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Post by WYBS on Sept 23, 2023 17:30:35 GMT 1
Stagecoach North East (Byker Depot) E400 12070 was sat broken down on the hard shoulder of the M1 southbound near Garforth earlier.
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Post by WYBS on Sept 19, 2023 11:31:05 GMT 1
Transdev or Stagecoach Manchester might take it on so many runs a day every 2 hours I don't believe Stagecoach would ever be taking it on. Their presence in Oldham will be under the control of TFGM; who don't appear to be running any cross-border routes.
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Post by WYBS on Sept 18, 2023 13:27:14 GMT 1
Apparently, City of Bradford services 72 and X6 will be revamped to improve frequency. With the 71-plate Ultroliners already in use for these routes for the past 2 years, I wonder what additional buses will be allocated to this corridor. Will it be: 1) The some of the existing 16-plate StreetDecks coming back to the corridor as well as the remaining 16-plate StreetDecks leaving the LeedsCity fleet. 2) The York 72-plate Ultroliners, including the ones branded in the 2022 York University livery. 3) Cascading the Park and Ride battery-electric hybrid StreetDecks from Park & Rides routes from Leeds. 4) Brand new buses being ordered. 5) The use of existing buses such as StreetLites, B7RLEs and B9TLs. 'Revamped'. In other words a slightly improved frequency to match the demand and using the exact same buses.
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Post by WYBS on Sept 17, 2023 10:00:17 GMT 1
Plus that doesn't factor in late running; which the route is very prone to at peak times. I'm wondering if they will change drivers at Shipley, using a staff car or similar. Observed today at Shipley that drivers do change over on the 60A. One of the grey B7s was being used to transport the drivers between Keighley and Shipley, but as it also ties up a driver to drive the ferry bus, it makes you wonder if there's any benefit in making the full route every 20 minutes Goodness me, that's a sensational waste of resources and money!
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Post by WYBS on Sept 11, 2023 18:22:46 GMT 1
Scania YN05 GXB is on Yorkshire Buses' 9. Not sure if this is still a Connexions vehicle or if it's with someone else now.
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Post by WYBS on Sept 9, 2023 21:00:59 GMT 1
Doesn't have to comply with EU Driving regs as it's separate trips they don't exceed 50km so can stay on GB Domestic. I think Deerfold meant how would it help the 36, as driving hours/ distance wouldn't be an issue.
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Post by WYBS on Sept 9, 2023 20:53:23 GMT 1
I'd really love to comment on that post, but I'm confident I will get blocked instantly.
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Post by WYBS on Sept 9, 2023 11:38:32 GMT 1
I think I would honestly focus the 36 on Harrogate - Leeds and run the Harrogate - Ripon service as a standard Harrogate Bus Company route.
Clearly the majority of profit (& trade) is between Harrogate and Leeds, so why let the less frequent/ less profitable side affect the other half?
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Post by WYBS on Sept 6, 2023 21:29:08 GMT 1
This essentially means, A and A Coach Travel can't be bothered to operate the service and we don't care about the customers! This needs reporting to Metro and perhaps the Traffic Commissoner, maybe the local press as well perhaps? Its a publically registered service not an on demand thing! A and A Coach Travel are too lazy to operate it. This company is definitely one of the worst companies we've seen in West Yorkshire's history. Surely A and A are breaking some sort of regulation with the prebooking thing on a publically registered bus service? well the developers for Horsforth Vale can ask Metro and TC to pull the contract from A&A. Can only see Fourways or Squarepeg been suitable candidates to take it on. Or just divert the funding into Yorkshire Buses' no.9.
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Post by WYBS on Sept 3, 2023 22:52:54 GMT 1
Hmm, very interesting this. Last term the little Tarquin's and Olivia's who frequent the Storthes Hall complex had the luxury of clean modern reliable First E400's to travel on, but fast forward to this term and wow what an eye opener for them. clapped out ex-Scottish Omnidekka's already with 18 yr's service under their belt's, so poor even McGill's didn't want them. What a culture shock for them!.I wonder how long Yorkshire Buses will keep this contract once the inevitable breakdowns occur. One thing that the 'Tarquins and Olivias' will definitely know is that your use of apostrophes is shocking!
