First Greater Glasgow

[Mak1981]

If the bus had not been inspected properly why no fine or someone charged someone has to sign bus of safe for service but same as a car pass mot drive away hit pot hole and break spring within 10 min leaving mot station.

The investigation is still on going into the crash, charges and fines may be the end result

 

[KendalKing]

If the bus had not been inspected properly why no fine or someone charged someone has to sign bus of safe for service but same as a car pass mot drive away hit pot hole and break spring within 10 min leaving mot station.

If a car breaks a spring, due to it hitting a pothole, 10-mins after leaving the MOT station. That is not the MOT stations fault. That's the fault of the driver, for hitting the pothole.

Unfortunately, faults can and do develop at any time, on any vehicle.

 

[JumpinTrainz]

Not likely to see deckers on the 1 without a route change, see they tried sending out deckers on it a few times but the all came back as single decks

LOL

I was referring to the workings to Clydebank which use B9TLs at the minute!

 

[lastbus]

Seen a 38 branded e400 on the 18 earlier I assume this is a peak extra that runs off a 38 board can anyone confirm?

 

[route101]

Not likely to see deckers on the 1 without a route change, see they tried sending out deckers on it a few times but the all came back as single decks

How did they come back as single decks ? ha , bridge strike
Only ones ive seen are on the 1D and 1C.

 

[route101]

Seen a 38 branded e400 on the 18 earlier I assume this is a peak extra that runs off a 38 board can anyone confirm?

Again , caley peak working , seen it on Wednesday too . Not sure how many they are !

 

[route101]

I honestly don't know why they took the deckers off the 77 when it changed from the 747. I've been on an E300 and it's been standing room only.

Used it the other day , was busy , i feel they ordered too many of the e300s ,should been some deckers . Traffic coming out the hospital is bad at peaks.

 

[SarahDFIG]

Has it been 100% confirmed that the 77 is receiving new deckers then? Also do we know how many and if they’ll be branded? I wonder if they’ll keep some E300s on the route alongside them as don’t think it requires deckers all day. I’ve noticed they’ve fairly relaxed having mainly 63 plates on the 77 as I’ve seen a few 62 plates and 13 plates as of recent and the ex-hospital connect branded buses are mainly on the 2 and 3. Guess that’ll free up some more B9TLs that Scotstoun uses.

• 100% confirmed yes
• Will be branded but colour/numbers no information yet
• Far as I was told it will be decker operation only

In other news, 201 branding still not applied which i don't have an answer too as I was told last week they would get stickers.

266 to be branded also but I don't know the full story on that as I heard the streetlights are not permanent and are going to be replaced but not new vehicles. This route would be perfect for E300s I think.

 

[overthewater]

I still think the 201 should get a change and may be split in two to somehow improve it.

 

[lastbus]

• 100% confirmed yes
• Will be branded but colour/numbers no information yet
• Far as I was told it will be decker operation only

In other news, 201 branding still not applied which i don't have an answer too as I was told last week they would get stickers.

266 to be branded also but I don't know the full story on that as I heard the streetlights are not permanent and are going to be replaced but not new vehicles. This route would be perfect for E300s I think.

Would be surprised if the streetlites move considering all the recent movements. Also a few issues with E300s being kept at overtown due to them having long mirrors and them and the wash at overtown do not get along to say the least.

 

[SarahDFIG]

Few More Presidents Scrapped

33011
33040
33116
33138

 

[JumpinTrainz]

• 100% confirmed yes
• Will be branded but colour/numbers no information yet
• Far as I was told it will be decker operation only

In other news, 201 branding still not applied which i don't have an answer too as I was told last week they would get stickers.

266 to be branded also but I don't know the full story on that as I heard the streetlights are not permanent and are going to be replaced but not new vehicles. This route would be perfect for E300s I think.

Thanks for that! Hoping it’ll be like a navy branding to match the hospital connect colours. I think that would look smart. I think deckers on the 77 will probably work fine. That’ll also free up some stock. May even start to see some more E300s on the 9 unless they’re planning to move the additional ones elsewhere.

Saw a half branded E300 for the 201 in Cotbridge the other day. Think these are the only E300s which are branded at present which is odd. Thought other routes may have branded some.

