In message , at 13:07:46 on Mon, 26
Nov 2012, John Williamson remarked:
The contract is drawn up in accordance with other rules.
Quite possibly, but all the rules/reasons can be addressed
individually, until common sense prevails.

Your version being common sense in your opinion, but not in the opinion
of anyone actually involved in running these services.

That's the problem

The rules are the rules, and are not, in general, negotiable.

Adding a couple of minutes into the schedule to accommodate the
intermediate stops (on the original route, we aren't asking for any
detours) is negotiable. And if we believe that a rail replacement bus is
not allowed to stop at a bus stop, it could stop 30ft further down the
road (subject to safety case), so that's another one gone. The insurance
and the contract with the bus company could be extended to include stops
en-route and the NCoC changed to mention that "set down only" BoJ at
approved intermediate stops was allowed on bustituted routes. Which I
think just leaves negotiating with the traffic commissioners about
whether the bus is in competition with local stage buses, and that's
where common sense says "no" - logistically it's not a regular service
it's just a series of one-off tour buses.
--
Roland Perry