|
Post by yorkshiremouth on Jun 7, 2022 12:42:42 GMT
From I Heart Skiathos, and other sources.
New bus system in place soon. New stops, new routes, new ticketing, more frequent.
Previously:
+++++++++
On Wednesday, June 10, 10 buses will "disembark" that will immediately fall into the "battle" of minibuses on the island of Skiathos. Speaking to Nikos Tzoumas, the President of the KTEL Magnesia shortly before leaving for Volos stated that we will not meet the image of the standing passengers again, while every 15 minutes the residents and visitors of the island will be served.
The buses will be new technology, while the starting point will not be that of the 1st Primary School but of the Airport. Initially the buses will run the route
Airport - Skiathos - Koukounarion and return
Airport - Skiathos - Aselinos and return
while from July 1, the route Airport - Skiathos - Evangelistria Monastery and return will take place
Tickets will be distributed from kiosks while the consortium will develop 3-4 counters for the best service of the passengers.
With the new year, vending machines will be placed and "smart stops" will be created.
++++++
Today:
+++++
Just a last minute information about the busses.
•They starting on Friday •Ticket to all destinations will be 2 € • Ticket to the airport plus 1.60€ • Bus terminal will be the airport ( so New Port will be a bus stop) Routes • Airport - Skiathos -koukounaries • - Aselinos • - xanemos • -Evangelistria Monastery
Along Skiathos Koukounaries they will be 3i box for tickets and information will given by people work there.
TICKETS YOU CAN ALSO BUY AT THE BUS AS WAS BEFORE A
+++++
Interesting times.
|
|
|
Post by kevb on Jun 7, 2022 23:34:07 GMT
In some respects the alternative routes to that already existing pretty much pick themselves. There are only so many places that enough people would actually want to go to and have good enough roads and space to actually turn a bus round in. The Aselinos run (and possibly the airport/xanemos route too?) have been attempted before but did not survive but it was all well before my first visit. Someone with a longer visiting history might have more info on this. Maybe there just werent enough visitors before to make them viable? Hopefully this gives more options for the airport at least, the lack of any bus running out there has been a sore point with me for years, its become a taxi driver cartel. It might get a few hire cars off the roads too making the island a little more eco-friendly. Id certainly consider the route out to Aselinos (though its a pleasant enough walk there from bus stop 18 if you have time and its not too hot).
|
|
|
Post by yorkshiremouth on Jun 10, 2022 6:30:57 GMT
From today, buses running to Koukounaries every 15 minutes until 1:15am.
In all the press releases they keep stressing the service is for locals as well as tourists.
|
|
|
Post by dennisn on Jun 10, 2022 7:26:01 GMT
Well we shall see how it goes. The logistics are interesting, I’m wondering how many drivers they will employ? I’m not totally familiar with drivers hours regulations, so I’m only guessing that they need at least ten drivers and that’s not allowing for sickness or proper days off. Maybe Greek regulations are very tolerant and Greek bus drivers happy to work 70 hour, 7 day weeks. But I’d need a wee fairly often and an occasional gyros.
|
|
|
Post by yorkshiremouth on Jun 10, 2022 14:48:23 GMT
I suppose things to consider are whether all 10 buses need to be going at once.
Every 15 minutes from airport/town to Koukounaries needs 4 drivers. Can they do it in half an hour? If it’s 45 minutes each way, that’s 6 buses and drivers on the go at once.
|
|
|
Post by balddave on Jun 10, 2022 19:00:24 GMT
I’m struggling to see the benefit of minibuses operating from the airport, they I assume will not have any capacity to carry luggage, and I can’t see visitors in town making the walk to the airport to catch a bus. Does anyone have any information of stops en route ?
|
|
|
Post by dennisn on Jun 10, 2022 19:54:00 GMT
I suppose things to consider are whether all 10 buses need to be going at once. Every 15 minutes from airport/town to Koukounaries needs 4 drivers. Can they do it in half an hour? If it’s 45 minutes each way, that’s 6 buses and drivers on the go at once. Firstly, I said drivers, not buses. They need four buses. The timetable seems to be a clear indication that it takes half an hour, so four buses will cover it, with turnaround on arrival at each end. New bus timetable published by Gordon Hodge on FB Boomerangers starts 6:45am, ends 2:15am, drivers are on “duty” a little before they set off and a little after they stop, so the working day is pretty much 20 hours, or say 19 hours because it takes an hour to play the round trip. Drivers hours regulations would not allow UK (therefore EU also) bus drivers to stay on duty for 19 hours, it would take two drivers to cover that, but even that doesn’t cover our regulations for statutory breaks during driving day. Four buses each hour x two drivers = 8 drivers and I’d work on two spares. But that’s seven days a week which just isn’t realistic, even if they use summer tourism as a reason to chuck driving hours regulations on the scrap heap. And that’s just one route! What about the extra routes they’re introducing? I look forward to the new bus services, but I worry about how long they can go on.
|
|
|
Post by yorkshiremouth on Jun 11, 2022 9:17:30 GMT
Is it possible?
The old route of Bus Stops 0 to 26 took 30 minutes, and this year I noticed them getting a bit behind. If you add the stretch between airport and town, I’m not sure how that’s doable in 30.
If you make it a 45 minute route, with 15 between airport and town, that work with 6 instead of 4.
|
|
|
Post by yorkshiremouth on Jun 11, 2022 10:33:32 GMT
I’m struggling to see the benefit of minibuses operating from the airport, they I assume will not have any capacity to carry luggage, and I can’t see visitors in town making the walk to the airport to catch a bus. Does anyone have any information of stops en route ? Apparently this was a translation error, and the new buses are all ‘proper bus’ size. I’m sure we’ll find out more over the coming days.
|
|
|
Post by dennisn on Jun 11, 2022 16:06:38 GMT
Give me a fortnight and I’ll be riding in them!
|
|
|
Post by yorkshiremouth on Jun 11, 2022 16:38:41 GMT
One potentially big advantage, the new ones look very much like the floor is pretty much pavement level. Unlike the old ones, where you needed mountaineering equipment to get on. 😀
|
|
|
Post by yorkshiremouth on Jun 14, 2022 7:23:27 GMT
Is it possible? The old route of Bus Stops 0 to 26 took 30 minutes, and this year I noticed them getting a bit behind. If you add the stretch between airport and town, I’m not sure how that’s doable in 30. If you make it a 45 minute route, with 15 between airport and town, that work with 6 instead of 4. Initial feedback suggests this is indeed what’s happening - a 45 minute route with 6 buses, one every 15 minutes. At the same time the old buses are still running the old route, 3 buses, one every 20 minutes. So if you’re in town waiting for a bus to Koukounaries there should be 7 an hour!
|
|
|
Post by kevb on Jun 15, 2022 14:09:20 GMT
Let's hop this reduces the amount of waiting/overcrowding during peak times at the mid-points eg Kolios and Troulos during high season. I didn't realise how bad it had got until last year when 4 of us were trying to get back to town from Kolios Beach late afternoon. We watched 2 full buses go by before eventually hailing a taxi. I might have understood at 7pm as they come in to town for meals but this was more like 5pm.
|
|
|
Post by cariad23 on Jun 15, 2022 15:59:24 GMT
we found that at kolios 3 years ago even at 10am buses into town full
|
|
|
Post by kevb on Jul 4, 2022 8:46:51 GMT
Here's the current timetable of the bus from BS 18 to Aselinos, from Skiathos Island News fb page :
|
|