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FTR (bus)

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FTR
A First York FTR bus in York on route 4
ParentFirstGroup
Founded2006
HeadquartersAberdeen, Scotland
Service area
Service typeBus rapid transit
Fuel typeDiesel
OperatorFirst Cymru
First Northampton
First West Yorkshire
First York

FTR was a British rapid-transit bus system formerly operated in Leeds, Luton, Swansea and York. FirstGroup introduced the system, using 39 Wright StreetCar articulated buses in conjunction with infrastructure upgrades by local authorities. The vehicles were branded as "the future of travel", the operators claiming that ftr is Abjadic textspeak for the word future.[1]

Elements

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The FTR concept was made up of a bundle of simultaneously introduced innovations relating to the vehicle type, its configuration, the fare collection arrangements, consequent changes to infrastructure, and an integrated data-handling system for voice radio, vehicle location, real-time passenger information, on-board displays, vehicle diagnostics, and ticket machine data.

Vehicles

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Each 'StreetCar' vehicle had a separate driver (or "pilot") compartment, resembling to some extent similar designs in continental Europe. Otherwise the vehicle itself was a modified conventional bus, with styling similar to contemporary trams and trolleybuses and a greater distance between axles to maximise the low-floor area for easily accessible seating. The vehicles were air-conditioned and had tinted windows to enhance the on-board ambience along with ergonomic seating. On-board information was provided using an "infotainment" screen which displayed the next FTR stop (in a similar fashion to Transport for London's i-Bus system) and information related to that stop including local attractions/facilities and connecting bus/train routes. The screen also displayed advertisements for local businesses.[2][3]

Ticketing system

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A major difference between FTR and conventional bus services was the method of fare collection. In York, this initially involved purchase of cash fares from a self-service ticket machine or from a conductor, because the design of FTR allowed no contact between driver and passengers. This was intended to reduce journey times but problems with ticketing machines resulted in their withdrawal. On the FTR route 4 in Leeds, all passengers bought tickets from, or showed bus passes and permits to, the conductor.

Operations

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Bradford & Leeds (Hyperlink)

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First West Yorkshire Hyperlink Wright StreetCar in November 2012

Following the cancellation of the Leeds Supertram project, the local passenger transport executive Metro suggested various bus rapid transit options as a replacement, one of which was an FTR service. The FTR system was chosen, and the service ran from early 2007 until autumn 2012, on Route 4 'Olive Line' (part of the Leeds Overground colour-coded network of high frequency First Bus Routes) between Pudsey and Seacroft via City Square.[4] The FTR buses were then refurbished, Wi-Fi installed, and given a new livery branded Hyperlink, ready for a new high-frequency service on route 72 connecting Leeds to Bradford.[5][6][7]

In July 2016, the FTR articulated buses were replaced by brand new Wright StreetDeck buses, with the Hyperlink brand withdrawn.[8]

York

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First York Wright StreetCar at York station in October 2010

FTR first operated in York with the conversion of First York's route 4 between Acomb and the University of York. The service began on 8 May 2006, after the city council had made significant and expensive alterations to the road layout to accommodate the new vehicles.[9][10] The York FTR service was withdrawn in March 2012.[11][12]

Luton Airport

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Four FTR buses were operated for First Capital Connect by First Northampton, providing a frequent link between the airport and Luton Airport Parkway railway station.[when?] These were replaced by Mercedes-Benz Citaro O530Gs, releasing the FTRs for use in Swansea. The use of bigger buses reflects growth in the number of people using the airport rail link, which has more than doubled since the Parkway station opened in 1999. It carried almost 10 million people a year. The FTR were branded as train2plane and ran every 10 minutes, 19 hours a day (05:00 – 00:00), and connected with all trains from London during the night.[13] In March 2023, an automated people mover came into service, Luton DART, replacing the Luton Airport bus link.[14]

Swansea

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Main article: ftrmetro Swansea
First Cymru Wright StreetCar in Swansea in October 2009

