Scottish Infrastructure

[highlandmac]

7 hours ago, Todd_is_God said:

I've made my thoughts on the public transport network in and around Glasgow pretty clear before, but this is another example of why vital public services should be nationalised.

Night buses will probably lose money, and there are many new build estates not served at all by buses that likely never will be as they won't be profitable. But the bus network overall will be. Those profitable routes should be subsidising less profitable / loss making routes.

Same goes for the rail network.

Privatisation may increase the technological advancement of certain things, but they also must be run for profit. It makes no sense for a private company to run services at a loss.

Given the intention of government to get people out of cars then the public transport system needs to be sorted otherwise the less wealthy are going to be left in communities with no facilities/jobs and no means of accessing them elsewhere

[highlandmac]

19 hours ago, Todd_is_God said:

It's the slow moving traffic that likely causes the accidents, though, as nobody wants to be stick behind it for miles on end.

If it's too expensive to dual it all, then have more dual sections for safer passing. It might also take some traffic off the A82 which is an absolute deathtrap of a road.

Even a few extra dualled bits have made it a much better road-if you think the A9 is horrendous now,should have seen it 35 years ago

Edited July 14, 2023 by highlandmac

[TheScarf]

13 hours ago, Todd_is_God said:

It's the slow moving traffic that likely causes the accidents, though, as nobody wants to be stick behind it for miles on end.

If it's too expensive to dual it all, then have more dual sections for safer passing. It might also take some traffic off the A82 which is an absolute deathtrap of a road.

Those two roads go in two totally different directions, so I doubt it would.

[Todd_is_God]

3 hours ago, TheScarf said:

Those two roads go in two totally different directions, so I doubt it would.

I'm not so sure. The A86 connect the 2 just North of Fort William

If I was heading to FW the A9 would become a more appealing option if it was largely dualled.

[ICTChris]

Not sure this is the right thread but saw this job advert for Head of Technology at Lothian Buses.

https://careers.lothianbuses.com/job/425836

A job managing the technology of a large organisation, managing staff.  A job like this in the private sector would earn far more money - you can get jobs for that sort of salary with no management responsibility.  I just wonder who is going to apply for this job - if you are an IT worker in Edinburgh a Head of Technology job or similar in the financial sector is going to be better paid and probably less hassle if you are being honest.  I wonder what the impact of having relatively poor salaries is on productivity of back office jobs in the public sector.  What do I know though.

I might apply for it though, bet you get a free bus pass.

[Netan Sansara]

5 hours ago, ICTChris said:

Not sure this is the right thread but saw this job advert for Head of Technology at Lothian Buses.

https://careers.lothianbuses.com/job/425836

A job managing the technology of a large organisation, managing staff.  A job like this in the private sector would earn far more money - you can get jobs for that sort of salary with no management responsibility.  I just wonder who is going to apply for this job - if you are an IT worker in Edinburgh a Head of Technology job or similar in the financial sector is going to be better paid and probably less hassle if you are being honest.  I wonder what the impact of having relatively poor salaries is on productivity of back office jobs in the public sector.  What do I know though.

I might apply for it though, bet you get a free bus pass.

I’ve seen quite a lot of roles like this. The Scottish government is hiring (or was) for a head of software engineering paying a rate that would be considered below average for a mid-senior developer (never mind someone to run the engineering strategy for a country). It’s almost impossible to hire highly qualified people when the private sector is paying double or more for equivalent roles (especially in something as specialised as IT). 

[Melanius Mullarkey]

Its almost as if the public sector is continually skint due to those in charge being absolute incompetent fucking crooks. 

[TheScarf]

4 minutes ago, Melanius Mullarkay said:

Its almost as if the public sector is continually skint due to those in charge being absolute incompetent fucking crooks. 

I don't think those in charge are intelligent enough to be crooks.

[vikingTON]

https://news.stv.tv/highlands-islands/mv-hebridean-isles-ferry-route-cancelled-for-further-four-weeks-calmac-confirm

No ferries have run on this seasonal route since the timetable was scheduled to begin in April - and no ferries will now run until at least the last week in August.

There should be more heads rolling at every level of this Scottish ferry operations than during the Jacobin Great Terror.

[Guest]

f**k the shambles that is the roadworks on the A9.

[gav-ffc]

 

[ICTChris]

Gyle Centre sold for £40m to a new owner.

It was sold in 2006 for £225m! Ouch.

Reading about the sale on Twitter, people used to flock to it, buses ran directly from loads of places around Edinburgh and beyond. It’s really tired now, terrible food options and looks in need of a few repairs. It’s hooked into public transport for the city really well, with buses and trams stopping there and a train station a couple of minutes walk away.

It also has one of the most depressing play parks in the entire world. Have fun kids!

Edited August 10, 2023 by ICTChris

[101]

3 hours ago, ICTChris said:

Gyle Centre sold for £40m to a new owner.

It was sold in 2006 for £225m! Ouch.

Reading about the sale on Twitter, people used to flock to it, buses ran directly from loads of places around Edinburgh and beyond. It’s really tired now, terrible food options and looks in need of a few repairs. It’s hooked into public transport for the city really well, with buses and trams stopping there and a train station a couple of minutes walk away.