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Post by WYBS on Sept 1, 2023 19:10:15 GMT 1
Don't mind me asking but how come the solo srs are returning to Selby? Seems odd when the 377/378 needs smaller vehicles? Unless there is enough of them? And how come 1522/23 are heading back to Heckmondwike? I do understand the 1004/5 coming to Wakefield for the new 103. Heckmondwike don’t require 9 solos and most days , 2 are sat spare and are used on 254/5 and 229 and this isn’t ideal as we can’t serve Leeds bus station with these, so it makes sense for us to have Geminis back, as for Wakefield losing deckers , a large fleet transfer with Liverpool is immanent and Wakefield are also getting some buses from arriva north east Oooh. I hope we're getting some low height B5 Gemini 3s. I used to like those when I lived in Liverpool.
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Post by WYBS on Sept 1, 2023 17:23:18 GMT 1
7 cancellations today, including 2 on the 36. The very same 36 that they are telling everyone is going back to an every 10 minutes service from Monday. Except it won't because they clearly don't have enough resources to do that. 2 cancellations all day on a route that runs every 10 minutes seems STONKINGLY good to me!
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Post by WYBS on Aug 30, 2023 9:49:54 GMT 1
662 only runs past Shipley, the only Keighley route (Mon-Sat) to Shipley is the Aireline Could still be a possibility as the changeover could happen by the Ring O Bells junction in Shipley, 662 stops on one side of the pub with the 60 stopping on the other side of the pub. The driver that's come off just stays on the 60 back to Keighley, good way on saving fuel with work van changeovers. But if they are intending to change drivers then surely this is going to happen on the Shipley-only runs, which won't run up to the Ring O Bells.
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Post by WYBS on Aug 30, 2023 0:57:53 GMT 1
No A&A buses have been vandalised to my knowledge Not sure what the Facebook link has to do with A& A travel ? The vehicles photographed appear to belong to 'DM Motor Services', though I admittedly have never heard of that company before.
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Post by WYBS on Aug 29, 2023 22:09:22 GMT 1
Funny thing is, other operators are increasing frequencies and are being praised for getting back to full staffing levels. I'm not sure you can use covid as an excuse either. Over 1/4 of journies on 1 route being cancelled is really poor. Indeed, First are making some modest increases and Arriva increased their PVR with the introduction of the 165 back in July so why are Harrogate in particular struggling? In fairness to Transdev, cancellations at Keighley have significantly reduced, although they seem to have lowered their standards with some of the latest recruits. I'm wondering if the cancellations today have anything to do with the incredibly busy bank holiday just gone, especially Leeds Fest and the railway strike affecting Coastliner and Harrogate. Maybe they drafted in drivers to work extra days over the weekend, and that's had a knock-on effect today? I know both Harrogate and Leeds bus stations were incredibly busy on Saturday in particular.
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Post by WYBS on Aug 29, 2023 21:53:02 GMT 1
Just been looking at 60/60A workings. Wonder how it will work, because leaving Keighley and arriving back goes over 5:30 driving. For example 10:30 60 Keighley - Leeds arr 1156 1210 60A Leeds - Shipley arr 1313 1320 60A Shipley - Leeds arr 1418 1430 Leeds - Keighley arr 1606 Total driving is 5:36. Plus that doesn't factor in late running; which the route is very prone to at peak times. I'm wondering if they will change drivers at Shipley, using a staff car or similar.
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Post by WYBS on Aug 29, 2023 19:09:28 GMT 1
Another bad day today. 12 cancellations, half of those on the X98 alone. That's 26% of X98 services cancelled. They don't call it Sky Class anymore. The embarrassing (when it wasn't a Sky Class bus) "Welcome to Sky Class, this...... (pause for dramatic effect) is the X..... has gone. It just says "Welcome on Board" One step closer to your dream of operating dealership white Plaxton Primos (with Urban 90 seats of course) on it running at peak times only!
