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Arriva North West - Bootle Depot - Printable Version +- Forum | Merseyside Dennis Dart Website (http://dartslf.com/forum) +-- Forum: Buses (/forumdisplay.php?fid=1) +--- Forum: Local Bus Scene: North West and Wales (/forumdisplay.php?fid=2) +--- Thread: Arriva North West - Bootle Depot (/showthread.php?tid=31) Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250 251 252 253 254 255 256 257 258 259 260 261 262 263 264 265 266 267 268 269 270 271 272 273 274 275 276 |
RE: Arriva North West - Bootle Depot - M113 YKC - 23/01/2013 16:34 (23/01/2013 15:13)mathias Wrote: 4074? (S244 JUA)? Gotta disagree with you on that one.4028 is unusually on the 58 this evening! (23/01/2013 16:00)MPTE1955 Wrote: The DLA's basically do what they should doI disagree with that. Their poor bottom-deck seating layout isn't good for many passengers, particularly the less-abled type. They also have poor fuel consumption, along with most examples having slow acceleration. Many passengers, drivers and depot managers won't miss them when they leave the fleet! RE: Arriva North West - Bootle Depot - H101GEV - 23/01/2013 16:59 (23/01/2013 16:34)3111 Wrote: I disagree with that. Their poor bottom-deck seating layout isn't good for many passengers, particularly the less-abled type. They also have poor fuel consumption, along with most examples having slow acceleration. Many passengers, drivers and depot managers won't miss them when they leave the fleet! There are still 23 seats downstairs on a DLA and of those ten are fully accessible without steps. That's precisely ten more than the step-entrance R-WVRs had and the DLAs outclass those in terms of ride quality, internal brightness and cleanliness and legroom. They also have space for prams which the R-WVRs didn't and were constantly the subject of complaints from passengers on the 61 in that regard. I know they're not perfect and some (not as many as is suggested, but some) struggle with speed, but from a general passenger viewpoint, they are good buses. I've never heard a passenger complain and indeed have overheard praise for them compared with what went before. RE: Arriva North West - Bootle Depot - M113 YKC - 23/01/2013 17:13 (23/01/2013 16:59)507009 Wrote:Well, we're in two different situations... I've heard plenty of passengers complaining about them in Bootle, Birkenhead and Rhyl - including a member of my family (less-able), who has hurt theirself climbing up the steps to the non-less-able-friendly area when the seats that are able for them have been taken. An ex-Skelmersdale-based driver who I know told me that they weren't loved there when they replaced Palatine 2s on the 375/385 - trend?(23/01/2013 16:34)3111 Wrote: I disagree with that. Their poor bottom-deck seating layout isn't good for many passengers, particularly the less-abled type. They also have poor fuel consumption, along with most examples having slow acceleration. Many passengers, drivers and depot managers won't miss them when they leave the fleet!There are still 23 seats downstairs on a DLA and of those ten are fully accessible without steps. That's precisely ten more than the step-entrance R-WVRs had and the DLAs outclass those in terms of ride quality, internal brightness and cleanliness and legroom. They also have space for prams which the R-WVRs didn't and were constantly the subject of complaints from passengers on the 61 in that regard. Bootle's manager wants them gone as soon as possible, according to a friend (driver) of mine, due to their poor fuel consumption and I know about a few drivers (and no doubt that there's more!) who will be glad to see the back of them! Yes, they're much better than the Palatine 2s that they replaced - but not much better. They still limit the less-able passengers a lot, whereas I guess that Palatine 2s limited them totally due to their step at the entrance. RE: Arriva North West - Bootle Depot - H101GEV - 23/01/2013 17:32 Going off-topic here, but I know the Palatines at Skelmersdale which came from Birkenhead were loathed by the passengers. Such was the uproar, there were several local newspaper articles lamenting the loss of the town's accessible bus fleet in favour of 'cast offs'. Things certainly quietened down when the DAFs arrived to replace them. It was only when they transferred to Southport that the 375/385 reliability started to suffer. What the drivers think of buses doesn't really bother me in all honesty as the bus services are ultimately ran for