Ok time for a bit of an interesting debate now .
Why is it that Arriva does seem to have a coin on them that says All new Buses (nearly)and only second hand buses only .
They take this coin to each depot in turn in Merseyside and see which one comes up .
I cant be the only one in this forum to think the policy of this company is going mad , there maybe profit margins to be made but passenges are still passengers come what may.
St Helems is definitely in the latter and I would suggest is the junk yard of the Merseyside operation as apart from the Pulsars and Solos, everything else is 10+ years.
Another of those depots has to be the depot at Green Lane .
Why give Speke more new buses , the other depots must be thinking what do we have to do justify getting anything that is not really a hand me down .
Its likely to be all down to profits, Speke is probably the most profitable so they get the most investment. The other depots will then get their cast offs and the like. The can't be any other real explanation.
GL & JS certainly have the oldest vehicles, but GL have had more than their share of Pulsars over the last 6 years but that may be partly due to the number of older vehicles that they had that needed to be replaced and there was no alternative other than brand new vehicles.
JS is certainly the biggest dumping ground as they continue to receive buses that are getting close to being time expired.
It's been strongly rumoured that St Helens are due new deckers next year for the 10/10A and Arriva have confirmed via their Facebook page that deckers in some form are due at Green Lane in 2015 (didn't specify new or second hand, but assume the former) so hopefully by the end of next year, both these depots will benefit from a modernised fleet.
Wouldn't surprise me if the deckers due for GL next year were cascades with maybe BT7L's from Speke if they get any more new buses next year or alternatively and much more likely buses ousted by Borismasters from London. Only time will tell I suppose.
Anything that brings down the age profile at some of the depots will be greatly appreciated
The age profile will certainly come down quite a bit as X&Y platers should be off in the next year-18 months and there are a fair number of those to go, there was a good gap in new vehicles after them well certainly on Merseyside there was anyway with the next new vehicles being on 54 plates so the average age will reduce. However, after this there will be 3 or 4 years year were there isn't much to go so the age profiles will rise again. The only things to go after x & y will be the VLW's but they will be around a good bit longer I would imagine. If I have forgotten anything please tell me.
At one time Double decker's would last in the fleet longer than single decker's , only due to the fact there was not that many of them .
In recent years though with the amount of double decker's sliding out of London and the poor state of some of them they probably will go at the same rate as the present single decker's reaching life expiry.
The deckers are lasting a little bit longer, look at the DLA's and a couple of P&R reg olly's knocking around in the NW, they were given a bit longer. Most P&R regs singles left about 2 years ago, the few S & the T platers between 1 & 2 years ago, with the exception of Speke's Prestiges which did a bit longer. But deckers are certainly allowed a bit of a longer stay.