Coach operators boycott city's new multi-million pound bus station
COACH companies are boycotting Derby's new bus station because they say its design forces their customers to walk too far with their luggage.
Five operators have opted not to run services from the multi-million-pound Morledge terminal.
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Instead, they are still using stops on nearby Full Street, depriving Derby City Council of thousands of pounds in departure fees paid by companies.
Tony Laver, managing director of coach operator Laver Holidays, said: "We withdrew virtually immediately from the facility because it totally failed to meet our needs.
"There was no consultation whatsoever with local coach operators and the result is that the passengers with the most luggage to carry have the furthest to walk. My company promises a door-to-door service to all holidaymakers and for that we need to have taxi access to the coaches.
"There is no such provision and we refuse to ask our elderly customers to lug cases for up to 200 yards when in Full Street they could disembark within yards of their coach, even if it is in the rain."
Along with Laver Holidays, coach companies Daish's Holidays, Harpur's Coaches, Littles Travel and Macpherson Coaches all still use Full Street to pick up and drop off passengers.
Only three coach companies currently use the bus station: Hawkes, National Express and Skills.
Those firms pay a departure fee for each coach that leaves the station, which opened in March. Derby City Council refused to confirm the amount but several coach companies told the Derby Telegraph it was £3 per departure per coach.
The council said that, in May, 947 coaches left from the station, which amounts to more than £2,800 in fees.
The Full Street stops are also managed by Derby City Council but there is no charge to depart from these. The authority was unable to give an exact figure for the number of coaches using Full Street.
But Martin Laver, of Laver Holidays, said that his company alone operated 200 services a year from Full Street.
He said: "Together with the other operators choosing not to use the bus station, that is thousands of pounds of potential fees the council are missing out on."
Passenger Barry Chadwick, of Sycamore Avenue, Allestree, said has had two holidays since the new bus station opened.
He said: "The first time we used the new bus station. We had such a job getting the cases from where the taxi could drop us off.
"We had to walk from under the bridge with all the cases, then down the full concourse to the other end of the station.
"My wife was hugely stressed. Someone helped us with our bags but if they hadn't we would have been lost. It's unbelievable the situation is like this.
"The fact that coach companies are already boycotting the new bus station says it all. It confirms that the coach bays, in their present form, are unfit for the purpose."
Another company choosing not to use the station is Daish's, which runs tours to destinations including Newquay and Bournemouth.
Manager Carl French said: "We started to get letters and calls from customers complaining about the walk they had to make with their luggage to reach the coach.
"We primarily serve an older clientele and they cannot always make the journey very easily. Clearly, the new station is not good enough for them.
"When we were using Full Street this was not a problem; taxis could drop people off right next to the coach. But this seems a huge oversight by the designers.
"It is costly to us because we have had to let our customers know first that we were running out of the new station, then again to say we were moving back to Full Street, which is where we now run from."
Derby City Councillor Chris Poulter, cabinet member for neighbourhoods, said: "The decision not to use the bus station is the decision of the commercial operators. We can confirm that the operators in question have no formal arrangement to use the station at all.
"All operators who use the station must sign up to a formal operator's agreement and pay the departure charge for using the facility.
"The public has had to accept temporary bus station facilities around the streets for too long. In due course all redundant shelters and stops are to be removed.
"There is capacity to accommodate new users and we encourage all operators to use what should be the hub for bus services in the city."
Hawkes Tours does use the bus station.
Owner David Hawkes said: "The station is very central. To me it is the ideal place because it does not matter what the weather is like.
"But the distance people have to walk from the Morledge to the coach bays is something which could be addressed.
"There is a route around the back of the station that buses use and I think it could be trialled as a route taxis could take to drop passengers off nearer the coach bays."
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by Pat, Derby
Tuesday, September 07 2010, 12:29PM
“I have come to tthis site rather late in the day but felt I had to 'have my say' too! So here it is.
Absolutely, Chris of Derby, I completely agree with you regarding inadequate Bus Station. As for those "experts" writing here, it is clear that they neither travel by coach long distance, or are not elderly or in any way disabled. The point is, we have fewer facilities at this bus station than at the old one - with regard to long distance travel especially. It is a retrograde step to have to walk so far with luggage and it's not necessarily just one case on wheels, it can also in addition mean carrying other baggage plus managing young children whilst dodging and weaving round other queues and people coming out of the station, only to come out the other end into an afterthought of an area with no seating and no cover - we have only had the station open a short while but I can see more complaints during the winter months. And before anyone comes back with 'there'll be far fewer people travelling long distance then', many people, myself included, travel long distance throughout the year - not just for 'beach holidays' but to visit family. So grow up all you moaners about complainers, those complaining have legitimate concerns (have you all really gone through life without your own complaints?! I don't think so!!)
Another complaint of mine is the having to pay to pee! When did that come back into fashion? I thought we'd seen the end of that in the 1980s, or was it earlier? On my trip down to Newquay, I end up paying at Birmingham and Bristol too as both of these places have similar new bus stations. I can't help feeling that the charge is to go towards paying for the station's build. Likewise the departure charge. Well, I wouldn't mind if it properly served its purpose, but it doesn't. Come on Derby council, pull your finger out and try and do something you haven't managed in years - put the people who vote for you and who pay their council tax first. By the way, Anthony of Derby, just because National Express (can't speak for the others) have decided to use the bus station doesn't mean the drivers' like it. I've heard numerous complaints from their drivers, likewise those on the TransPeak, the Ashbourne One and from every taxi driver we've used to take us to the station since it opened.”
by Clive Potts, United Kingdom
Thursday, July 08 2010, 2:02PM
“There has been much critical comment about the new bus station in Derby, since its opening.
