Dennis Basford comments (added 7 March 2010):
I have just read the second part of your Derby Bus Station piece.
As a Ripley resident I, like you am disappointed with the 9's services being left out of the bus station.
Personally, I think it may be deliberate to separate the 9's from the Red Arrow.
Over the last 3 years there have been complaints at the bus stop where passengers for stops North of Alfreton
have missed the Red Arrow because the buses have been full of people alighting at Kilburn Toll Bar, Ripley and
Alfreton.
The new arrangement will mean that people will have to decide which bus to catch and not just get on the first
to turn up.
On a more general note, I think that Trentbarton have generally disappointed Ripley travellers on the 'Nines'.
It's only recently that we have got 4 buses an hour with the small Solo. While other routes like Allestree and
Mickleover get eight buses an hour with Solos and Volvo B7's respectively.
Even during the day the Solos on the Nines are simply not big enough. At busier times they are full to
capacity. It's galling to see routes like the 1A with Scanias with moderate loadings.
I also feel that putting more coaches with four steps on the Red Arrow is a backward step in these days of
disability discrimination. The route surely cries out for a dedicated fleet of low floor single or even double
deckers. See my suggestions at the bottom of
THIS PAGE. Oliver
Anyway, enough from me. What turned out to be a comment on Derby's new bus station finished up as a bit of a rant. Sorry about that !!
Richard Lomas comments (added 9 March 2010):
I don't agree with Dennis Basford about the Nines. I travel from Ripley to Derby reasonably often and have
always found a seat since the service was increased to every 15 mins. The service is better than when I moved to
Ripley in 1967 when it was a Fleetline every 20 mins.
I have been left in Ripley by full Red Arrows travelling northwards but this should be solved when the
30 min headway starts. Incidentally the new Irzars will have wheelchair lifts but I'm not sure how practical
they will be.
I too am disappointed that the Nines, H1 and Amber Circle will not be using the new bus station. I am
not surprised that X38 and Harlequin won't be using it. X38 was taken out of the old bus station because of a
tight schedule.