What happened to route 000 for not in service?

[M60lad]

I remember a number of years ago that instead of Sorry Not in service Warrington Borough Transport just used to show 5 Wilderspool Causeway on the front of any buses running to Depot from Bus Station.

Apparently this was stopped due to the Traffic Commisioner or new Management thinking it would confuse intending passengers thinking these buses were actually in service.

 

[carlberry]

I remember a number of years ago that instead of Sorry Not in service Warrington Borough Transport just used to show 5 Wilderspool Causeway on the front of any buses running to Depot from Bus Station.

Apparently this was stopped due to the Traffic Commisioner or new Management thinking it would confuse intending passengers thinking these buses were actually in service.

I'm assuming that the depot is on the 5 route at some point past Wilderspool Causeway. If so the traffic commissioner would get involved if the buses didn't actually stop for people, or if they ran more than a few minutes either side of a timetabled bus (i.e. they'd have to be seen as duplicating an existing departure). They cant run at another time (despite how useful that would be) as it's seen as the same as just randomly running buses and, if the company then puts them in the timetable, it's just another journey that has to run at the times stated wheras the driver just wants to get back to the depot ASAP.

Blooming heck, i know it's done in tongue & cheek, but i can barely read that blind compared to the bus with simple not in service blind next to it, that'd fall foul of TFL blind regs nowadays

A classic example of achieving the opposite of what was intended as anybody who sees that coming towards them is going to try to stop it anyway as they cant read what it says until it's stopped!

 

[Westcountryman]

On the continent, many buses show a diagram of a cup of coffee and the word 'pause' when on layover. I've never seen it here. One thing I am thankful for is that the expression 'not on service' has been generally replaced by 'not in service'.

 

[Eyersey468]

When still independent, Epsom Buses took it to extremes (although clearly tongue in cheek), with a display that read "We Are Awfully Sorry, But This Bus Is Temporarily OUT OF SERVICE".

I'm sure there are better pictures around, but this picture from Flickr (not mine), shows said wording in comparison with the rather less amusing, but rather more legible, standard display: https://www.flickr.com/photos/leesbuses/7101676747/

Did Sergeant Wilson programme the blinds?

 

[upasalmon]

Before 1985 Crosville buses running to the much missed Edge Lane depot from Mann Island in Liverpool used to show "H0" or "H00", H being the letter allocated to most Liverpool services except 76 and the joint 89.

 

[PeterC]

In London Transport days they used the private hire blind "To hire this bus or coach ring ....". But it was unusual to see a bus out of service as garages were close to their routes. Most garage trips would be timetabled short workings. I remember in the 60s that garage workings on route 174 actually had North Street Garage as their destination although it was about half a mile off the normal route.

 

[Andyh82]

On the continent, many buses show a diagram of a cup of coffee and the word 'pause' when on layover. I've never seen it here. One thing I am thankful for is that the expression 'not on service' has been generally replaced by 'not in service'.

“Sorry Out of Service” was the wording used back in Yorkshire Rider days

 

[Westcountryman]

In London Transport days they used the private hire blind "To hire this bus or coach ring ....". But it was unusual to see a bus out of service as garages were close to their routes. Most garage trips would be timetabled short workings. I remember in the 60s that garage workings on route 174 actually had North Street Garage as their destination although it was about half a mile off the normal route.

Many, many years ago, I was travelling north on the 65 from Kingston, wanting to get to Turnham Green. Normally the bus went from Kew Bridge to Ealing, bit on this occasion one turned up with a presumably garage journey to Turnham Green. I thought that rather lucky until we got to the north end of Kew Bridge, when I was told to get off. So that was a garage journey with a garage destination, but was not in service.

 

[aliceh]

Down here, Yellow Buses display a 0 on the rear display when running out of service. This is a relatively recent (last couple of years) thing, prior to that they squeezed 'not in service' onto the small ones at the back.

 

[Mitch in Notts]

My local service is Trentbartons 'Rainbow One'. At some point the '1' disappeared from the number screen to be replaced with an 'O'(of varying colours) for 'One' - not that far out from a 0 - zero!

 

[cnjb8]

My local service is Trentbartons 'Rainbow One'. At some point the '1' disappeared from the number screen to be replaced with an 'O'(of varying colours) for 'One' - not that far out from a 0 - zero!

Do you mean the blue circles? If so some TrentBarton services also have those circles, and change colours

 

[43055]

My local service is Trentbartons 'Rainbow One'. At some point the '1' disappeared from the number screen to be replaced with an 'O'(of varying colours) for 'One' - not that far out from a 0 - zero!

The 'O' I think started off as a rainbow one thing with each destination with a different colour ie Blue to Nottingham but has since been rolled out on most brands with the brand colour.

Arriva in Derby have 'x' on the rear displays when not in service.

 

[MotCO]

In London Transport days they used the private hire blind "To hire this bus or coach ring ....". But it was unusual to see a bus out of service as garages were close to their routes. Most garage trips would be timetabled short workings. I remember in the 60s that garage workings on route 174 actually had North Street Garage as their destination although it was about half a mile off the normal route.

The same thing happened with route 227 Crystal Palace to Bromley North. Some journeys operated to Bromley Garage which is about 1 mile south of Bromley North, and not on the route.

 

[johnnychips]

Is this just an English thing?

Buses in Barcelona display “A Coxtera” - “To the depot”.