Swansea gained a similar operation from 1 June 2009 with FTRs running on route 4 in a phased introduction over several months. The service, publicised as ftrmetro, links Morriston Hospital, Morriston, the City Centre and the University/Singleton Hospital, with five services per hour through the daytime. Extensive streetworks were carried out along the route, including segregated running through the city centre and an "express route" by-passing the busy residential streets of Hafod. The fleet of Wright StreetCar articulated vehicles were removed from Swansea on 28 August 2015; First Cymru cited refurbishment costs as a key factor. Although the articulated vehicles were removed from service, the same route is now served by standard single-deck Wright StreetLite buses and other similar vehicles.[15][16]

Developments

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The launch of the FTR in York generated almost saturation coverage in the local media.[17] On 10 May 2006 The Press devoted four full pages to it, including its front page and a double-page spread of 12 readers' letters, almost all of them hostile. The next day the paper published a defence of the vehicles' teething problems by First York's commercial director, accompanied by another five hostile letters. Another full-page article appeared two days later, and this was followed by national press coverage.[18] On 17 May 2006, councillor Ann Reid was quoted as saying "The majority [of complaints] seem to have come from those who don't live on the route or certainly don't even catch the bus".[17] The student press criticised the FTRs.[19] Student anger was particularly directed at the price of tickets on the FTR, which increased by 20% in 2008 for a single ticket from campus into town.[20] The price problem was resolved when the students' union negotiated a £2 student price for a return ticket from the campus to town.[21][22][23][24]

References

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  1. ^ Your questions answered FTR
  2. ^ City first to use new bus fleet BBC News 22 February 2006
  3. ^ 300,000 streetcar hits the road BBC News 19 July 2005
  4. ^ "Phased introduction for Leeds 'ftr'". Bus & Coach Professional. 24 October 2006. Archived from the original on 6 November 2007. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
  5. ^ First to link Leeds and Bradford with FTRs Passenger Transport 13 June 2012
  6. ^ Ex York FTRs on Route 72 linking Leeds and Bradford Focus Transport 17 June 2012
  7. ^ 74k boost for high-tech city link bus Telegraph & Argus 16 June 2012
  8. ^ Lowson, Rob (22 July 2016). "First West Yorkshire unveils new fleet at Bradford Industrial Museum". Telegraph & Argus. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
  9. ^ Lewis, Stephen (24 April 2006). "It's the ftr of city travel". York Press. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
  10. ^ "The ftr of city travel arrives". York Press. 8 May 2006. Archived from the original on 21 October 2014. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
  11. ^ Aitchison, Gavin (13 March 2012). "Controversial ftr buses make their final journey in York". York Press. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
  12. ^ 22 hosts lose jobs after ftr axe The Press 23 March 2012
  13. ^ StreetCars upgrade Luton airport link Archived 30 January 2016 at the Wayback Machine Bus & Coach Professional 30 January 2008
  14. ^ "Luton Dart airport shuttle welcomes first passengers". BBC News. 10 March 2023. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
  15. ^ First announces Swansea's bendy bus services are to be scrapped South Wales Evening Post 24 June 2015
  16. ^ Bendy buses in South Wales to be scrapped over cost BBC News 24 June 2015
  17. ^ a b Thomas, R. (2006), 'The future of public transport' meets hostile response in York, Local Transport Today, no.444, 1 June 2006.
  18. ^ Clark, A. (2006), "The rise of the purple people-eaters", The Guardian (London), 15 May 2006.
  19. ^ The monopoly of the Ftr bus service is set to stay if we do not act. Nouse.co.uk (23 January 2008). Retrieved 26 March 2012.
  20. ^ YUSU begin negotiations with FTR. Nouse.co.uk (23 January 2008). Retrieved 26 March 2012.
  21. ^ SU clash with Ftr over ticket cuts. Nouse.co.uk (24 October 2007). Retrieved 26 March 2012.
  22. ^ Ftr: it's (still) a bus. Nouse.co.uk (23 January 2007). Retrieved 26 March 2012.
  23. ^ Ftr are cause of controversy once more. Nouse.co.uk (23 January 2007). Retrieved 26 March 2012.
  24. ^ Anna Goodman, "FTR is 4U". The Yorker. 13 October 2008
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