INTRODUCTION

USING THE 36

However, compare this to the train and it's still cheaper - the train from Leeds to Harrogate costs about £5 for a single (without railcard) and in my opinion the 36 is miles better so it's not too bad value when you think about it. Various other ticket options are available for regular travellers such as a weekly ticket and the Gold Card, a mere £600 for unlimited travel for a year *ouch*. You'd have to use the bus a lot to make that pay off!

VEHICLES

The bottom deck is nicely done out with comfy high-backed fabric seats, however I never sit here given the treat that waits upstairs. Unusually for a double-deck vehicle, the 36 has a straight staircase which makes climbing up/down while moving much easier. It's nicely lit too by coloured halogen lamps above it. The top deck is very light and airy with large windows all round. The seats here are the real treat. They're fully leather upholstered bucket-style seats complete with armrests and tonnes of legroom - in fact they're some of the most comfy seats I've ever sat in and that includes my settee at home!

There's plenty of bright red grab rails about for holding on to, and plenty of STOP buttons which produce a very swish little chime and trigger a large green 'stopping' light at the front. There's very little engine noise and some of the windows open to get a bit of fresh air in. The heating is very good, I've never been cold on a 36 - although sometimes they get a bit too warm.

I've nearly always found the 36 to be very clean and tidy. It seems H&D take pride in keeping the buses well looked after and the clientele respond well to this. There's very rarely litter about, nor have I found there to be any problems with smell, graffiti or vandalism. Top marks on this front, streets ahead of all other bus operators in the area.

Whilst no bus service can be perfect on this front, I've usually found the 36 to be pretty much on time. With the service being so frequent during the day, I've rarely waited more than 20 minutes for a bus, and following the timetable I rarely wait more than 5. There are of course occasional slip-ups where you don't see one for half an hour and then 2 turn up but these occasions are few and far between and usually down to roadworks/traffic rather than unreliability. I believe that plasma screens at major stops are being fitted to inform waiting passengers of the status of the next bus - another great touch, although one that has yet to be implemented.

To be honest, most of the bus drivers tend to be a bit unfriendly/grumpy. But this is par for the course with virtually every other bus service I've ever used so there's nothing unexpected here. You do occasionally get one who will have a bit of a banter and smile at you but this is rare. Does it matter? Not really...

There's a variety of free leaflets available some of which detail safety/security procedures - another nice touch. There are also several CCTV cameras around on each bus which add an extra feeling of security.

From Leeds to Harrogate:

So I'd say he 36 is the clear winner here - except for late night - the last 36 to Leeds (say if you've gone out for a night in Harrogate) is very early at 22.20 so this reduces your options a fair amount. I believe the last 36 from Leeds is 23.00 so you're better off with train/taxi on a night out.