Of course only buses going through the city need to comply... routes like the 16, 46, 94 etc, So the only routes that would need to be cut are the main Overground routes sadly.. The 34 has brand new stock and doesn't even go anywhere near the City centre. 90 Also has newer stock and again does not enter the LEZ zone. So why is First wasting it money here?
Are they wasting their money? They might be upgrading services not serving the LEZ area (but needing investment) safe in the knowledge that there will be further new fleet in subsequent batches to meet the steps in the requirements.
Wouldn't call it a waste at all tbh. The key thing to notice is that a lot of the services outside the LEZ are also ones that don't always do well for passenger numbers so giving them new buses was a way to try and draw new customers in. It's definitely worked with the likes of the 241 and 254 from when I've seen it. Also seen a few times on here that they're 2 big batches of new buses and a few fleet transfers away from being fully covered for the LEZ. Not bad for a company up for sale
I think we’re in violent agreement
It’s 40% of journeys to be Euro vi by Dec 2019 and in regular steps to full compliance by 2022. No need to do everything now and there are non LEZ services that needed investment.
There's also the facts we know there will be more cuts and could be sold any minute too so yeah it might not even be them that need to invest in time for it
Also that in the last 11 months, Glasgow has had c170 new vehicles and there are other OpCos who also need investment to meet their own LEZ/CAZ requirements OR to manage their own fleet replacement.
Bristol, Leicester and Wales are all strong, profitable businesses and in the same period received no new vehicles (though Bath had just received 9 new Solos). The love (and cash) has to be spread around.
First Glasgow has suffered neglect for a company which dominates such a large city (and beyond). I honestly think they should cut their loses with FSE and concentrate on their biggest capital. By that I mean Glasgow and even Aberdeen (another area which First agave come to dominate but have neglected).
Glasgow still requires a lot of investment. Yes they are meeting requirements but there are still very old, tatty buses on main stream services. By that I am pointing to ex-London tridents, B7TLs and B7RLEs. I think they need to prioritise areas they excel in rather than trying to profit from areas that are a losing battle (ie FSE).
The 6A I was on yesterday was a great example of this. 02 plate decker that was the least healthy-sounding thing ever not to mention there's a few older single deckers that leak water through the second it's raining
Yet people on here argue that it’s normal and defend First to the hill. First have disgraced themselves in many aspects and despite those who stick up for them there is no argument when things like this happen. For a major operator like First, water should not be leaking through roofs, seats should not be thread bare. It’s not like prices are low - buses are expensive!
First Glasgow has suffered neglect for a company which dominates such a large city (and beyond). I honestly think they should cut their loses with FSE and concentrate on their biggest capital. By that I mean Glasgow and even Aberdeen (another area which First agave come to dominate but have neglected).
Glasgow still requires a lot of investment. Yes they are meeting requirements but there are still very old, tatty buses on main stream services. By that I am pointing to ex-London tridents, B7TLs and B7RLEs. I think they need to prioritise areas they excel in rather than trying to profit from areas that are a losing battle (ie FSE).
This is what happens when a private operator had a monopoly in an area. They abuse it and try and milk it for as much money as they can. I still remember when McKindless stopped operating and literally within a few weeks, First Glasgow put the fares up. Coincidence, I think not...
I can see First backing down and putting on a couple of peak X1s. I see that the SNP MSP and a local councillor have picked up on it. I think the problem for First is that a couple of well-used peak journeys aren’t enough for a bus to earn its keep. It’s a bit like McGills and the X23 – almost impossible to explain or justify to customers, but in strict business terms it makes sense. There’s also a response on their twitter that the new X2 is an *hourly* service to Robroyston (1 bus presumably). Maybe they shouldn’t have dropped the transforming travel strapline – they’re certainly doing that.
First Glasgow has suffered neglect for a company which dominates such a large city (and beyond). I honestly think they should cut their loses with FSE and concentrate on their biggest capital. By that I mean Glasgow and even Aberdeen (another area which First agave come to dominate but have neglected).
Glasgow still requires a lot of investment. Yes they are meeting requirements but there are still very old, tatty buses on main stream services. By that I am pointing to ex-London tridents, B7TLs and B7RLEs. I think they need to prioritise areas they excel in rather than trying to profit from areas that are a losing battle (ie FSE).
This is what happens when a private operator had a monopoly in an area. They abuse it and try and milk it for as much money as they can. I still remember when McKindless stopped operating and literally within a few weeks, First Glasgow put the fares up. Coincidence, I think not...
First Glasgow is to axe an express bus service into Glasgow because of traffic congestion and competition from ScotRail.
The X1 commuter link from Hamilton will end on 27 October, the operator confirmed to The Scotsman.
The move angered some passengers.
Annual season ticket holder Ross Stirling tweeted: "The bus is constantly busy. Particularly for people commuting for office hours. You are changing people's commute from a 45min/1hr to a nearly 2 hour commute
"I buy a yearly pass on the provision of using the x1 express. I do not want to spend that much money if there is no express replacement."
