NHBUG feedback and comments.
This page expands upon the information in the News page by including extra detail and personal views from members. Views expressed are not necessarrily those of the North Herts Bus User Group.
Content from members is welcome. Please email any comments and news to ,
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Comments from David W NHBUG 21st April 2025
From most of the literature I have received in Letchworth South it is depressing if predictable that buses do not feature highly on the political agenda, even locally.
The Conservatives repeat the party line about how good and reliable services are and how they are improving.
Not my experience I'm afraid. Arriva services in particular are unreliable with frequent no shows, real time information in North Herts is at best patchy and the lack of information at Stevenage Interchange is a disgrace,
I have had no response to recent queries from the Labour candidate nor from our new Labour MP. I think bus users in Stevenage are also disappointed with the lack of action.
The Liberal candidate came up with a prompt response (see the News page) when I contacted him. I certainly agree that franchising is the best way to improve services, rather than 'emhanced partnerships', which, imho, cost a lot of money and achieve very little. However it is obvious that the current administration has little appetite for franchising, quoting ludicrously high estimates for the costs.
The outcome of the elections will be interesting, although whatever the result I doubt we will see much improvement in bus services in North Herts. Let's hope I'm wrong!
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Comments from Paul Spelzini SHBUG 20th and 8 April 2025
One innovative bus operator is now rolling out AI flow control software across London and south Herts following successful trials
This is an exciting development as it automatically monitors incidents, reports and regulates service on higher frequency bus corridors. This allows better deployment of staff on customer service and shifts, and reduces delays and waiting times by up to 2000 hours.
The system is also to be rolled out across Asia and Australia.
It has been trialled on the busy 113 and 142 in Watford, but will now extend to the 331, 258, 324, 107, 292 (until December),317, 327 and 491 services in the county.
Herts will also now have its 6th and 7th regular EV services with the 292 by UNO and 491 by late 2025. The PB1 has gone back to high emission diesel to cut cost which is a backward step.
X5 cancellation:. This marks the end of Arriva operations in West Herts north of Hemel after 95 years where there is now a red group monopoly. There are also growing monopolies in Lea Valley and Hertford with Central Connect and UNO in central/south herts which is bad news for users.. UNO at least are proposing some new airport and south herts services, whilst '9-5' red eagle (who don't do Sundays) are already axing the 165 in Tring where services are already thin.
Essex CC are reviewing all their contract services to save money and reconfiguring 43 and axing 21. Central Connect are axing services in Saffron Walden plus First to Stansted which has rightly caused public anger. Perhaps we need to talk to our new (Reform) county councillors in May about doing something similar as the Lib Dems have been useless here..
The really sad thing in all this is that 4 substantial and reliable quality operators such as Metroline in Potters Bar, Mullaleys in Watford, Lucketts in South Oxhey and PPH in St.Albans are now estranged from HCC bus operations, and indeed don't even list Intalink on their websites. It's also daft that tendering has buses from Aylesbury operating miles away in St.Albans, and buses from Potters Bar operating miles away in Waltham Cross in the county but none in the town? HCC needs to keep these guys 'onside' or they may just up and leave, and join the exodus to the US, causing job losses and decline here..
The new 500 service is only hourly-a 50% cut- and the evening service has vanished after 7pm. My wife travels to Tring and Wendover from St.Albans, so will have to drive now. Sylvia, one of our group, raves about the Bucks on demand service to Wendover though.
The 84b has been secured by Hertsmere, so well done! probably due to be retendered ideally to a local operator.
