First South West (Kernow & Buses of Somerset)

[Busaholic]

Work is progressing on the bus station at Penzance although it will not open as originally planned this week.

.

That's a shame, with Penzance's big day in the sun (Mazey Day) occurring this Saturday.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

A blogger who is sometimes critical of Firstbus, Which does not go down too well with some people who think First can do no wrong.

To be fair to FBB, he does make some valid points and some valid criticisms of First. For instance, he's pointed out in the past some things like the lack of updates on the website and the lack of info on fares etc when there was the swap of routes between FWoE and BoS.

However, he often indulges in either nit-picking or pursuing petty arguments as he seems to have some personal axes to grind! One such is Traveline esp as it sounded the death knell for the GBBTT, his personal creation. First is another especially First Kernow - think they upset him too!

His biggest bug bear is to criticise online content and the lack of printed material though this is via a blog without the merest hint of self awareness or irony

I guess Swifty is alluding to our Bodminite being as similar in highlighting the issue with Traveline more than any implied criticism of First

 

[swifty]

is another especially First Kernow - think they upset him too!

I guess Swifty is alluding to our Bodminite being as similar in highlighting the issue with Traveline more than any implied criticism of First

Didn't he offer to do their publicity or timetable or such like and they went with Best Impressions instead?

Indeed you got it in one there, it's almost a parody of reading the blog!

 

[83G/84D]

Olympian 34137 and Citybus 38006 are both parked at Camborne. The latter at least seems to have "used up it's 20 days".

 

[richw]

Olympian 34137 and Citybus 38006 are both parked at Camborne. The latter at least seems to have "used up it's 20 days".

I should think the former has used its days as well.
38004 is unlikely to be used now. A fitters foot went straight through a rotten bit of floor, It now has a fitters foot/leg shaped hole!
38006 will now return to Somerset where it has a number of private hire bookings.

 

[83G/84D]

Thanks, heard that 38006 was awaiting collection for a return to Somerset. Shame about 38004 but 32211 will be ready before long.

 

[FSW Official]

Thanks, heard that 38006 was awaiting collection for a return to Somerset. Shame about 38004 but 32211 will be ready before long.

38004 is about to be prepped for MOT

 

[THarris123]

Thanks, heard that 38006 was awaiting collection for a return to Somerset. Shame about 38004 but 32211 will be ready before long.

I thought I was told that 38006 has some private hire stuff down in Cornwall first of all before it heads back.

 

[83G/84D]

Open top 32211 seen today repainted but still to be branded.

 

[Busaholic]

PZ bus station still not reopened. The seats are in position in the shelter and were being worked on this p.m Lots of very wet dispirited passengers waiting opposite, but at least the waiting room is back (it had disappeared last week).

 

[83G/84D]

After a spell out of action at Camborne, Mousehole Solo 53709 was seen on service 46 earlier today.

 

[FSW Official]

38004 is about to be prepped for MOT

In a change of plans 38004 will now be donating its engine to 38006 which has suffered a failure.
Bridport's Olympian is instead joining the fleet for a 20 day sourjon before becoming the new tree cutter.

 

[richw]

In a change of plans 38004 will now be donating its engine to 38006 which has suffered a failure.
Bridport's Olympian is instead joining the fleet for a 20 day sourjon before becoming the new tree cutter.

L650SEU? Has it not already done a number of days in Dorset?

 

[FSW Official]

L650SEU? Has it not already done a number of days in Dorset?

Not on our operators' licence it hasn't.

 

[Busaholic]

Not on our operators' licence it hasn't.

Ummm......

 

[Busaholic]

Non-news from Penzance Bus Station is that the shelters, bus pick-up bays, pavement area all appear complete but it is all still taped off. presumably awaiting finishing touches like timetable displays and indication of which stand for which bus, etc. In view of the continuing poor weather situation, the sooner this takes place the better.

 

[FSW Official]

Non-news from Penzance Bus Station is that the shelters, bus pick-up bays, pavement area all appear complete but it is all still taped off. presumably awaiting finishing touches like timetable displays and indication of which stand for which bus, etc. In view of the continuing poor weather situation, the sooner this takes place the better.

You presume wrong.

 

[richw]

Not on our operators' licence it hasn't.