 

[BVW]

When flipdot displays held sway with First in Norwich a few years back, Not in Service was accompanied by a single large capital A on the rear screen.

 

[Geordie driver]

Pre deregulation I don't recall ever seeing " sorry not in service" , if a bus was screened blank or wrongly you knew it wasn't in service.

I recall when the first company started the sorry screens depot managers were mad keen on it as it made them look involved and proactive, it's a bit pointless really.

 

[Deerfold]

Given that dead running is a necessary part of all bus operations, I’ve never been quite sure why operators are ‘sorry’ about it.

It's common, but not necessary (except in emergencies). It's possible to schedule trips between the depot and where the normal journey starts. That's now less common than it was (presumably it gives more flexibility than tying down the runs to/from the depot).

 

[hst43102]

Stagecoach Midlands' flip-dot buses still use Not in service - 000 on the displays as of summer 2020.


Image shows Dennis Trident 18151 with a flip dot route display reading "Not in Service - 000"

I particularly also like this recent display from Stagecoach North East :


Image shows Enviro 400 19205 with a "40 Years of Stagecoach" route display complete with the original and beachball logos.

 

[PeterC]

It's common, but not necessary (except in emergencies). It's possible to schedule trips between the depot and where the normal journey starts. That's now less common than it was (presumably it gives more flexibility than tying down the runs to/from the depot).

These days buses are often based at cheaper pheripheral locations which has greatly increased the need for dead running. as has the contracting of subsidised services. My local services are now operated from a depot which requires over 16 miles of dead running each way.

 

[TheSel]

Before 1985 Crosville buses running to the much missed Edge Lane depot from Mann Island in Liverpool used to show "H0" or "H00", H being the letter allocated to most Liverpool services except 76 and the joint 89.

Indeed. And Wirral depots, predominately West Kirby and Heswall, that generally used the 'F' prefix, tended to use the somewhat less polite

'F 0 PRIVATE'

- the zero invariably being placed on the third track rather than the second, which only served to highlight the point.

 

[kez19]

Oddly enough Stagecoach Strathtay use to do it.....


Stagecoach (Strathtay) 16934 (photo cred: Gary Mitchelhill)

It does seem it spread as far up into Scotland

Seems even First had done it too but with is it roller blinds??

Photograph: First Midland Red Buses Dennis Dart 40086 (K919XRF)

 

[upasalmon]

I once spotted in Buses magazine a Scottish bus showing "Ah'm no' in service" in Scots dialect.
Welsh buses have Preifat or "Dim gwasaneth".

 

[callumowen]

Down here, Yellow Buses display a 0 on the rear display when running out of service. This is a relatively recent (last couple of years) thing, prior to that they squeezed 'not in service' onto the small ones at the back.

Didn't they scroll 'Sorry I'm Not in Service' prior to the current design? Afaik it was only GSC who put 'Not in Service'.

 

[Whistler40145]

Probably with more modern buses having programmable displays that it’s more convenient to either just display Sorry Not in Service

 

[TheSel]

00 was actually a genuine bus number at one time, Birkenhead Corporation then Merseyside PTE was one southbound journey a day, departing 05.30, from Birkenhead Woodside to Stork Works in Bromborough, withdrawn in the mid 1970s.

Indeed it was. I've looked high and low for the timetable, but can't find it. However, what I have found is a Faretable. Below, scanned from the 'Faretable, Wirral Division' publication dated 23rd March 1975. By this time it would appear that the service no longer served Woodside, rather passing through Charing Cross.

 

[richw]

At first kernow 0 is the route number for not in service

 

[farwest]

Transport for Cornwall new buses seem to show 000 on the rear display and Not in Service on the front.

 

[aliceh]

Didn't they scroll 'Sorry I'm Not in Service' prior to the current design? Afaik it was only GSC who put 'Not in Service'.

I've seen it as a scrolling message once or twice, but it was static 99% of the time before. The rear displays are small, so while I can't remember for sure, I doubt they would have been able to fit in the 'sorry' at the back as they do on the front

 

[Statto]

Indeed it was. I've looked high and low for the timetable, but can't find it. However, what I have found is a Faretable. Below, scanned from the 'Faretable, Wirral Division' publication dated 23rd March 1975. By this time it would appear that the service no longer served Woodside, rather passing through Charing Cross.

View attachment 87028

I have a 1974 Wirral division timetable which has 00 going from Woodside, seems like from that revised route, looking at this map 00 later got renumbered to 53

Merseyside PTE 1981 Wirral division route map

Best viewed by right click, view all sizes, Original

www.flickr.com

Had a look recently, Stagecoach look like to have dropped 000 & just show not in service, Arriva still have SORRY not in service on there buses.

 

[4cryingoutloud]

I remember a number of years ago that instead of Sorry Not in service Warrington Borough Transport just used to show 5 Wilderspool Causeway on the front of any buses running to Depot from Bus Station.

Apparently this was stopped due to the Traffic Commisioner or new Management thinking it would confuse intending passengers thinking these buses were actually in service.

Sorry to be picky, but it was "5A Wilderspool St. James' Church". That route variant didn't exist in any other context, unlike 6A, 7A, 8A, 44A etc down the same corridor, although nowadays the CAT 5A is Altrincham via Partington.

Warrington also differed in that buses were "Not in service - sorry!" with the apology almost a surprised afterthought!