Mention of this project comes up from time to time, but I can't say that I've ever seen anything about it in detail.
Firstly, what did MAP stand for?
Secondly, it was obviously an efficiency exercise, but could someone expand on how it came about and how they went about it? Was it government or industry driven?
On reflection, now, was it a beneficial exercise at the time and in the long-term?
Chris Hebbron
11/12/15 - 09:18
Quote
In the late 1970s and early 1980s services were reviewed under a process known within instigator Midland Red as the Viable Network Project and subsequently more generally as the "Market Analysis Project" (MAP). Each company carefully considered its existing and potential new demands, surveyed both on and off bus, and recast local networks to reflect the results, indicating to local authorities those services requiring subsidy. As part of the MAP local area identities were invariably introduced, with new fleetnames applied to buses, bus stops, timetables and publicity. The process culminated in the splitting of several larger NBC subsidiaries.
Unquote
David Slater
12/12/15 - 07:56
I was a driver when MAP came to our area. Surveys were carried out on bus by a variety of people from students to pensioners. The results were questionable to the extent that in our depot we actually objected to the traffic commissioners over some changes as we could see that they were so wrong. Without starting a diverting thread I wonder what would have happened if deregulation had come without MAP.
Steve Barnett
12/12/15 - 07:57
In my experience, MAP exercises rarely looked at potential new markets but it would be interesting to know if there were any cases where new markets were explored. In my experience, the assumption was that the existing passengers were the market and the MAP exercises tried to define a network that would carry most of these but at much lower cost. It was claimed for the Newbury (Berks) MAP exercise that 90% of passengers could be carried at 60% of the cost, by removing evening journeys and combining journeys (serving an edge-of-town estate by diversion of an inter-urban journey rather than a separate service). In practice passenger numbers dropped considerably, because passengers didn't like the diversions and the lack of evening service (even if they used it only occasionally).
Paul Robson
12/12/15 - 07:58
Looking at the seminal tome "National Bus Company 1968-1989", MAP seems to have been somewhat earlier than 1981, probably starting in 1978, with HM Government referring to it in the past tense in November 1979. The book was produced in 1990, and at that stage the results of MAP were still seen as having been extremely positive. "Quite apart from its impact on the operating efficiency and financial performance of NBC subsidiaries . . ., it helped to re-orientate the industry from the position of a supply-led industry to one of a greater awareness of passenger needs." One result that I remember being reported at the time was an increased emphasis on double-deck operation.
Peter Williamson
12/12/15 - 12:50
I would agree with Peter W that MAP started before 1978. The Midland Red precursor (VNP) had probably commenced around 1976 (going from memory!) Preparations for MAP were certainly being made at the NBC subsidiary I worked for by 1978, and others had started earlier.
Concentration of loads led to an increased emphasis on double deck operation, as Peter says, as did the integration of some special school journeys into the regular service pattern.
The Scottish Bus Group used a revised version of the computer software, known as ScotMAP, and this was also used by some other operators, for example, Southampton City Transport, who carried out their surveys in the early part of the 1980s.
I would agree that the surveys concentrated on the existing market, effectively using origin and destination analysis to determine the complete journeys that people were making - thus giving information about connections, and possible scope for links to provide more "door to door" opportunities.
Seeking out new markets was not really a part of the exercise, but that is a rather different task, and certainly not easy. Several of the NBC operators had, at that time, an urgent need to save costs, and experiments in potential new markets would probably have been seen as a luxury that they could not afford. Whether that is a wise approach in the long term is debatable, but the concept of putting the existing businesses onto a sounder financial footing was probably a good preparation for deregulation and privatisation.I would agree with Peter W that MAP started before 1978. The Midland Red precursor (VNP) had probably commenced around 1976 (going from memory!) Preparations for MAP were certainly being made at the NBC subsidiary I worked for by 1978, and others had started earlier.
Concentration of loads led to an increased emphasis on double deck operation, as Peter says, as did the integration of some special school journeys into the regular service pattern.
The Scottish Bus Group used a revised version of the computer software, known as ScotMAP, and this was also used by some other operators, for example, Southampton City Transport, who carried out their surveys in the early part of the 1980s.
I would agree that the surveys concentrated on the existing market, effectively using origin and destination analysis to determine the complete journeys that people were making - thus giving information about connections, and possible scope for links to provide more "door to door" opportunities.
Seeking out new markets was not really a part of the exercise, but that is a rather different task, and certainly not easy. Several of the NBC operators had, at that time, an urgent need to save costs, and experiments in potential new markets would probably have been seen as a luxury that they could not afford. Whether that is a wise approach in the long term is debatable, but the concept of putting the existing businesses onto a sounder financial footing was probably a good preparation for deregulation and privatisation.
Nigel Frampton
12/12/15 - 12:51
It would seem that "unintended consequences" always occur after such surveys and/or exercises. I understand that there was a poorly used early Saturday morning service on the railway between Colne and Preston so it was removed. The few passengers it did carry had to find a new way of getting to work on Sat, which they then used for the rest of the week thus making the Mon to Fri service uneconomic as well.
John Lomas
13/12/15 - 07:35
One finding at Midland Red was that there was an excess of capacity being provided. So they applied the chain saw to their fleet of Plaxton bodied Ford single deckers, reducing them to stubby little buses with a very short wheelbase.
Remember this was the era before Transit breadvans became the normal minibus fare. I don't think that the cut down Fords lasted all that long in service, from memory.
Peter Murnaghan
17/12/15 - 07:34
Thx folks, for shedding some light on this subject.
Chris Hebbron
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