Metrolink 'Bad For City's Image' Claims MP

all talk - only one thing will produce results:

sue them

GimboidJanuary 24th.

Alright then, on what grounds do you suggest they be sued, Lieutenant Litigation?

It's the city, duffusJanuary 24th.

for repeatedly not fulfilling their part of a CONTRACT?

or are we all in this FOR FUN?

give me strength...

GimboidJanuary 24th.

Do you really think a contract would be set up so that a service provider could be sued for equipment failure? Who would sign that? You haven't got a clue mate.

it's the city, duffusJanuary 25th.

One would have to prove negligence. Continued (daily) breakdowns must be someone's fault.

Unlike some would believe, running a track-based transport system is not NASA stuff.

A design flaw, failing management, who knows, I certainly would not want to guess.

What I would do is expect the council to turn the thumb screws by now.

AnonymousJanuary 25th.

Duffus Metro Link has nothing to do with Manchester Cit Council. It is run by Stage Coach on behalf of GMITA. But I recall Mr§Stringer campaigned for it so presumably he is disappointed. I'm sure,
though, Simon has access to the contract and I would expect compensation from the
operator. Perhaps more free days.
Is in not covered as a light railway with
the existing "quality rules.

Stagecoach is the dominant public operator in transport suppler in Manchester managing it's buses, Metrolink and Virgin Trains.

You can judge for yourselves whether it is shinning example of private provision of public services.

It's the city, duffusJanuary 26th.

Ok, thanks for clarifying - but now I am confused.

It's RATP that operates Metrolink.

It's TfGMC that should be checking up on these chaps from RATP.

Why aren't they?

My point is that someone in the council (or one of their sub-bodies for that matter) has effectively outsourced the 'service of providing transport to the people of Greater Manchester' in return for a contract and presumably some dosh...

Surely, it is this committee's job to ensure a reasonable standard of services is provided for the taxpayers of Greater Manchester.

Councillors Andrew Fender and Roger Jones sit at the top of TfGMC...

Liam can sue Noel but MCC can't sue RATP?

Someone is not doing his job.

Ranger tale to tell tourists:

before the Commonwealth Games in 2002, Manchester did not even have a bus TIMETABLE. Buses just turned up when they liked. Can you believe that?

There has always been problems in Manchester with transport. I remember before de-regulation, thats what whalley ranger remembers possibly.

It got rather messy after that especially with the other firms when given permission to run several services as we have now.
fights and bus wars as i remember.

The Tram was brill, cheap, and on time when it first set off i was on the first tram from bury. Now it seems to be how much can we screw them for now.

The prices have gone up again and they change the timetable, this has stopped my other half getting the tram due to missed connections from victoria to Bolton. We have also found that the trains from victoria are just as bad if not worse. For this tram/ train service he pays £1000 a yr for what is really a disgraceful state of affairs.

Feel really bad for out of towners using our transport services. Graham is correct in his assumptions im afraid to say.

Jean Verity-DoyleJanuary 24th.

ps duffus is right it is a breach of contract you buy the ticket to be transported at a certain time they sell that ticket, if it dont turn up they are in breach end of. 7:30 train to get you to work for 8am doesnt turn up or set off then your late.

you have breached your firms agreed contract so it works tht same for public buying that ticket in good faith.

No, no, NO! When has a bus or tram ticket or the conditions of sale EVER said that they will get you to a place by a certain time? If being late or having to cancel a journey constituted breach of contract on which the passenger could sue, it would be impossible to run a bus service, because there are some circumstances that the bus/tram companies can't control. If this isn't totally obvious to you, you must have no common sense at all. Have a look here: www.stagecoachbus.com/conditionsofcarriage.aspx…
www.metrolink.co.uk/…/conditions-of-carriage.asp…

'End of' indeed.

GimboidJanuary 24th.

That was to Jean.

AnonymousJanuary 25th.

Right Gimboid but is is regulated on the railways with rules for compenstation so is the Tram a railway?

I agree with Stringer. Currently the Metrolink is incredibly unreliable and always very busy. I use it everyday to come in and out of the city and consistently I see tram cars that are overcrowded to the point were the doors cannot be closed.

I don't care that I sometimes have to stand up on the tram but would it hurt to double up on tram cars during busy periods to alleviate this?

Another issue that infuriates me is the number of trams that are marked 'Not in Service'. A few nights ago I was waiting at Victoria and three trams went by a packed platform, all saying 'Not in Service'. It's a total disgrace.

At the start of the year Metrolink hiked up the price to £90 for a monthly ticket, If I have to pay more I expect the service to improve, not get worse.

I'll probably never sue, but I am fed up of getting to the station at 8am, watching 3 trams go by before I manage to get even remotely close to the edge of the platform (usually by about 8.25) and squeeze myself on to one. Oh and then I'm late for work. That's all.

SisyphusJanuary 26th.

German schools start at 7:30am!

AnonymousJanuary 27th.

Why is everyone trying to get to work/ school/ leave work etc at THE SAME TIME?

Has anyone heard of the concept of flexitime? Do it. Stop thinking about it. Just do it.

AnonymousJanuary 29th.

Then get to the station earlier...

Ever tried to ring and complain about trams or buses - very hard to find anyone to complain too and the tram does seem extremely unreliable - we seem to get all the old stock on the bury line and my kids tell me the doors keep getting stuck - in fact one got trapped and had to travel to the next stop. I would really like to see some easy to find performance data and better complaints system.

You CAN actually register your complaint, but it falls on deaf ears.
Over the last 2 years I've complained about the bus service between Leigh and Manchester, AND I've even got a written reply, apologising profusely, by way of what appears to be a standard letter, but the same issues keep arising again and again, late or missed services with a piss poor excuse from the driver.
Its a shyte service from a shyte company that wont ever change.

all talk. only one thing will produce results:

sue TfGMC, the peoples' representative - for not doing their job.