TheGrandWazoo
Veteran Member
The replacement for the 903 was announced as First a few weeks back
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-bristol-40341911
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First West of England (Bristol, Bath & The West)
- Thread starter Ivo
- Start date
The replacement for the 903 was announced as First a few weeks back
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-bristol-40341911
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diffywood
Member
weird saw this coming from hegrove depot direction on south bristol link road at about 10am this morning
freetoview33
Established Member
I mean who won as in First who wanted to Operate Double Deckers and Bristol City Council who wanted to operated single deckers.
TheGrandWazoo
Veteran Member
Single decks may have been the original idea. However, if you can get low height deckers under the Ashton with guide wheels, and the A1s are going to do that anyway, then is it an issue?
I will look foolish if singles are indeed put on Metrobus but if they replace the 903 with single decks, you will need to increase the frequency to provide the same capacity. Yes, the journey time is less so you can sweat the fleet more but the idea is also to increase patronage so you'd suspect that would be insufficient; I don't know
freetoview33
Established Member
Single decks may have been the original idea. However, if you can get low height deckers under the Ashton with guide wheels, and the A1s are going to do that anyway, then is it an issue?
I will look foolish if singles are indeed put on Metrobus but if they replace the 903 with single decks, you will need to increase the frequency to provide the same capacity. Yes, the journey time is less so you can sweat the fleet more but the idea is also to increase patronage so you'd suspect that would be insufficient; I don't know
The frequency from Long Ashton P&R to Centre will be every 5 mins anyway so! Apparently Long Ashton Park & Ride service actually broke even last year.
TheGrandWazoo
Veteran Member
Is that frequency what has been agreed in the contract award? Is there a link?
freetoview33
Established Member
It has looked like Bristol City Council have backtracked!
https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/travelwest/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/MetroBus-QPS.pdf
Page 13
So there will be a minimum of 6 buses per hour from Centre - Long Ashton Park & Ride then 3 will continue to Hengrove Park.
https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/travelwest/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/MetroBus-QPS.pdf
Page 13
So there will be a minimum of 6 buses per hour from Centre - Long Ashton Park & Ride then 3 will continue to Hengrove Park.
Whiteway215
Established Member
I should know this but I' m going to ask those who know! Which particular buses are used on the current 903?
g4mby
Member
37605 37606 37608 37609 and 37610
TheGrandWazoo
Veteran Member
There's some 58 plate B9TLs allocated to it - they were part of Hengrove's standard allocation and got repainted into the red variant
THarris123
Established Member
So there is potential for 9 buses an hour, not every 5 mins.
It also states the following:-
"Minimum frequency on route 2 can be provided through interworking with route 4, e.g.on common sections of route, the cumulative frequency of routes 2 and 4 can equal the minimum frequencies stated for route 2 alone."
At a guess I'd say City Centre-Long Ashton P&R will be every 10 mins judging by that document. Then there will probably be a service going Long Ashton P&R-Hengrove Park every 20 mins and a service Hengrove Park to City Centre every 10 mins.
TheGrandWazoo
Veteran Member
I think you're right on the latter interpretation in that the service will be every 10 mins with every other one extending from Long Ashton to Hengrove.
Not certain about the Hengrove to City direct though. I still read that as 20 mins
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THarris123
Established Member
That's a minimum of every 20 mins and if First get that route (which they probably will) I expect they'll change around the 75, 76 and 90 to incorporate Metrobus and have it all running at the same frequencies.
TheGrandWazoo
Veteran Member
Possibly.....I just don't think any of us can fully say what will happen.
Realistically, the direct route will take out quite a chunk of the existing 90 customer base so you'd expect that to be fundamentally affected.
However, the 75/76 are much less affected with a lot less duplication from Metrobus. Might not be as straightforward as everything being homogenized.
Further reductions in Somerset http://www.somersetlive.co.uk/news/somerset-news/major-changes-bus-routes-taunton-303607
Ah yes that will be the one. Saw it being previewed on the West Country News this evening. First Kernow site forum reports another Trident arrived from Taunton today for same event. Cheers, Mike
freetoview33
Established Member
I wouldn't really call these changes "major"
DaveHarries
Established Member
I fail to see why Hengrove would operate the U1, which replaces Wesex Bus' Service 16. Surely it would make more sense for LH to operate the U1?
Dave
THarris123
Established Member
It seems bizarre to cut so much of 21/A. The demand is there for a 15 minute frequency. I guess though that with a 30 min frequency, they can deploy deckers onto 21/A. It does make one wonder where they will get the deckers from though. Surely a service every 20 mins would have been more suitable?
I wonder how much of a reduction it is. I believe Bridgwater currently is overstaffed, so I'm quite surprised by these changes.
THarris123
Established Member
So a reduction of at least 3 vehicles in Bridgwater isn't a major change due to a drop in frequency on service 21/A from every 15 mins between Bridgwater and Taunton to every 30 mins?
THarris123
Established Member
Indeed it would make more sense, but Hengrove are overstaffed (due to loss of 70/71) and I suspect some of Metrobus would go to Lawrence Hill.
DaveHarries
Established Member
TheGrandWazoo
Veteran Member
I'm not entirely surprised as the frequency of the 21/21A was always every 30 mins....even when they used 33 seat Merc minis on it (though the odd National/decker was used at peak). It only went to the increased headway when Webberbus began competing.
Knocking out the shorts means a saving of four vehicles and I'm sure with SPS, that'll soak up any overstaffing.
TheGrandWazoo
Veteran Member
The other consideration is space within the respective depots. With the 70/71 now at LH as noted, that also has freed up capacity.
According to today's edition of 'The Word', upon their return from London the 3 pink Streetlites are going to be used to advertise Mtickets. 1 will come back to Weston, with 1 going to Hengrove and the last 1 going to Bath. It also says that the company was asked to paint then pink, presumably by the organisers.
TheGrandWazoo
Veteran Member
Nothing up from FHD as per previous years, or the Bath bendis?
I'd imagine Thursday is the quietest day of the Fiesta. I'll let everyone know what I see when I go tomorrow!
THarris123
Established Member
I wonder if the gas bus will head out on Balloon Fiesta services as its first deployment.
freetoview33
Established Member
Thursday can be equally as busy, with the night glow.