the passengers and not them. The 61 (and indeed 56) attract high loads in peak times which is enough to warrant a decker. Clearly they aren't in the market for brand new buses as relatively low-profile routes, so I think the DLAs are fine for the time being. At least they allow wheelchairs and prams on board (a significant problem when the R-WVRs ran the 61) and have some easily accessed seats. RE: Arriva North West - Bootle Depot - K101HUM - 23/01/2013 17:44 As the DB250 chassis varies little between step entrance and low floor format, can I highlight that fuel consumption on the older step entrance batch's such as the long gone N-DWY's, R-CKO's and so forth were never discussed as an issue. As a number of the R-CKO's and similar Palatine II bodied counterparts remain in use at present, I'd be very surprised to see any difference in terms of fuel consumption should the two be compared. Both types of vehicles have lead similar lives, having spent the initial part of their lives in London for varying periods before transfer North. I, having now experienced a fair share of the North West's former DLA batch, can say I would be happy to ride these over ALMOST any other double deck vehicle of any of the North West's fleet. I say almost, the B7TL/ALX400's at Southport and Speke are in my opinion a batch of buses which offer everything from uncompromising quality of ride, warmth, comfort and their exquisite Volvo/Voith partnership powerpack. Similarly for me, the DLA class offer this in abundance. Their ride, quite simply, wipes the floor with anything ADL can offer in double or single deck format despite a considerable age gap in combination with a very warm and inviting interior offering capacity in spades. Agreed, their lower deck layout is not ideal though still offers seating for the infirm, elderly and those with children. For me, this particular type comes in for much undeserved critique. These vehicles could and probably should outlive the apparent 15 year rule. I hope their apparent high book value ensures a good number will be sold on for further use when their final call for duty with Arriva comes. One thing is for sure, they still have plenty of miles left in the tank. RE: Arriva North West - Bootle Depot - MPTE1955 - 23/01/2013 18:42 There are people that like the DLA's and people that don't, as a regular user of the 61 I have come to like them, and they decent buses they certainly out do the postively aged palatines for comfort and access. Tonight for example I had the good 4074 with a nice comfortable ride downstairs, and I would rather ride one of these than any dart, or rattly boring pulsar. They vary like anything else in quality and I also have never heard a passenger complain about them. True there are better buses around but there are a lot more worse. Ultimately, people like what they like and nobody has the right to tell them that they are wrong. RE: Arriva North West - Bootle Depot - steve517757 - 23/01/2013 18:42 (23/01/2013 17:44)K101HUM Wrote: For me, this particular type comes in for much undeserved critique. These vehicles could and probably should outlive the apparent 15 year rule. I hope their apparent high book value ensures a good number will be sold on for further use when their final call for duty with Arriva comes. One thing is for sure, they still have plenty of miles left in the tank. London is currently struggling to find takers for their surplus DLA's so I imagine most will see the curtain come down for them when they leave Arriva NW RE: Arriva North West - Bootle Depot - CX54 DKD - 23/01/2013 18:51 Bare in mind though that any London examples have not been refurbished to the standard of the NW examples either internally or externally including the removal of the central door. If the remaining London examples are surplus, there's also the potential that they're not being maintained and looked after to a standard as high as up here where they're in front line, daily service. RE: Arriva North West - Bootle Depot - T42 PVM - 23/01/2013 18:55 its one of them its a 50/50 type bus 50 percent are lovley like some of the bolton examples however others are bad and i cant wait to see the back of like some of the rhyl examples, i myself think some of these can last more than 15 years but its a wait and see game RE: Arriva North West - Bootle Depot - ste - 24/01/2013 11:42 I was once told on here that the 15 year rule didn't apply to deckers owing to their capacity and that is why we still see R reg examples in service today. |