Bus 84B: Potters bar to Barnet bus route future 'secure' | Welwyn Hatfield Times
Another article about the 84B service from Potter Bar to Barnet on the Bus and Train user website
https://busandtrainuser.com/2025/02/04/checking-out-the-84b/
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February 2025 Update - the text below is from October 2024 but despite the recent self-congratulatory videos from Intalink nothing has changed and it is still applicable:
Bus services in North Herts continue to deteriorate. This despite vast amounts of money spent on new Hertfordshire routes which do not really benefit most of North Herts and a so-called Real Time Information system which simply does not work here. Stevenage perhaps benefits from the new services, many of which start from there, but also have the same issues with the lack of real time information and the very unreliable Arriva services. For further details of the ongoing issues in question I cannot improve on the excellent summaries in the Chairman and Secretary's reports from their AGM in September as published on the NHBUG website
Shortly after the release of the Intalink videos boasting of 'even (my italics) more reliable' services, two letters were published in the Comet suggesting Stevenage residents think otherwise. See letters
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Herts CC decide against Bus Franchising
It is very disappointing, although perhaps predictable, that Herts County Council has decided against introducing Bus Franchising in Hertfordshire. Bus services in Hertfordshire are among the worst in the UK and this would have been a chance to improve them rather than continuing with the current deregulated shambles and the meaningless 'enhanced partnerships'. The reason given is a cost estimate of 'up to 174 million'. This is of course nonsense. The figure includes £160 million for electrifying all buses, which is totally unnecessary and has nothing to do with franchising. Without this the cost estimate would be around £14 million. Even that seems on the high side considering the economic benefits to the county of a reliable bus system. It seems obvious that the council does not consider bus services a priority.
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A reader from St. Albans has written to the Herts Advertiser questioning the HCC strategy of adding new 'fast' limited stop services at the expense of the frequency of previous local services. i.e. trying to encourage new bus users but risking losing existing ones. This does not seem a a sensible plan. See the letter at https://nhbug.org.uk/buscutsoct23.pdf
And a response to the new 908 service (see News) from a member:
The limited stop 908 (Stevenage-Rickmansworth) is not necessarily an 'improvement' as it will probably mean a cut in the frequency of the 301 service (Stevenage to St Albans) just as the new limited stop 721 (Luton - Hemel via St Albans) means a cut in frequency to 321 (Luton to Maple Cross) and 302 (WGC to Hemel).The main problem with the buses is lack of drivers (caused by Brexit creating a lack of lorry drivers, and many bus drivers becoming lorry drivers) so any new routes are at the expense of existing routes. Arriva services are still very unreliable, despite many timetable cuts.Also you do not mention the recent changes to 97/98 service. The earlier 97A/98A changes have been scrapped, so that only the 97 goes round the Purwell Estate in Hitchin, meaning that the service round Purwell is reduced to hourly from half hourly, just as the 81 service round the Highover Estate was earlier reduced to hourly from half hourly.
There is also a new service X10 (Luton-Hatfield) by UNO to cover the large number of students travelling from Luton to Univ of Herts (but is less helpful to those travelling from Hatfield to Univ of Beds), but only in term time and is limited stop and does not go via Harpenden Town Centre and partially replaces the old 366 service. It remains to be seen if there are cuts to the 610 (Luton - Cockfosters) service.Also each alternate 314 (Hitchin - WGC) service is diverted via Kimpton and Whitwell and renumbered 315.Also the A505 is being shut at weekends at Hitchin Station bridge and the 97/98 and 386 diverted via Woolgrove Road and Grove Road, without any notification on the affected bus stops. I have no idea where the 80 (Hitchin-Stevenage via the Wymondleys) is diverted.
Overall the changes tend to mean faster services between town centres, but reduced services outside town centres and in rural areas.
A further comment on this service (908)
Today I went on the new 908 (Stevenage-WGC) service. It is the same as the 301 (Stevenage to St Albans via WGC) service as far as Old Welwyn south then it goes along Digswell Hill and then to WGC town centre via Valley Road (where it replaces the old 366), instead of via Knightsfield in WGC. It is not limited stop. It is hourly.
It does not go to Rickmansworth. The Stevenage - Rickmansworth route has been renumbered 725 and is limited stop, but does go through Knightsfield. I do not know its route south of WGC town centre. This route is stated to start on 19/11/23. We seem to be resurrecting the old Green Line system. The only local remnants are the 757 (Luton - Victoria). and 724 (not branded as Green Line) (Heathrow - Harlow).
The 301 is half-hourly (it used to be 4 an hour combined with the old 300).
More comments still can be found on the reail users forum feedback page:
https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/connect-herts-new-limited-stop-7xx-services-from-19-11-23.254871
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