Excellent thanks for your help! In regards of the other routes, I.E to lands end and st Ives, do drivers on other rotas just cover all the other different routes? And does the 18 to Truro have its own drivers? When they get to Truro is it then a break and an 18 back to Penzance?
Mousehole roster mostly do 6/6A with the occasional foray on to other routes. All other drivers do all other routes at all times. Every day different, every week different, and so on. Variety is the spice of life. All drivers have their like and dislike routes; but they're all paid the same (apart from new drivers). When you go with a buddy it is
anticipated you will cover all routes in that two week period.
A few Truro rosters do an 18; but most 18/14 covered by Camborne and Penzance.
Driving times have steadily increased as the years have gone on and a driver can usually be in the saddle for up to five hours fifteen minutes at a stretch. Meal breaks can be scheduled anywhere (only Camborne has a canteen). Then another long stint in the saddle.
If everything runs on time then there will be time for a short break at each end. In reality drivers are rarely on time so perhaps just enough time to go to the loo (much to the displeasure of queuing passengers) then leave slightly late and resume.
Penzance to Falmouth is broken up at Helston on the drivers duty board; thus making it a legitimate run to comply with regulations (distance driven). However, it is the same driver and same bus. Summer uplift changes slightly as a driver
can do a Penzance to Helston (timetabled Falmouth), change drivers; cross the road and take a Helston to Penzance (ex Falmouth)
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They won't be getting wider. e400MMC are the max 2.55m width!
Perhaps AC covered it last night (Graham could confirm?) as to which routes are due to get them but I think it's the 14/18 and the U1-3 that will receive them. Therefore, I don't think that it'll be an issue for a while on the 300!
With the slimline Optare Solos, there should be sufficient to cover Mousehole this year? There's the existing 53503/4 and 53701/53826. 53505 is returning from Somerset and if there's a failure then a Caetano Dart can be drafted onto the 11 or 16?
Maybe it is. There are no spare open toppers, so when one fails a normal closed decker will take it's place. It is not uncommon to see a closed decker on a 300.
It was always said that Penzance would never receive anything new at all because of the routes they cover.
A senior member reportedly said that there was no point in putting new vehicles on say a 1/1A (or 2) for it to receive a dented roof and sides. First would prefer older vehicles so damage would be less noticeable.
Depots do not hold 'spare' vehicles (First policy again but depots can hold spare if they present a suitable business case). If something goes down there is rarely anything to replace it.
Similarly no spare drivers, so much work behind the scenes when someone goes sick; and rarely, dropped runs.