 

[JumpinTrainz]

Few More Presidents Scrapped

33011
33040
33116
33138

The new buses for the 38 seem to have wiped out a good few tridents which is good to see. Are there many of the 51/02 plates left on the fleet and are they all working out of Caledonia?

 

[APT618S]

19-reg E400 MMCs are starting to appear in service now. The following were on the 38 today.
34385 SK19 EMF
34386 SK19 EMJ
34387 SK19 EMV
These are liveried for the 38.

 

[SarahDFIG]

19-reg E400 MMCs are starting to appear in service now. The following were on the 38 today.
34385 SK19 EMF
34386 SK19 EMJ
34387 SK19 EMV
These are liveried for the 38.

Not sure how many are left to come if any for this service.

 

[SarahDFIG]

The new buses for the 38 seem to have wiped out a good few tridents which is good to see. Are there many of the 51/02 plates left on the fleet and are they all working out of Caledonia?

Yep still a few of them at Caley. Not sure about elsewhere

 

[route101]

Yep still a few of them at Caley. Not sure about elsewhere

Didnt Scotstoun get a few Tridents?
Blantyre one was out on 21 few weeks ago .
Still get them on 31 . Will be interesting to see how they go on that route!

 

[route101]

I still think the 201 should get a change and may be split in two to somehow improve it.

Motherwell for a Spilt , with an overlap between Hamilton and Mothwerwell?

 

[lastbus]

Motherwell for a Spilt , with an overlap between Hamilton and Mothwerwell?

Will not happen.

 

[SarahDFIG]

Will not happen.

I can remember the same being said about the 255 years ago. I personally think the 240 should be split as it may as well throw the timetable out the window. There has been plenty of times in the past I have seen at least 2/3 240s showing up at the same time in Motherwell all bound for Overtown. Normally one will get pulled by the inspectors at Motherwell and restart it's service coming back down somewhere along the route to get back on track. Last week the record was beat with 4 240s at Motherwell. 3 bound for Overtown and a Caetano dart doing the short working. Overtown-Birkenshaw / Birkenshaw-Glasgow would be better but again it's another route that's suffered for years

 

[Whiteway215]

The new buses for the 38 seem to have wiped out a good few tridents which is good to see. Are there many of the 51/02 plates left on the fleet and are they all working out of Caledonia?

Including SarahDFIG's latest Trident scrapping updates, I reckon these might be the possible/probable survivors.
33008/09/12/15/18/25/96. 33114/17/18/20/21/22

 

[smtglasgow]

No idea how you sort out the 240, but it’s been that way as long as I can remember. Friday afternoon is worst. Not uncommon to get a 30/40 minute gap from the bus station with some buses so late they just get sent out not in service. Most 240s from early afternoon seem to carry a standing load up the Gallowgate – I think people are actively choosing to get it rather than the 61 so they can avoid the driver changeover at the retail park. Splitting at Motherwell might help punctuality, but it would break too many journeys (and give JMB a helping hand).

 

[CM]

Pretty sure in the late 90s/early 00s that Motherwell Civic Centre was the terminus for the 240. I'd be surprised if anyone actually used the 240 to get to Glasgow from Motherwell anyway considering the X11 is quicker and there is also a frequent train service as well.

 

[lastbus]

Yep still a few of them at Caley. Not sure about elsewhere

I can remember the same being said about the 255 years ago. I personally think the 240 should be split as it may as well throw the timetable out the window. There has been plenty of times in the past I have seen at least 2/3 240s showing up at the same time in Motherwell all bound for Overtown. Normally one will get pulled by the inspectors at Motherwell and restart it's service coming back down somewhere along the route to get back on track. Last week the record was beat with 4 240s at Motherwell. 3 bound for Overtown and a Caetano dart doing the short working. Overtown-Birkenshaw / Birkenshaw-Glasgow would be better but again it's another route that's suffered for years

240 timetable has improved drastically since the last service change not many run late now.

 

[ScotRail158725]

How do you all find out what tridents have been scrapped?

 

[route101]

No idea how you sort out the 240, but it’s been that way as long as I can remember. Friday afternoon is worst. Not uncommon to get a 30/40 minute gap from the bus station with some buses so late they just get sent out not in service. Most 240s from early afternoon seem to carry a standing load up the Gallowgate – I think people are actively choosing to get it rather than the 61 so they can avoid the driver changeover at the retail park. Splitting at Motherwell might help punctuality, but it would break too many journeys (and give JMB a helping hand).

