First West of England (Bristol, Bath & The West)

[swifty]

After the Streetlite in use for the past few days, 37602 is helping out on the A1 this afternoon.

 

[Whiteway215]

It hadn't jackknifed at all, not even close to it!

I apologise. You are quite right Jordan it was not the correct description. Also thank you for the information you provided about which bendis were coming to Bath a couple of months ago.

 

[Whiteway215]

Steve White tells us Bath's 47549/50 are going to Glasgow-although 47549 was on a D1 yesterday evening. I thought these were Cymru bound.

 

[spw24]

Steve White tells us Bath's 47549/50 are going to Glasgow-although 47549 was on a D1 yesterday evening. I thought these were Cymru bound.

due to go today

 

[Whiteway215]

due to go today

Thanks. Is anything coming the other way?

 

[freetoview33]

There were sounds today that tighter bus regulation might be coming to the West of England.

 

[carlberry]

There were sounds today that tighter bus regulation might be coming to the West of England.

Sounds from who? And do you mean First West of England or the west in general?

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Sounds from who? And do you mean First West of England or the west in general?

Sounds..... Ok Pop Pickers, not 'alf!

 

[freetoview33]

All by the sounds of it.

Tim Bowles, the West of England metro-mayor, told MPs he was “not ruling out” running a publicly-controlled regional bus network, but suggested he was keen to pursue a MetroBus style partnership.

 

[carlberry]

Sounds..... Ok Pop Pickers, not 'alf!

Next up, You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet" by Bachman–Turner Overdrive.

 

[carlberry]

All by the sounds of it.
Tim Bowles, the West of England metro-mayor, told MPs he was “not ruling out” running a publicly-controlled regional bus network, but suggested he was keen to pursue a MetroBus style partnership.

Ah, the Mayor of Avon (except South West Avon). This is a standard response to a question by a politician that dosent want to commit to anything. Whilst he's got a bit of money for transport it's not much and he'll have to wait until Bristol's other mayor has built his underground railway anyway!
He's free to spend it however he wants (and he could follow Boris to find a white elephant he'll always be remembered for) however tighter regulation isnt going to deal with any of the problems of congestion, rising costs and staff shortages.

 

[Dai Corner]

I haven't had time to watch it myself but a recording of the House of Commons Transport committee meeting in Bristol yesterday is available here

https://www.parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/49dd57fe-f549-4780-94f0-5fabf25b796c

 

[DaveHarries]

As I got to the top of Muller Road, Bristol yesterday evening (13th November) I was surprised to spot that one of First Bristol's Volvo B9TLs (37592 I think) has been fitted with a light-up advert on the left-hand side as a Christmas advert from The Mall, Cribbs Causeway. Bus was on Service 76.

Dave

 

[carlberry]

As I got to the top of Muller Road, Bristol yesterday evening (13th November) I was surprised to spot that one of First Bristol's Volvo B9TLs (37592 I think) has been fitted with a light-up advert on the left-hand side as a Christmas advert from The Mall, Cribbs Causeway. Bus was on Service 76.

Dave

Bristol used to have lots of Bristol FLFs with illuminated adverts in the 1960/1970s. They fell out of favor because of the need to keep all the bulbs working all the time.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Ah, the Mayor of Avon (except South West Avon). This is a standard response to a question by a politician that dosent want to commit to anything. Whilst he's got a bit of money for transport it's not much and he'll have to wait until Bristol's other mayor has built his underground railway anyway!
He's free to spend it however he wants (and he could follow Boris to find a white elephant he'll always be remembered for) however tighter regulation isnt going to deal with any of the problems of congestion, rising costs and staff shortages.

Quite literally, mate

Think that's a fair summation and it strikes me as a rather vanilla comment to a hack's question. Apologies for the broken record, but there are so many areas in which bus service reliability could be improved by the local authorities through better bus priority. For instance, why is much of Bath Road towards Arnos Vale bus lane 0700-1000/1630-1830 when there's no commercial premises? Why not 0700-1900, 7 days a week?

Working with the local authorities to actually improve the reliability and priority for buses would be much better than loads of empty vacuous phrases about monitoring and enforcement when no operator can cope with some of the congestion pinchpoints in the city.

On the subject of illuminated displays, Arriva (at least in the North East) did have LED ones about 10 years ago but they quickly fell out of vogue.

 

[CD]

Two SPS E200s working BoS services out of Taunton today.
660 YY66 PDO on 28 and 658 YY66 PCZ on 22.
Also Weymouths Solo SR 53614 on 29.
On Tuesday I noticed several of the ex Glasgow E300s out of service at the depot, possibly this may be the reason.

 

[ValleyLines142]

As I got to the top of Muller Road, Bristol yesterday evening (13th November) I was surprised to spot that one of First Bristol's Volvo B9TLs (37592 I think) has been fitted with a light-up advert on the left-hand side as a Christmas advert from The Mall, Cribbs Causeway. Bus was on Service 76.

Dave

37593 has got one too.

 

[83G/84D]

37594 & 37595 seen with nearside illuminated adverts in Bristol earlier today. The latter was on service A1 this morning at Temple Meads.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Couple of questions for folk who know stuff...

Any news on the Bath P&R Hybrids? Keep seeing Streetdecks on the 41 but not been in the city for a while!

What is currently the Yeovil allocation as understand some of the older Solos have now gone?