It also has one of the most depressing play parks in the entire world. Have fun kids!

Would have thought the tram stop, massive parking and a pretty modern M&S store would render it worth more than £40m. I guess shopping retial units just arent the place to invest now compared to the mid00's

[Bob in Denny]

On 08/08/2023 at 00:23, gav-ffc said:

 

The feckers have blocked my path home, now I have to cycle down the road and up past Cuthelton....

54 week contract...

not a council to hurry plans through, allegedly idea first proposed in 1973..

now get the extension of the proposed cycle track out towards Camelon going.....

[vikingTON]

https://sway.office.com/kHEyorABTEK2Ks50?ref=Link&utm_medium=social&utm_source=Facebook&utm_campaign=routeprioritisationmatrix&utm_content=routeprioritisationsurvey

Cal Mac are up to their usual tricks with a 'consultation' on how they should manage disruption to their incompetent ferry service. Essentially their plan is to bin off two of their routes whenever there is disruption (so permanently) to prioritise the rest of the network. The grounds for this intended policy is that 

Quote

Ardrossan-Campbeltown and Mallaig-Armadale have land links, these should be disrupted first if a vessel cascade is needed and
where appropriate.

The 'land links' involve diversions of 153 and 135 miles respectively. Three to four hours driving time (with zero assistance from Cal Mac for passengers). 

A Royston Vasey style, 'Island Ferries for Island People' approach is not compatible with a national public transport infrastructure. Cal Mac should be legally obliged to provide a minimum service standard on all routes instead - which provides the security that residents, businesses and visitors require. If disruption is necessary then it should be spread out across the entire network equitably. 

The survey is available to provide responses but I suspect it's a fait accompli under the guise of a consultation exercise.

[topcat(The most tip top)]

50 minutes ago, virginton said:

https://sway.office.com/kHEyorABTEK2Ks50?ref=Link&utm_medium=social&utm_source=Facebook&utm_campaign=routeprioritisationmatrix&utm_content=routeprioritisationsurvey

Cal Mac are up to their usual tricks with a 'consultation' on how they should manage disruption to their incompetent ferry service. Essentially their plan is to bin off two of their routes whenever there is disruption (so permanently) to prioritise the rest of the network. The grounds for this intended policy is that 

The 'land links' involve diversions of 153 and 135 miles respectively. Three to four hours driving time (with zero assistance from Cal Mac for passengers). 

 

That said the ferry crossing time from Campbelltown is listed about 2hr40 so, particularly for people going to Glasgow and points further on, it doesn't make that much difference. So you may be overstating your case 

The Campbelltonians I know never bother with the ferry anyway and just get the bus
 

 

Edited August 29, 2023 by topcat(The most tip top)

[strichener]

On 13/07/2023 at 20:36, The Golden God said:

I work in pubs and fairly recently switched from a place open till 3 at the weekends to a place open till 12. There was a few reasons such as not getting home till 5 in the morning is awful for you, spending 20 quid on a taxi is shite and also if you did have a drink after work you felt like a bit of an alky getting home at 6/7. The only good thing was that I’d make good money because of the longer shifts. Place I’m at now means I can get the night bus home for 3 quid, so while I do make less money I spend 6 quid getting home at the weekend rather than over 30, that’s fucked now. The last bus is half 12 which is basically impossible to get and even when it is it’s absolutely mobbed and full of steaming arseholes. 

[Billy Jean King]

On 29/08/2023 at 09:55, topcat(The most tip top) said:

That said the ferry crossing time from Campbelltown is listed about 2hr40 so, particularly for people going to Glasgow and points further on, it doesn't make that much difference. So you may be overstating your case 

The Campbelltonians I know never bother with the ferry anyway and just get the bus
 

 

This, the Ardrossan to Campbeltown route is basically used by golfers on the piss. It's a booze cruise and in no way a life line ferry service. I've travelled back and forward from Ayrshire to Kintyre for years and never once even considered getting the boat from Ardrossan. 

[welshbairn]

A feasibility study for bringing back a version of the Formartine and Buchan Railway has been funded, connecting Dyce to Ellon, Peterhead and Fraserburgh.

https://www.campaignfornortheastrail.org/

Edited September 1, 2023 by welshbairn

[vikingTON]

On 29/08/2023 at 09:55, topcat(The most tip top) said:

That said the ferry crossing time from Campbelltown is listed about 2hr40 so, particularly for people going to Glasgow and points further on, it doesn't make that much difference. So you may be overstating your case 

The Campbelltonians I know never bother with the ferry anyway and just get the bus

The reason why people don't bother with the ferry is because the service is not up to standard in terms of reliability and scheduling. That's like arguing that a bus service should be removed if it gets run into the ground and foll end up just using a car instead.

14 hours ago, Billy Jean King said:

It's a booze cruise and in no way a life line ferry service.

A developed country in the 21st century can - and must - provide more than "life line" links in its public transport infrastructure.

It's a service that Cal Mac are mandated to operate and will be picking up a healthy chunk of taxpayers' money to do so. They should be legally obliged to provide a minimum standard of service instead of trying to bin it  and keeping the money.