Yeah the 2 and 240 really busy , and if there is gaps ! Try and get 61 as thats usually a decker as once found it hard to get through standees on the single. Wouldnt it be easier for changeover for 41 , 60 etc in city centre?

 

[route101]

Pretty sure in the late 90s/early 00s that Motherwell Civic Centre was the terminus for the 240. I'd be surprised if anyone actually used the 240 to get to Glasgow from Motherwell anyway considering the X11 is quicker and there is also a frequent train service as well.

I think its about the local journeys along the route , id imagine that Birkenshaw to Glasgow would be longest people would do

 

[SarahDFIG]

240 timetable has improved drastically since the last service change not many run late now.

During non busy periods perhaps but peak daily it's bunched.

How do you all find out what tridents have been scrapped?

I have contacts who work at Caley "not drivers." Other people on here work for the company.

 

[Volvodart]

I see First Glasgow are not applying for exhaust conversion funding in the latest round because the funding level is less than is being received for conversions in England. I suspect McGills may be in the same position, as they had been promised funding at much greater level when the LEZ was proposed.

https://www.thenational.scot/news/1...r-failing-to-apply-for-fund-to-cut-pollution/

First Bus slammed for failing to apply for fund to cut pollution
By The Ferret

GLASGOW’S biggest bus company is ignoring an £8 million Scottish Government fund to help stop toxic exhaust fumes polluting city streets. First Bus has failed to apply for grants from the fund to clean up bus exhausts, despite the lethal dangers that air pollution poses to public health.

Environmentalists say it’s “a disgrace”, accusing the company of putting profits before lives and failing to reduce the risks of asthma, strokes and heart attacks. They fear funding may be lost.

First Bus, however, complains that the grants only fund a proportion of the costs of upgrading exhausts and are lower than in England. It says funding should be increased.

The Government’s Transport Scotland invited bus companies to apply for a Bus Emission Abatement Retrofit fund of £7.89m in October 2018. The deadline for applications is 12pm on Friday.

The funding is the second phase of a scheme designed to progressively cut emissions from buses so they meet tighter safety limits. It is meant to help Glasgow – Scotland’s most polluted city – achieve a “low emission zone” by 2022, followed by Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee.

The Ferret reported in January 2019 that busy streets in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Dundee were being polluted by exhaust fumes in breach of legal safety limits introduced in 2010. Air pollution is blamed for 2500 premature deaths every year in Scotland.

But First Bus, which runs more than 100 routes in Greater Glasgow, revealed that it has not applied for the latest funding to clean up exhausts – provoking condemnation from Friends of the Earth Scotland. “This is a disgrace,” said the environmental group’s air pollution campaigner, Gavin Thomson.

“Glasgow’s major bus company is clearly more interested in profit than in saving lives. Public money has been available for five months to improve air quality on our streets, but it’s not being used.” Thomson accused the company of profiting from older buses that continue to belch out toxic fumes. “There’s been no improvement to air quality, and no change to the huge health impacts suffered from air pollution,” he argued.

“Idling from the bus company means there has been five months of preventable emissions from buses, of higher levels of pollution than there should be, of more children with asthma, more strokes and heart attacks.”

Thomson estimated that the £7.89 million fund was enough to retrofit cleaner exhaust systems on 450 buses. “Bus companies need to use this money now to clean up their fleet and improve air quality in Scotland’s cities,” he added.

“The real fear is that the money that has been made available will not be rolled over or go into another fund.”

Ellie Harrison from the Get Glasgow Moving campaign described the bus company’s behaviour as “outrageous”. She wants buses to be publicly owned.

“It’s disgusting that they would delay improving their vehicles, even though the taxpayer is paying for it,” she said.

“Unfortunately, this sort of irresponsible behaviour is what we’d expect from an industry that changes routes, hikes up fares, and cuts off working-class communities without any notice.”

According to First Bus, the grants only covered 40% of the cost of upgrading exhausts. The remainder would have to be passed on to customers, the company said.

“First Glasgow are actively engaging with the Scottish Government at the moment to share our concerns over the viability of the scheme especially given comparative retrofit schemes in England and Germany,” said Andrew Jarvis, managing director for First Bus in Scotland.

