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First South West (Kernow & Buses of Somerset)

TechDan2002

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4 Oct 2019
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Penryn
Got my 21st on the 17th September, will be the cheapest one ever I expect!

Think the barbers will be pretty busy with us lot, but will be good to get into a routine again
My 18th is on the 4th September, which I’ve just realised is when College is due to return! Hopefully the Healeys cyder farm is open for tours that weekend!

Gonna be interesting how social distancing will work out on the 2** College buses come September!
 
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Goldfish62

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During the lockdown it worked by saying public transport is too risky, but it portrayed it as quite dangerous is bound to have long term impacts

WHO said it could take 5 years for the virus to disappear, public transport will be dead in the water if current passenger numbers last that long, certainly need a 'public transport is safe campaign', eventually to restore confidence which would keep TfC and Kernow social media teams busy
Taking FK as an example so as not to stray off-topic, local bus services are only being kept going currently due to government assistance. Without that assistance no current service can possibly be viable and I don't see the assistance lasting very long. It would probably cheaper to provide a free taxi to each passenger.
 

richw

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Liskeard
The most pressing issue for me come the 4th July will be getting down the barbers to get the rats nest that’s grown on my chin and head in the last 4 months tamed!
You’re going to have to learn to do the chin yourself, barbers have said they won’t be able to offer beard cuts yet, due to compulsory face coverings
 

MB162435

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Taking FK as an example so as not to stray off-topic, local bus services are only being kept going currently due to government assistance. Without that assistance no current service can possibly be viable and I don't see the assistance lasting very long. It would probably cheaper to provide a free taxi to each passenger.
Suppose Kernow are lucky with having good paying contacts to keep them going such as Hinckley, and the school/college ones will run no matter how long Covid goes on for as long of course they are open

The only additional costs could be having to run extra buses on those contracts or more trips to cater for everyone
 

MB162435

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My 18th is on the 4th September, which I’ve just realised is when College is due to return! Hopefully the Healeys cyder farm is open for tours that weekend!

Gonna be interesting how social distancing will work out on the 2** College buses come September!
As long as we don't have a 2nd peak by then we should be alright!

The only solution to college buses is just have everyone wear face coverings and scrap social distancing, and to only come when required, maybe a few days a week with rest of the learning online
 

TechDan2002

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Penryn
As long as we don't have a 2nd peak by then we should be alright!

The only solution to college buses is just have everyone wear face coverings and scrap social distancing, and to only come when required, maybe a few days a week with rest of the learning online
I think that will probably be the only option, I very much doubt we’ll be seeing packed out deckers with 80+ passengers on board like usual when college starts in September!
 

MB162435

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I think that will probably be the only option, I very much doubt we’ll be seeing packed out deckers with 80+ passengers on board like usual when college starts in September!
Remember the college buses in September well, you get to know the 1st Years very quickly!

Won't be seeing the usual college loadings for a very long time, certainly learning at home as much as possible is the only way forward to make the college services work
 

richw

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Remember the college buses in September well, you get to know the 1st Years very quickly!

Won't be seeing the usual college loadings for a very long time, certainly learning at home as much as possible is the only way forward to make the college services work
Falmouth university has highest Number of applications for years
 

MB162435

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Falmouth university has highest Number of applications for years
Grade boundaries will also probably be lower, allowing more people to make the cut, University's seem quite desperate to still make Uni life attractive during the Pandemic

If the U4 still runs from the Moor from September, then 4 uni routes will hopefully cater for the majority, but won't be an easy challenge getting everyone on board
 

TheGrandWazoo

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37164 has appeared on the T1 this morning.

View attachment 79932

Good looking machines. Am I right in thinking that these got a refurb internally when with FHD? I know most of the native FWoE ones did receive eLeather but the ones stopped off en route from Glasgow are quite tired inside (but not bad machines to travel on).
 

83G/84D

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Don’t know about the interior I am afraid. The WoE examples may be tired looking but the seats are a vast improvement over the Tridents. Glad to see most of them gone.
 

TheGrandWazoo

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Don’t know about the interior I am afraid. The WoE examples may be tired looking but the seats are a vast improvement over the Tridents. Glad to see most of them gone.

The Tridents date from the period 1999-2002 when First specified rather basic seats. Remember a round trip from Newquay to Padstow on some of those Tridents and comfortable, it was not.

Most of the native FWoE Geminis were refurbished with eLeather in 2013, though some of the WX56s weren't and are threadbare inside. The Glasgow ones are also a bit tired but yes, that seat design is definitely better. FHD were pretty good with their refurbs so wonder if they had been done as well?
 

richw

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All the Gemini’s I’ve driven so far have vastly improved passenger seating cushion versus Tridents.
wx05 all have e leather, And S* prefix well cushioned moquette. Haven’t seen a Hy yet.
 

Goldfish62

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All the Gemini’s I’ve driven so far have vastly improved passenger seating cushion versus Tridents.
wx05 all have e leather, And S* prefix well cushioned moquette. Haven’t seen a Hy yet.
Helps that the Geminis have Esteban Civic seats.
 