That was my understanding that it's 20 days per o licence but others repeatedly told me I was wrong, and it was per vehicle per year.

So in theory across the country the different o licences could swap some non dda buses around to cover the season?

 

[83G/84D]

That was my understanding that it's 20 days per o licence but others repeatedly told me I was wrong, and it was per vehicle per year.

So in theory across the country the different o licences could swap some non dda buses around to cover the season?

There seems to be a different understanding of the situation even between staff / managers of First judging by ones I have spoken to in the past few months.

Goodness knows what the correct interpretation of events is, I thought I had a good understanding of it but not so sure now.

 

[spw24]

There seems to be a different understanding of the situation even between staff / managers of First judging by ones I have spoken to in the past few months.

Goodness knows what the correct interpretation of events is, I thought I had a good understanding of it but not so sure now.

Reading the exemptions it just says 20 days use but dosnt make it clear if its per vehicle each year or by ops licence I understood it as vehicle per year which I think most people do as well.

 

[Goldfish62]

Reading the exemptions it just says 20 days use but dosnt make it clear if its per vehicle each year or by ops licence I understood it as vehicle per year which I think most people do as well.

S4(1)f of the regulations is clear. It's by vehicle and I'm very surprised that First has chosen to interpret it differently.

 

[richw]

S4(1)f of the regulations is clear. It's by vehicle and I'm very surprised that First has chosen to interpret it differently.

But if a vehicle changes ownership how would the new owner be aware? The previous owner would keep their defect report book for their records.
It's effectively changing ownership from first Dorset to First Southwest.

 

[richw]

(Former) 38001 is to operate a summer holiday weekend service in Bournemouth for southbourne buses. As it's summer holiday weekend only it falls well within the 20 day rule.

Edit it's operating weekends 1/7/17 to 10/9/17, which I believe is exactly 20 days.

The same operator has the former truronian plaxton primo, that's done its rounds for First operators in the southwest, and once ended up in a skip

 

[jammy36]

S4(1)f of the regulations is clear. It's by vehicle and I'm very surprised that First has chosen to interpret it differently.

4.—(1) The requirements specified in regulation 3 do not apply to a regulated public service vehicle which is—

(f)a vehicle in respect of which twenty years have elapsed since the date of its first use on a road and which is not used to provide a local service or a scheduled service for more than 20 days in any calendar year.

I think I would agree with your interpretation of the regulation, and I certainly feel that was the intention behind it, ie the days are cumulative, not per service, but I think that there is some ambiguity in the way the exemption is worded. Perhaps the exemption should have been worded "is not used to provide any local service or a scheduled service for more than 20 days cumulatively in any calendar year?

I suspect this is one of those many examples whereby a legal test case would be required to clarify the intention of the regulation.

 

[Busaholic]

You presume wrong.

Yes, the passenger is always wrong.

 

[richw]

It could be argued by a good lawyer, 20 days per scheduled service i suspect.

 

[richw]

Yes, the passenger is always wrong.

More often than not the customer is wrong unfortunately, but in customer service we have to pretend they're right. Fortunately this forum isn't customer service and gives fsw a platform to say it how it is I hope.

 

[83G/84D]

Changing topic, the Optare Metrodecker demonstrator is still about.

I saw it in St Austell today where it was on service 27.

I wonder what bus number appears on the tickets from the machine fitted to this bus?

The "Fal River" Olympian 34138 has been parked up at Camborne for over a week. When I was in Falmouth early this week the Park & Ride / float service was operated by a Volvo B7TL.

 

[Busaholic]

It could be argued by a good lawyer, 20 days per scheduled service i suspect.

So let's get our application in to the Traffic Commissioners to vary the service, including a new route number perhaps, then we can carry on running them. That sort of behaviour caused Stagecoach to have the reputation they did twenty years ago: they managed in the interim period to turn that reputation around so that they would, I suggest, be seen now as the most reputable of the large operators by both 'enthusiasts' and the general public. Actually, one well-directed complaint from a member of the public unable to access a scheduled service would imo be enough to end the dispensation in practice, full stop, and disabled groups have not forgotten that First was the operator in the various court cases involving the wheelchair user.

 

[FSW Official]

Silly me for posting a piece of information for enthusiasts that I thought would be appreciated. Lesson learned.