Also, seen reported (!) that some old B7/Alx400 are supposed to be heading from Halifax to South Wales. Find that hard to believe but anyone know?

Thanks in advance

 

[henairs]

Couple of questions for folk who know stuff...

Any news on the Bath P&R Hybrids? Keep seeing Streetdecks on the 41 but not been in the city for a while!

What is currently the Yeovil allocation as understand some of the older Solos have now gone?

Also, seen reported (!) that some old B7/Alx400 are supposed to be heading from Halifax to South Wales. Find that hard to believe but anyone know?

Thanks in advance

Hi Wazoo,
Seems to be 9 Solo and 9 Darts at the moment but 42946 is I believe only on loan from Taunton. Recently we have lost 40325, 53109/110 and 53111 and gained 53151, 53205/209 as their replacements. Allocated Darts are 42949 to 42954 inclusive and 43905/906.
Often a Taunton vehicle here if one of ours is VOR so flux on that score.
Cheers, Mike R

 

[Whiteway215]

TGW I don't know the official position with the P&R hybrids but most have long been out of service. If it's of any interest I have seen 39133 in service continuously (apart from this Sept). 39134 last seen in service July 2018, 39135 last seen Jan 2018, 39137/8/9/41 last seen May 2018 and 39140 last seen Sept 2018.

 

[spw24]

39133 was in service today most of the rest have been parked up in Lawrence Hill though a week or so ago I saw 1 on suspend tow down the M5 Im guessing heading towards Avonmouth.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Hi Wazoo,
Seems to be 9 Solo and 9 Darts at the moment but 42946 is I believe only on loan from Taunton. Recently we have lost 40325, 53109/110 and 53111 and gained 53151, 53205/209 as their replacements. Allocated Darts are 42949 to 42954 inclusive and 43905/906.
Often a Taunton vehicle here if one of ours is VOR so flux on that score.
Cheers, Mike R

Thanks Mike - wondered if 40325 had disappeared. Was rather careworn last I travelled on it!

I would ask if the e300s continue to appear but, from Ron’s note, sounds as if some of those sound poorly!

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

TGW I don't know the official position with the P&R hybrids but most have long been out of service. If it's of any interest I have seen 39133 in service continuously (apart from this Sept). 39134 last seen in service July 2018, 39135 last seen Jan 2018, 39137/8/9/41 last seen May 2018 and 39140 last seen Sept 2018.

39133 was in service today most of the rest have been parked up in Lawrence Hill though a week or so ago I saw 1 on suspend tow down the M5 Im guessing heading towards Avonmouth.

Cheers Gents - greatly appreciate it! Think it was 39140 on tow the other week through Saltford.

Have conversions been done yet?

 

[NorthernSpirit]

Also, seen reported (!) that some old B7/Alx400 are supposed to be heading from Halifax to South Wales. Find that hard to believe but anyone know?

What I'm aware of is that the E400's currently in Leeds are to transfer to Halifax soon to replace the Geminis (which I presume are getting scrapped as they're absolutley knackered) on the Zest503. Services 579 and 560 could well end up using a common pool of vehicles in the Halifax "skyline" Olympia livery rather than simply sticking an ALX400 on it (although they do from time to time crop up on the 503 and even the X63).

Once I know more it'll be posted in the West Yorkshire & York discussion.

 

[CD]

Hi Wazoo,
Seems to be 9 Solo and 9 Darts at the moment but 42946 is I believe only on loan from Taunton. Recently we have lost 40325, 53109/110 and 53111 and gained 53151, 53205/209 as their replacements. Allocated Darts are 42949 to 42954 inclusive and 43905/906.
Often a Taunton vehicle here if one of ours is VOR so flux on that score.
Cheers, Mike R

So many changes recently the withdrawal of 53206 slipped your mind.

 

[CD]

Hi Wazoo,
Seems to be 9 Solo and 9 Darts at the moment but 42946 is I believe only on loan from Taunton. Recently we have lost 40325, 53109/110 and 53111 and gained 53151, 53205/209 as their replacements. Allocated Darts are 42949 to 42954 inclusive and 43905/906.
Often a Taunton vehicle here if one of ours is VOR so flux on that score.
Cheers, Mike R

So many changes recently the withdrawal of 53206 slipped your mind.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

What I'm aware of is that the E400's currently in Leeds are to transfer to Halifax soon to replace the Geminis (which I presume are getting scrapped as they're absolutley knackered) on the Zest503. Services 579 and 560 could well end up using a common pool of vehicles in the Halifax "skyline" Olympia livery rather than simply sticking an ALX400 on it (although they do from time to time crop up on the 503 and even the X63).

Once I know more it'll be posted in the West Yorkshire & York discussion.

I doubt they’ll be scrapping Geminis.

The ones mentioned for Cymru are X regs - hence my scepticism.

 

[Whiteway215]

As GW says 47549/50 in Bath at the moment and 47545 still a Bath bus apparently.

 

[-Colly405-]

I see that James Freeman has issued a statement to the Bradley Stoke Journal about Metrobus which includes news that when the M1 starts on Jan 6th, the X73 will keep running but with 2 journeys each way, instead of 3, and the 73 will keep its current route but be reduced to every 20 mins Mon to Sat daytimes.

http://www.bradleystokejournal.co.uk/2018/11/17/reprieve-x73-route-73-frequency-drop-20-mins/