TheGrandWazoo

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All the Gemini’s I’ve driven so far have vastly improved passenger seating cushion versus Tridents.
wx05 all have e leather, And S* prefix well cushioned moquette. Haven’t seen a Hy yet.
The WX05 and WX55 should all have eLeather IIRC. Of the WX56, some were refurbed but a couple weren't and they were/are really tatty inside with threadbare seat cushions. Why they weren't done is a bit of a mystery.

The SF54s have the old moquette. It seemed in better condition that those WX56 not treated or, for that matter, the former Kernow MX56 Eclipses. Now either the 2004 vintage is more durable, Glasgow is gentler on buses that the South West, or I wonder if they were refurbished in the old fabric when in Glasgow at some point? Never travelled on the SF07s mind
 

richw

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Glasgow is gentler on buses that the South West,
The glasgow stuff To support their gentler life, even the SF54 are Only around 500-600,000 miles From memory. Wx05 are just gone around the clock at 1m Miles.
kernows 2 year old MMCs are on 130-140,000 to scale up the high miles Kernow buses do.
 

TheGrandWazoo

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The glasgow stuff To support their gentler life, even the SF54 are Only around 500-600,000 miles From memory. Wx05 are just gone around the clock at 1m Miles.
kernows 2 year old MMCs are on 130-140,000 to scale up the high miles Kernow buses do.

The WX05 would be high mileage having spent time on the Weston to Bristol and also the Bath to Bristol expresses.
 

Jamesbus80

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24 Jun 2016
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Fareham, Hampshire
All Volvo B7TLs that have recently arrived from Hampshire were refurbished and repainted in 2013 - they were some of the first buses in the new urban livery back then. Therefore, they haven’t had a repaint in 7-8 years, but I’m sure this will be done in due course.
 

TechDan2002

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4 Oct 2019
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Penryn
I always tried to get the rear bench seats on the Tridents due to the other ones being uncomfortable, I remember riding 33181 on the 91 and for some reason sitting top deck right at the front, it wasn’t the most pleasant journey I’ve been on. 33111/2 and 33143 have much comfier seats, and I can’t comment on 33172/4/6 or 33141 having never ridden them before. The Gemini’s are definitely a vast improvement on interior comfort!
 

fgwrich

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Helps that the Geminis have Esteban Civic seats.

Indeed, a far more comfortable and sensible design than the previous pretty awful (Fansia I think?) design before.

I wasn't best pleased when this thing turned up at Truro bus station a few years ago on a run to Newquay. To say I was quite numb by the time I got to Newquay would be like saying this thing was good with hills (it wasn't, it was gutless).

 

Goldfish62

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Indeed, a far more comfortable and sensible design than the previous pretty awful (Fansia I think?) design before.

I wasn't best pleased when this thing turned up at Truro bus station a few years ago on a run to Newquay. To say I was quite numb by the time I got to Newquay would be like saying this thing was good with hills (it wasn't, it was gutless).

Last time I went on that was from Newlyn Bridge to Penzance bus station. That was enough!
 

Lizard1324

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19 Feb 2020
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Cornwall
Indeed, a far more comfortable and sensible design than the previous pretty awful (Fansia I think?) design before.

I wasn't best pleased when this thing turned up at Truro bus station a few years ago on a run to Newquay. To say I was quite numb by the time I got to Newquay would be like saying this thing was good with hills (it wasn't, it was gutless).

The seats that bus had were very uncomfortable spent a 2 hour college bus route on that got to say was numb when I got to college, luckily the bus has grunt as got stuck in Cury ford and the road was frozen and we slid down the hill into the hedge, then we couldn't get out.
 

TechDan2002

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4 Oct 2019
Messages
215
Location
Penryn
Indeed, a far more comfortable and sensible design than the previous pretty awful (Fansia I think?) design before.

I wasn't best pleased when this thing turned up at Truro bus station a few years ago on a run to Newquay. To say I was quite numb by the time I got to Newquay would be like saying this thing was good with hills (it wasn't, it was gutless).

Had that on the 231 before, seats weren’t great but a fair bit comfier than some of the President Tridents! At least they had a bit of padding
 

Lizard1324

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19 Feb 2020
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Cornwall
Bus times show two bendy buses in route 27 and the u2 but likely a ticket machine move, same as bus times showing 33311 - e400mmc on the u1 which I think is acctually - 33111 - pj02 pzp
 

MB162435

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Marc has tweeted open tops going live in west Cornwall on 12th July.
Great to see another bit of normality return, guessing they have enough drivers in Cornwall still without any at Hinckley needing to return?
 

MB162435

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First is set to recruit again in Devon for the Cornwall College, Rail Replacement and any other private hire work Marc tweeted, staff needed in Exeter and Plymouth

So we now have Go-ahead looking for staff in Cornwall and First looking for staff in Devon, couldn't guess that would be the case a few months ago
 

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