I am not sure if this is a great idea or one bound to fail:
The 16-seater bus will take drinkers from Colchester town centre to pubs across the area from next month. The Real Ale Runabouts will give 26 watering holes that are not well served by public transport a much-needed boost. Colchester’s branch of the Campaign for Real Ale has compiled the series of monthly tours, with the first on May 12. The bus will stop for an hour at up to five pubs... “We are trying to get people out there, and if we can get 16 people out there a night, somebody might say this is a good place and get the word around.”
Paid for by a 500 pound subsidy and five pound tickets, it is not a hugely expensive experiment. Yet, the bus runs just once a month. What I don't understand is why these pubs, if there were enough of them, don't set up their own shuttle bus service if there was a real chance of the word getting around turning into real revenue? Not enough in it for them?
Comments
DanSmallbeer - May 1, 2011 1:34 AM
We looked into a beer tour of Vancouver Island. We are hoping to do Longwood, Craig Street, Wolf and back to Victoria. Forty guys have expressed interest. Problem is a coach with a bathroom and driver for the whole day is going to cost north of a grand. It's a tough gig to arrange, especially when your potential participant pool are mostly drunks.
Tandleman - May 1, 2011 3:36 AM
Or at least a joint venture?
Andy Cullen - May 1, 2011 9:13 PM
It is an interesting experiment and I think the publicity it gains is probably the best results for the scheme from the pubs' point of view.
What would be more interesting to know is what unsatisfied demand for public transport there is in an evening and if buses are laid on what difference to custom in the pubs this makes.
I'd also be interested to see if the Welland Valley beer festival in Northants and the Three Valleys Pub festival in Derbyshire (where a load of rural and suburban pubs put events on linked by a regular free bus service funded by the venues) happened more often than once a year what would happen.
Alan - May 1, 2011 9:59 PM
Sorry about that - didn't realize I had left the comment moderation on.