(10/12/2018 07:24)M60lad Wrote: [ -> ]Another vehicle swap has been done between Wincham and Crewe Depot's as parked up in Wincham Depot (Outstation) last night was an unbranded Optare Solo SR in place of one of the Enviro200s for the 82 service, so guessing the SR will be out and about on 82s today, not to sure how long for though.
When you say unbranded do you mean a new SR to D&G, one that's had it's branding removed or just that it's in normal D&G branding rather than being branded for the route?
Or perhaps whoever took the Enviro200 to Crewe used it as a taxi?
Solo SR 106 is at Wincham on the 82s One of the Enviro200s has a gearbox problem apparently. Strange it was replaced by a Solo, must be short of Enviro200s.
(13/12/2018 18:48)iMarkeh Wrote: [ -> ]Now it's time to see if D&Gs plan of opening Wincham to win Cheshire West tenders is working. Northwich Evening and sunday tenders are now out for an April start.
https://procontract.due-north.com/Advert...0c29c9ba21
https://procontract.due-north.com/Advert...0c29c9ba21
What time do the contracted evening services start? Just wondering how well they can use the same vehicles used on the 88/89 services or not. Given Arriva have the Mercedes minibuses and D&G would have to use Solos or bigger perhaps Arriva's bid might be more competitive than normal?
Even with Winsfords pay rate lower than the rest of Arriva it is still considerably more than D&Gs pay.
(14/12/2018 15:27)knutstransport Wrote: [ -> ]What time do the contracted evening services start? Just wondering how well they can use the same vehicles used on the 88/89 services or not. Given Arriva have the Mercedes minibuses and D&G would have to use Solos or bigger perhaps Arriva's bid might be more competitive than normal?
(14/12/2018 15:27)knutstransport Wrote: [ -> ]What time do the contracted evening services start? Just wondering how well they can use the same vehicles used on the 88/89 services or not. Given Arriva have the Mercedes minibuses and D&G would have to use Solos or bigger perhaps Arriva's bid might be more competitive than normal?
I am not sure. They can't run it off the 88/89 though due to the timings (As in all the 88/89 buses finish around 7pm and finish quite far away from Northwich).
Arrivas bid will be more competitive but as Rick says, D&Gs wages are a lot lower. I think that could be what sways it for them. Plus as there is less distance at to the depot, they will pay less on the dead millage compared to Arriva.
(14/12/2018 23:02)iMarkeh Wrote: [ -> ]I am not sure. They can't run it off the 88/89 though due to the timings (As in all the 88/89 buses finish around 7pm and finish quite far away from Northwich).
Arrivas bid will be more competitive but as Rick says, D&Gs wages are a lot lower. I think that could be what sways it for them. Plus as there is less distance at to the depot, they will pay less on the dead millage compared to Arriva.
Arriva have small buses in Northwich for the daytime local services so surely they have to return those to the depot anyway even if they have to arrange for an additional driver changeover. D&G do also have the bus that comes off the afternoon 188 but someone said they also have a Winsford-Tarvin college service to run using that vehicle.
Just looked at the current timetables and apart from one 20:00 Northwich-Barnton-Northwich service all the Northwich local services have ended by 8pm, with the only services continuing later being the Northwich-Winsford service.
Given Cheshire East don't have any Sunday tenders and the only Sunday route D&G operate from Wincham is 288 I can see them being very interested in the Sunday tender but unless they are planning to run more weekday daytime services I wonder if the Northwich evening tenders might be more trouble than they are worth for D&G?
106 still being used on the 82 this week. I wonder if they plan to do a reverse swap or if they plan to send the Enviro back the next time a Wincham vehicle needs sending to Crewe.
Can anyone advise what happened to Streetlite 151 MX60 GWO. Doesn't appear on the D&G fleetlist on their site and also no results on Flickr for well over 3 years now...