Some of it is justified and others not. " It is not big enough". Maybe, probably !.
But the fact remains that it is here to stay, and it is not going to change. It is up to us all to respond and make positive suggestions, and not negative and unhelpful ones.
In this light I have read your recent headline on the problems encountered by passengers, who wishing to use the coach facility are suffering an long struggle with luggage.
Can I point out that more than two dozen services come into the bus station from all corners of the city. Services such as the Allestre and Mickleover bays are next to the coach bays. Catching these services would mean cheaper ways of getting into interchange, and in some instances no cost at all. If you don't live on a viable route, get the taxi to drop you on an external bus stop, and transfer into the bus station that way.
I would have thought the coach companies would have seen this as an opportunity to advise their customers of available routes nearby, and enhance their service profile.
In the long term is this not an opportunity for a permanent shuttle service into bus station, for some entrepreneurial company to make it a going venture.
Clive Potts.
Flat 2.
15 Swinburne Street.
Derby”
by Dom, Derby
Thursday, July 08 2010, 1:17PM
“Chris. Your comment literally made me spit tea all over my monitor with laughter! This is a 100 meter walk through the bus station we are talking about not the flamin Krypton Factor! Airports might have "conveyor belts" however Ive yet to go to an airport where I get out of my car and am transported all the way through arrivals, check in, security to the departure lounge and then onto the plane! There is still a fair amount of walking involved. I'd also suggest that having to clamber over central reservations to get to taxi's is a bit far fetched... there are 2 perfectly decent pedestrian crossings within the vacinity. MOUNTAIN / MOLEHILL!”
by ramfangazman, spondon
Thursday, July 08 2010, 1:06PM
“Al, Derby , I'm neither!
though I am flippant from time to time, i must confess!!!!
and yes, I detected your defense of me, which was nice despite our views differing.
this is utopia ;)”
by Ken, Hatton
Thursday, July 08 2010, 11:44AM
“It is not good enough that the City Council accept no responsibility for the numerous design flaws in the new Bus Station.
i.e, Bay 1 unuseable, because it is too near the enterance!
The narrowest point is right at the far end, from where all the long distance coaches depart.
Passengers arriving on long distance coaches, with heavy cases, find out that the X38 express bus to Burton, doesn't depart from the Bus Station, but leaves from the old Debenhams, half_way across town!”
by Al, Derby
Thursday, July 08 2010, 11:28AM
“D'oh!
Soz RamsFan, yes I did mean RamsFanGazMan... (are you a gas man or a gary by the way? My boiler is broken!)
Either way it was meant as a defense of him so its all good.
Im obviously not all there today. Need more morphine.. or less... ?”
by Rams Fan, Oakwood
Thursday, July 08 2010, 11:09AM
“I trust you mean ramfangazman rather than me, Al...?
I commented but twice and was not flippant in either instance :)”
by Chris, Derby
Thursday, July 08 2010, 11:08AM
“Paul Collins, this is not rediculous. Airports have systems that carry you along on moving walk-ways so that you don'thave to walk long distances.
This is a bus/coach station which supports road transport. Taxi ranks are normally close to the pick-up and drop off points; not like Derby where I've seen people get out of taxis and have to climb over a central resrvation in order to cross over a busy road to get to a pavement. Then you have quite a long haul with your luggage to the coach stands.
The solution IS available as the work at the Traffic Street exits is not yet complete and there is ample room for a simple in-out taxi rank. Look at the Bus station maps, hey agree with what David Hawkes is saying.”
by John, Spondon
Thursday, July 08 2010, 10:54AM
“At the end of the day, This Bus Station was PLANNED by someone. As it was a new build it should have been near perfect. However it does seem that the area of land it was built on has not been used to it's best, with bus lanes doubling back on themseves and taking up valuable space. It would have been nice to have had nothing but praise from the public, but it does seem that the planners have not excelled themselves on this one.”
by Al, Derby
Thursday, July 08 2010, 9:30AM
“Well now..
The bus station is far from perfect, it is hard to walk to and down past all the mobs of people, as some of you know Im disabled myself with a pain condition, makes me terrified of crowds because bumps and knocks really hurt me.
However - this is not a 'moan' because despite it being hard I still do it, as do others. Its not moaney (sp?) of them to just ask for decent services from their council, who is after all always harping on about wanting to improve things for the people of Derby.
I know most probably dont care, but here is my two penarth for the sake of it, seeing as everyone else has had a go!
Dont think RamsFan was being insensitive etc, more flippant than anything, shouldnt be shot down in flames for it, Im sure we are all flippant from time to time, especially when people are flaming those with difficulty spelling, what if they are dyslexic or have a mild learning difficulty? Not very sensitive of you either.
So, about the station, yep its not ideal. But its here now, like the English bods we are, best to just make the most of what we now have, enjoy the safety and comfort of being inside and its handy shop. Its bonkers that they havent made proper provision for coaches, but there is plenty of space for them to rectify that.
Instead of ranting, lets put some suggestions together and send them to the council. At least then we will know we have tried.
Ah, and its much cooler today. Nice.”