they could run at hourly intervals, I think the Deanes service is not timetabled very well, as I found last week, the services in off peak are dead, and during peak they are packed.

Until the first arrival (for those wondering, according to the CAG web site it is 0735) you really don't need to be worrying about operating services back to the City after then, same with the last departure which leaves at 2045 so there really isn't a need to operate to the airport after 1930. After the last departure the services can then become very infrequent and only leave when flights arrive, since they appear to bunch together you would only need one bus, last service would be around midnight after the 2325 arrival. It would also be a good idea that in times where the service is less frequent they should wait for inbound flights that may be delayed. This would apply especially to the last bus.

That is my say on the matter, if anyone has anything to add please post, I would be interested to see other peoples thoughts on the matter.

CNG

That sounds more attractive than my idea, also action should buy some new busses specifically for the airport run and put them in some kind of livery for it. I reckon the new CB80 would be a good one, using a merc motor and axil.
http://www.cb80.com.au/gallery.html

400:D

What about an Ikarus? http://www.muszertechnika.hu/images/ups/132.jpg

Albeit different specs :D, why 3 doors?

Snorzac

I would actually suggest that it be a privately operated company rather than government run. I think that privatization for premium services such as an airport run works better, whether it be Deanes, an offshoot of Skybus, Veolia or god forbid Keirs/Captial Coaches/Explorer. I think that by private companies have a more flexible fleet allowing for the buses to always operate on the airport run.

CNG

yeah i was thinking something like that, if I happend to make a company it would only be used for the airport runs, I would still buy the cb80's thoe and maybe a steer tag or artic. The depot would be at sutton.

Snorzac

Just in case no-one has made it clear, there really isn't a need for a high capacity service, most travelers to Canberra are business travelers. Even better than a standard 12.5m bus would be a 12.5m chassis such as a B7RLE cut down to a 10m chassis

CNG

even a dart or iris would be good, if they didn't cark it so much.

Irisbus Rider

Quote from: Metrobus on January 26, 2011, 12:14:34 PM
I would actually suggest that it be a privately operated company rather than government run. I think that privatization for premium services such as an airport run works better, whether it be Deanes, an offshoot of Skybus, Veolia or god forbid Keirs/Captial Coaches/Explorer. I think that by private companies have a more flexible fleet allowing for the buses to always operate on the airport run.
The problem with private operaters is that operations are to a bare minimum, i.e. Deanes. It could be heavily subsidised by the Gov't to operate a decent frequency, however, because these buses operate in 'Snowland', that could cause some tension.

Quote from: 400:D on January 26, 2011, 11:08:49 AM
What about an Ikarus? http://www.muszertechnika.hu/images/ups/132.jpg

Albeit different specs :D, why 3 doors?
Hungarian chassis which operate here in Australia have never ended well, just look at Csepel!