HIGHER grants in England meant the company had already retrofitted 500 buses there, and was bidding to retrofit a further 500. Only nine buses had been retrofitted under a previous scheme in Scotland.

“The uncertainty and gap in funding has undoubtedly impacted on our retrofit programme,” Jarvis stated. “We need the Scottish Government to support us in this process with full funding in order to meet the criteria and deadlines of their low emissions zones.”

He added: “It is crucial that we all continue to work together in partnership to come up with a solution to this issue which is in the best interests of all involved.

“As a business, we are committed to investing in vehicles with ultra-low emissions that assist with improving air quality. Bus is a big part of the solution to air quality, as well as being a source of some of the emissions.”

McGills Buses, which runs services in Glasgow and elsewhere, did not respond to requests to comment. National Express, which runs Xplore Dundee buses, declined to say whether it was applying for funding.

A small company based in Campbeltown, West Coast Motors, told The Ferret that it had applied for funding in the last few days. It runs 10 sight-seeing tourist buses and eight other Glasgow Citybus services.

The funding application had been delayed because an exhaust retrofitting firm had gone into administration, said the bus company’s commercial manager, Sharon Morrison. “We’re fully compliant. We want cleaner, greener cities.”

A spokesperson for Lothian Buses, which runs most services in Edinburgh, said: “We will be applying for funding under the scheme before the deadline on Friday March 8.”

Official analyses suggest that Glasgow’s buses are significantly more polluting than buses in Edinburgh. Only 15% of buses in Glasgow comply with the strictest Euro 6 emission limits, compared to 40% of Lothian buses.

The Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) in Scotland, which represents bus companies, stressed that firms were committed to improving air quality. They were investing in new vehicles, and had taken advantage of previous grants for cleaner buses. CPT was working with Transport Scotland to “review” current funding, according to deputy director, Paul White. “Air quality issues cannot be solved by improving engine technology alone,” he said.

The latest transport statistics for 2018 show that the number of bus passengers in Scotland has fallen 7.6% over the last five years, from 420m in 2012-13 to 388m in 2017-18. Car traffic has risen by 7.2% over the same period.

Scottish Labour transport spokesperson, Colin Smyth MSP, plans to question ministers about funding problems for cleaner buses. He pointed out that companies had failed to make use of a £10m loan scheme for greener buses in 2018.

“This isn’t the first time the SNP Government has made funding available for buses but the rules have made it unattractive,” he told The Ferret.

“You could be forgiven for thinking this was deliberate to save them having to pay out.

“If the scheme in England is proving more popular, then the Scottish Government need to take a long had look at the rules they have set and change them.”

THE Scottish Greens transport spokesman, John Finnie MSP, thought it would be a “travesty” if action to curb pollution was delayed because of a “stand-off” between the Scottish Government and the bus industry.

“People are dying prematurely because of toxic air and it’s children and the most vulnerable who suffer the most,” he said.

“We need urgent action to clean up bus emissions and private operators shouldn’t be holding anyone to ransom on this.”

Transport Scotland pointed out that the grants were significantly more than 40% for medium and small bus operators, and could amount to 100% in some circumstances. Funding had been designed to comply with European Union rules on state aid.

Previous funding schemes had helped introduce 475 cleaner buses to Scotland and upgrade exhausts on 47 buses, said a Transport Scotland spokesman.

The Scottish Government was committed to introducing low emission zones into Scotland’s four biggest cities, he stressed. “Glasgow is the first city to implement a zone, working with the bus industry to respond to the particular air quality challenges within their city centre.”

The latest grants “offered the maximum amount of funding to the Scottish bus sector within state aid rules and we would encourage bus operators to bid for funding by the March 8 deadline,” he added.

“It would be inappropriate to comment on the numbers of applicants before this phase closes.”

The Ferret is an editorially independent, not-for-profit co-operative run by its journalists and subscribers.

 

[lastbus]

During non busy periods perhaps but peak daily it's bunched.


I have contacts who work at Caley "not drivers." Other people on here work for the company.

Bunching is to be expected at peak times on any high frequency route that is part of why recovery time is built into schedules. The 240 is nowhere near as bad as it used to be and that’s a fact.