I hope so too. It’s quite handy for people who want to visit Kelvingrove too.Is there any chance the 17 will return to the west end? I always found it a useful link between Paisley and the West End. I realise it's been hit due to lack of students.
I hope so too. It’s quite handy for people who want to visit Kelvingrove too.
They dropped the West End leg quietly didn’t they?
Every time you see them at the moment they're carrying fresh air on them along Ralston. It’s still a problem with privatisation - it would be ideal for the 17 & First 77 to actually be part of the same route.I think it made sense in terms of covid and driver shortages, but would be a decent one to return.
Following all the new EVs, it looks like the old Citaros, Darts, B7RLEs and ex Gibson Solos are no longer in use.
Have these just been scrapped or are any moving on to new operators?
YJ55 BHA is also tracking as LN69 ONK 0122.Spotted 7259 YE08EBD on the 72 today, although it's tracking on Bus Times as 0116 LM18URC.
McGills Bus Service Ltd £9,086,933 41
I should imagine that these will be the shorter Yutong e10 to see off some of the shorter diesels in the towns.McGills hav received funding for more electric buses:-
https://www.transport.gov.scot/public-transport/buses/scottish-zero-emission-bus-challenge-fund/
What about Dundee and the clean air zone?I should imagine that these will be the shorter Yutong e10 to see off some of the shorter diesels in the towns.
A bus operator in Scotland has said that rising electricity costs have caused it to reconsider its procurement plans.
McGill’s Buses Managing Director Ralph Roberts tweeted on 8 February that the increase in electricity prices, due to take place in October, amounted to an increase of £624,000 per annum to charge its fleet of battery-electric buses. According to Mr Roberts, the calculations showed that diesel generated electricity would come in at approximately £100,000 per year less, though clarified that such a calculation was merely an exercise and there was no serious consideration of charging its buses using diesel.
However, Mr Roberts says the rising costs have affected the operator’s attitude to vehicle procurement. “We were not expecting this level of volatility in electricity prices, mainly because they have never been this volatile,” he explains. “They are still volatile, and the prices are still going up.”
He says the volatility of the market will make it very difficult to meet Scottish Government ambitions to deliver 50% of bus mileage using zero-emission vehicles by the end of 2023. “There are macro matters that are affecting that, such as what is going on in Ukraine. Hopefully that will right itself at some point and allow prices to come back down. But maybe it won’t… the best we could say is the picture is very unclear. In short, our attitude towards moving overt to electric vehicles has changed.”
YesQuick one - Was Yutong 5000 (SG71MYF) the unregistered demo vehicle in use at the Greenock Open Day on 3rd July 2021?
Cataloging photos and occurred to me i never did get the fleet number for this.
TIA.
Thanks very much.
Easy to identify from the rear as its the only one without a full width destination screen on the back, having only a numeral.Quick one - Was Yutong 5000 (SG71MYF) the unregistered demo vehicle in use at the Greenock Open Day on 3rd July 2021?
Cataloging photos and occurred to me i never did get the fleet number for this.
TIA.
Are they for Dundee or normal McGills? If so maybe they could start an open top service linking places like Largs or something.Four Volvo B9TL with open top Wright Gemini bodywork have been acquired from Lothian Buses. They are:
2852 - BF60UUG
2853 - BF60UUH
2854 - BF60UUJ
2855 - LX60DXA
I've thought this for some time. The train is a dreadful service, the first to get cancelled in and weather and frequently beset by engineering works at weekends. When Harte Buses offered a Braehead Express it was fast and often busy; I was told, whether remotely true or not, that despite feedback to extend it to Glasgow they "didn't want to provoke McGill's".I wonder if McGill's have ever considered running an express service from Largs to Glasgow via the Haylie Brae? Trains take an hour from Largs to Glasgow and I'm sure that a bus via Kilbirnie, Lochwinnoch and even Braehead or Glasgow Airport would be a comparable journey time.
2850 (BF60 UUC) and 2851 (BF60 UUE) are for the Dundee service, I believe. 2850 was in the Dundee garage last weekAre they for Dundee or normal McGills?
I wonder if McGill's have ever considered running an express service from Largs to Glasgow via the Haylie Brae? Trains take an hour from Largs to Glasgow and I'm sure that a bus via Kilbirnie, Lochwinnoch and even Braehead or Glasgow Airport would be a comparable journey time.
Worth pointing out it was not uncommon to have passengers from Glasgow area to Largs on the Arriva 17 despite it being a very much local bus service.
It wouldn’t compete with Stagecoach if it skipped Beith and went via Lochwinnoch, unless you want to count that one bus stop at Lochwinnoch road end roundabout to Glasgow, no Stagecoach services serve Lochwinnoch and none from Largs or Kilbirnie to Glasgow. It may well be too niche for them but given the popularity of the Harte service to Braehead back in the day it might not be a stretch of the imagination.Wonder if McGill's don't want to compete with Stagecoach or maybe would split the usage of the current 904 service hurting viability?
The old Stagecoach X37 via Kilbirnie and Lochwinnoch was just over 65mins from Kilbirnie Centre. The current X34 via Beith is timetabled at 67 mins from Garden City. Rough calculations would suggest running times from Largs of 85 mins via Lochwinnoch (no operator runs this now) or 90mins via Beith.
Worth pointing out it was not uncommon to have passengers from Glasgow area to Largs on the Arriva 17 despite it being a very much local bus service.
Kilbirnie gets a half-hourly Stagecoach service to Glasgowand none from Largs or Kilbirnie to Glasgow
The X36 is hourly.Kilbirnie gets a half-hourly Stagecoach service to Glasgow
Therefore, it would be around 20 minutes quicker than the frequent 901/906, but travelling through areas with much lower populations, and missing out the stunning Clyde coastal scenery. I’m not sure that would be enough to make a regular service viable via that routing.Rough calculations would suggest running times from Largs of 85 mins via Lochwinnoch (no operator runs this now) or 90mins via Beith.
Garden City does, yes. The south of the town, before it turns right and heads for Beith through Glengarnock. The Largs service would serve the north of the town, nearer the Milton Quadrant estate, before turning left to head for Lochwinnoch. There’s about a mile and a half between them as Stagecoach‘s X34/X36 don’t travel down the high street. the south side of the town is much closer to Glengarnock station too so a north end service would be handier for people who’d have to get a bus or taxi to the station anyway.Kilbirnie gets a half-hourly Stagecoach service to Glasgow
Braehead, yes, after Harte stopped, but it didn’t go on to Glasgow. It was cut back as it was a normal stopping service that went through Howwood, Johnstone, Elderslie, Paisley and Renfrew before getting to Breahead, so naturally the same customers that used the fast service didn’t flip over.Didn't the 904 continue to Braehead and Glasgow at one point then got cut back due to low usage?