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Post by WYBS on Aug 29, 2023 18:56:17 GMT 1
An 18 minute frequency and a 31 minute frequency lol. Does anyone actually work at First apart from the drivers or is it just a couple of computers controlling the show, spewing out random timetables and frequencies based on data fed in by the Ticketer machines?
I'm convinced that the only thing that First management (if they exist) are bothered about is collecting their paycheck at the end of each month!
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Post by WYBS on Aug 27, 2023 14:36:54 GMT 1
A few people have mentioned this, but it isn't included in the West Yorkshire Zebra bid and there hasn't been any official mention of it anywhere, so I'm not convinced. actually was included in the originally bid; the only change was that the Holmfirth/Hebden Bridge/Todmorden locals section was removed as Metro was going to but in a seperate funding bid for them. First's will have have changed as a few of the routes have been withdrawn. The original bid for Transdev only shows the 662 and Airport routes
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Post by WYBS on Aug 27, 2023 13:35:10 GMT 1
I used to do 72’s quite often when I was on spare rota. Evening times leaving Leeds the bus is way too busy, needs to be more frequent on an evening. I’m sure it used to be every 15 mins. I’ve checked new duties for Bradford staff and the last 72 bus arrives back in depot at 0113 now, so that probably will be around midnighht from leeds Would there be enough demand to warrant to X6 running later alongside the 72? It always seemed like it to me.
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Post by WYBS on Aug 27, 2023 13:29:22 GMT 1
The ECitaros will pretty much replace the single deck diesel fleet in Harrogate (except for the 8/X98/X99), but we're not quite sure what's going on with them yet. The deckers will displace the current Gemini 3s on the 36, which I feel may either move to Hotline and Aireline or go back to the leasing company (though they will be hard to shift with the bespoke spec they have!). be Hotline or Red Express as Aireline is supposed to be of electric too. A few people have mentioned this, but it isn't included in the West Yorkshire Zebra bid and there hasn't been any official mention of it anywhere, so I'm not convinced.
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Post by WYBS on Aug 27, 2023 10:42:02 GMT 1
A handful of York's new Electroliners have entered service today on the no.4.
The GB Kites are rumoured to enter service in the coming weeks as there are only three at the depot so far (or at least that's what I've been told).
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Post by WYBS on Aug 27, 2023 10:35:27 GMT 1
I think these are the first E-Citaros ordered by a UK operator. (Some E400EVs have already been ordered for Stagecoach in Oxford). I wonder what vehicles these will replace? I rode a Y reg Volvo B7TL in Keighley yesterday (2716) and it seats were really sagging. The seats on Eclipse 1752 weren't very good either. The ECitaros will pretty much replace the single deck diesel fleet in Harrogate (except for the 8/X98/X99), but we're not quite sure what's going on with them yet. The deckers will displace the current Gemini 3s on the 36, which I feel may either move to Hotline and Aireline or go back to the leasing company (though they will be hard to shift with the bespoke spec they have!).
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Post by WYBS on Aug 27, 2023 10:31:07 GMT 1
Yesterday, Saturday August 26th, I did Bradford & Keighley. I prefer to let Leeds wait for the electric buses and Halifax wait for the refurbished bus station to open. I even booked a coach to Bradford (before the rail strike was announced) so that I avoided a train stopping at Halifax. Anyway, my itin with buses marked F for First and T for Transdev was as follows :- 633 Shipley - F Streetlite 63427 A3 Otley - T Versa 292 X84 Ilkley - F Streetdeck 35554 62 Keighley - T Solo SR 152 K9 Victoria Road - T Volvo B7TL-President 2716 B2 Keighley - T Eclipse 1752 K4 Bingley - T Mellor Strata 50 619 Saffron Drive - F Volvo B9TL-Gemini 37669 618 Bradford - F Eclipse 69570 Some progress compared to 2021 was that the Transdev ticket readers did recognise my Daysaver issued by First. Ticket scanning has become a lot better since the 'Mayor's fares' were introduced. Plus it's great that a MetroDay is now £4.50 as it was getting too expensive before hand.
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Post by WYBS on Aug 26, 2023 22:56:25 GMT 1
The same asset-stripping Yanks who tried to buy First Bus?
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