Does anyone know what D&G are doing vehicle wise for the Arriva Cannock takeover will they buy extra vehicles or will they buy Arrivas vehicles as part of the deal? would apricate finding out.
I have heard 42 Buses are part of the sale
D&G also seem to be acquiring various types of vehicles at present, with Streetlites, Solos, Centros and Enviro 200s moving to D&G from a variety of sources - Rotala, Centrebus, Ensign, Tower Transit and Jim Stones. I wonder if they are directly/indirectly for Cannock, or whether they plan to release some of their existing buses e.g. they only seem to be using one of their Evolutions and even that bus is doing very little some days.
Bus 35 is getting around today, it's been to Nantwich, Audlem, Wrenbury, Knutsford, Northwich, Wilmslow, Altrincham and currently at the time of posting it's on it's way to Macclesfield!
https://bustimes.org/vehicles/275173
It replaced 53 on the 11.02 89 Knutsford to Northwich as 53 had an issue with the side destination screen hanging off.
(17/12/2020 14:51)knutstransport Wrote: [ -> ]Bus 35 is getting around today, it's been to Nantwich, Audlem, Wrenbury, Knutsford, Northwich, Wilmslow, Altrincham and currently at the time of posting it's on it's way to Macclesfield!
https://bustimes.org/vehicles/275173
(17/12/2020 21:27)Rick Hunter Wrote: [ -> ]It replaced 53 on the 11.02 89 Knutsford to Northwich as 53 had an issue with the side destination screen hanging off.
I guessed it wasn't a scheduled swap as with the 82 being covered by the Crewe depot, that doesn't need another driver to drive a vehicle from Nantwich to Knutsford mid-morning to facilitate.
bustimes.org shows the 188 ran yesterday afternoon but Knutsford Academy closed at 1pm on Thursday for Christmas!
(19/12/2020 10:44)knutstransport Wrote: [ -> ]bustimes.org shows the 188 ran yesterday afternoon but Knutsford Academy closed at 1pm on Thursday for Christmas!
I would have thought that it was still ran due to it being a contracted route?
Or running still as it was a schoolday that would have closed early due to the Government Guidance.
Despite lots of schools having pupils remote learning / breaking up early on Friday, there was still school services running round my end.
(19/12/2020 21:48)dounowhoiam Wrote: [ -> ]I would have thought that it was still ran due to it being a contracted route?
Or running still as it was a schoolday that would have closed early due to the Government Guidance.
Despite lots of schools having pupils remote learning / breaking up early on Friday, there was still school services running round my end.
The service didn't appear to operate on Thursday afternoon, either at the usual time or earlier than usual, at least it didn't track. Although, it could have been the Academy arranged for another operator to operate an earlier service if D&G didn't have the resource to. Therefore, it seems D&G were aware of the different finishing time.
The 188 is also the route which D&G suspended when the school was just open for parents of key workers and which since September D&G have said it's only for school children and they don't even guarantee school children who haven't been issued with a pass will be able to travel on it. So while I get the point about if services shown in public timetables as school days only could end up running even if the schools close at short notice, it seems the 188 normally only runs when the school needs it.
Just noticed the bus running the 41B today left the Crewe depot at 07:01, despite the first 41B departure not being until 08:45. Presumably that's down to two statutory breaks being required between the driver leaving Crewe in the morning and getting back in the evening, even if it does seem strange a driver should take a break after simply moving a vehicle from the depot to it's starting position.