But First Glasgow commercial director Graeme Macfarlan said: “The Service X1 is a route that has been in decline for a number of years in terms of passenger numbers, despite a number of efforts to make the route attractive to service users.
“This is due to a number of factors such as increased congestion on the M74 which slows down journey times quite dramatically and increasing competition from the subsidised local rail network in Hamilton connecting to Glasgow.
“These have led to an overall decline in bus patronage.
“The hope with the service was that we may in time see a boost to passenger numbers.
“Unfortunately, this has not transpired and in fact passenger levels have now fallen to a level that makes the route unsustainable on a commercial basis.
“Therefore, in our latest network changes, having exhausted all efforts to boost the service, we have now taken the difficult decision to cease the service from operation.
“However, we have introduced the new 225 service which will cover part of the route between Little Earnock and Hamilton Palace Retail Park.
“Customers can also still continue to catch connections to Glasgow via our 267 and 255 services that serve the same area.”
First is also replacing its 19A service between Glasgow and Robroyston with a “faster and more direct” new X2 service via the M80 & M8, operating hourly between Monday and Saturday.
The operator said it was also increasing the frequency of its 19 service between Easterhouse and Glasgow from every 30 to 20 minutes due to an increased demand.
However, it is withdrawing its service 38/A/B/C/E between Glasgow Fort and Easterhouse due to low patronage.
YOU have to quote it like the forum rules say: If people kept to this rule we might have all seen that press release for ALD
Hog wash the company has cut every single connor with this bus, yet Motherwell bus is just as busy as ever and get more trains. What it really is saying is X2 will be hourly, and 19 is replacing 38s in Easterhouse
https://www.scotsman.com/news/transport/first-glasgow-hamilton-express-bus-route-axed-1-5008239
That would cost an absolute fortune on redundancies and they would have to move on their fleet very quickly. They would also have to sell their depots. None of what you're suggesting is feasible in the short term so they would be better off selling the business instead of in your words cutting their losses.First Glasgow has suffered neglect for a company which dominates such a large city (and beyond). I honestly think they should cut their loses with FSE and concentrate on their biggest capital. By that I mean Glasgow and even Aberdeen (another area which First agave come to dominate but have neglected).
If you think some of today's fleet is bad you should've seen their predecessor companies who ran 20 year old buses in all day service.Glasgow still requires a lot of investment. Yes they are meeting requirements but there are still very old, tatty buses on main stream services. By that I am pointing to ex-London tridents, B7TLs and B7RLEs. I think they need to prioritise areas they excel in rather than trying to profit from areas that are a losing battle (ie FSE).
Water leaking into the saloon could be a manufacturer fault,Yet people on here argue that it’s normal and defend First to the hill. First have disgraced themselves in many aspects and despite those who stick up for them there is no argument when things like this happen. For a major operator like First, water should not be leaking through roofs, seats should not be thread bare. It’s not like prices are low - buses are expensive!
Seems like you had the pleasure of the only 02 plate in the whole FG fleet.The 6A I was on yesterday was a great example of this. 02 plate decker that was the least healthy-sounding thing ever not to mention there's a few older single deckers that leak water through the second it's raining
So the 38 section from The Loch to The Fort will be removed?YOU have to quote it like the forum rules say: If people kept to this rule we might have all seen that press release for ALD
Hog wash the company has cut every single conor with this bus, yet Motherwell bus is just as busy as ever and get more trains.
What it really is saying is X2 will be hourly, and 19 is replacing 38s in Easterhouse. One hope X74 will add in more journeys
https://www.scotsman.com/news/transport/first-glasgow-hamilton-express-bus-route-axed-1-5008239
So the 38 section from The Loch to The Fort will be removed?
Understandable considering the 60/60A covers that small section, but it's absolutely useless for anybody who wants The Lochs from Ruchazie or Garthamloch.
Is the x2 not similar to the previously withdrawn x81? Which coincidently was removed for what I recall being low usage at the time.
I certainly question FiGs statement of the x1 being unviable, it may not be the best performer but I can't help speculate that it was a bored meeting where the question was, Sacrifice the x1? or make it LEZ complaint? Concerned pax or not.
Any rainwater I have seen (a number of buses) dripping into the saloons have usually been from poor window repair jobs. Either the window hopper seal or actual glass not fitted properly also resulting in constant rattling. The B7RLEs also have had water drip from the saloon heating vents onto seats. This is unacceptable plus far too many (more than half of the fleet) run around with no saloon heating either. Some buses that do have working heating run the full year with it on.
Has anyone got a complete list of which Depot operates which route?
Only one I can find still has Parkhead!
Who is most likely to run the new X2?
There's not much depots to know about, and usually logically you can guess at least some of them.Has anyone got a complete list of which Depot operates which route?
Only one I can find still has Parkhead!