Jonathan Welch pays a visit to Harrogate to see the town’s bus network first hand
Although hit by the same issues as elsewhere during and after the pandemic, Transdev’s Blazefield operations across the North of England have over the years built up a reputation for quality, with a generally smart and well-presented fleet. It has also been one of the more vocal operators when it comes to publicity, but does it deliver? I took a trip to Harrogate to try out the firm’s local network around the town, including its well-known Harrogate Electrics.
Before setting out, I started off by taking a look at the Harrogate Bus Company website to see where I could go and what it might cost. Looking on the fares tab, I found ample information as to what tickets might cost, though I wasn’t sure if the ‘Harrogate 1’ on the ‘day tickets and bundles’ page was a day ticket, it not being clearly stated and listed below the ‘bundle of 12 journeys’ option: 1 journey, or 1 day?
I did wonder if there was too much information, as searching for fares easily led me to a page covering the company’s operations across the north, particularly neightbouring West Yorkshire. It’s great to see what’s available if you’re planning a longer trip, but someone unfamiliar could find it confusing; I’m not sure where the balance sits between the two side of that same coin, and the information was at least clearly presented.
I’m always impressed by a good map, though, and one was easily found via the website, giving a clear, geographical depiction of the company’s local and regional routes through the Yorkshire spa town. Timetables too are easily found and clearly laid out and easy to read, accompanied by a live map showing the route along with the locations of buses along it. So far, so good.
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