Arriva North West - Bootle Depot

[M113 YKC]

RE: Arriva North West - Bootle Depot

(01/10/2012 15:28)CX54 DKD Wrote:  

(01/10/2012 09:21)K853 MTJ Wrote:  Its not about doing the job properly at all, its about also keeping to the set timetable, drivers get more criticism for running late because of that time consuming procedure than they would if they started pulling off just as a passenger nears their seat. There are obviously exceptions, if for example little old Doris gets on with her trolley, then of course you should wait until she sits down, but any able bodied individual should be able to easily get to their seat while the bus is moving.

This. When they have to pull the handbrake on before opening the doors at every stop it actually slows them down a hell of a lot over the entire length of the route.

I don't think that the alarm should go off when the handbrake is off and the doors are open - despite that being the rule! Arriva SHOULD accommodate that into their timetables, however I know that it's not practical. That alarm should only go off if the doors are opened when the bus is moving. A lot of drivers open the doors before stopping, even when a passenger/passengers is/are standing next to them! There's no excuse for that one. Even if the handbrake is supposed to be on before the doors are opened and off after they've closed, if the doors are only opened when the bus has stopped and closed before the bus gets going again, even if the handbrake hasn't been applied, then I don't see much harm in it.

[MX12CFE]

RE: Arriva North West - Bootle Depot

(01/10/2012 15:41)27701 Wrote:  

(01/10/2012 15:28)CX54 DKD Wrote:  

(01/10/2012 09:21)K853 MTJ Wrote:  Its not about doing the job properly at all, its about also keeping to the set timetable, drivers get more criticism for running late because of that time consuming procedure than they would if they started pulling off just as a passenger nears their seat. There are obviously exceptions, if for example little old Doris gets on with her trolley, then of course you should wait until she sits down, but any able bodied individual should be able to easily get to their seat while the bus is moving.

This. When they have to pull the handbrake on before opening the doors at every stop it actually slows them down a hell of a lot over the entire length of the route.

I don't think that the alarm should go off when the handbrake is off and the doors are open - despite that being the rule! Arriva SHOULD accommodate that into their timetables, however I know that it's not practical. That alarm should only go off if the doors are opened when the bus is moving. A lot of drivers open the doors before stopping, even when a passenger/passengers is/are standing next to them! There's no excuse for that one. Even if the handbrake is supposed to be on before the doors are opened and off after they've closed, if the doors are only opened when the bus has stopped and closed before the bus gets going again, even if the handbrake hasn't been applied, then I don't see much harm in it.

Ace Travels Enviro 200s have an alarm on them but it only sounds when the bus is actually moving with the doors open.

[M113 YKC]

RE: Arriva North West - Bootle Depot
The 311 has dodgy Cadet DK55 FXD (2519) on it today, along with "slow" Pulsar CX58 FZJ (2927), "slow" Pulsar 2 MX09 LYA (2941) and Pulsar 2 MX59 FFZ (3020). I had 2927 to Skelmersdale this morning and it was unsuitable for the steep hills within Skelmersdale. As a passenger, though, it was comfortable and it wasn't too rattly! I also had a "nice bus", 2519, from Skelmersdale this morning and its dodgy gearbox sounded terrible and it made the bus very sluggish and the ride-quality quite bad. Credit to Bootle depot for putting "updated" buses on this service, but they're the wrong ones (apart from 3020)!

The 345, on the other hand, is all unusual today! ALX200 X264 OBN (2264) is on the non-M58 duty, whilst Cadet CX07 CSO (2638) is on the morning M58 duty and Pulsar CX58 FZG (2925) is on the evening M58 duty! I think that the Pulsar is a waste on this service (just a bit!), however, again, credit to Bootle for allocating suitable buses on the long-distance duties.

Finally, a DAF/ALX400 - possibly S274 JUA (4094) - is on the 58.

[mathias]

RE: Arriva North West - Bootle Depot
First-time-seen 3122 (MX12 KWP) SB200/Pulsar2 is on route 52/52A today. This looks like it is Bootle's final delivery of all 16 Euro-spec Pulsars.

Still haven't spotted 3121 yet though....

[SK15 GZG (Moderator)]

RE: Arriva North West - Bootle Depot

(02/10/2012 06:36)MX12CFE Wrote:  Ace Travels Enviro 200s have an alarm on them but it only sounds when the bus is actually moving with the doors open.

Exactly the same as Bus Vannin's StreetLites

[M113 YKC]

RE: Arriva North West - Bootle Depot

(02/10/2012 14:10)mathias Wrote:  Still haven't spotted 3121 yet though....

Well, MX12 KXO (3121) was on the 311 today, along with sister-bus MX12 KXN (3120). Both of them performed excellently (interestingly, both of them retained their excellent ride-quality through Town Green!), however 3120 was the better one. MX12 KWV (3107) was on the 61.

Also on the 311 today was "slow" MX09 LYD (2943), Pulsar 2 MX59 FFU (3016) and Cadet DK55 FXD (2519), again, along with Plaxton Pointer 2s X218 ANC (2218) and, again, X228 ANC (2228). 2218 seemed to have disappeared by this afternoon, though, as nothing was running on its duty! On the morning 345 M58 duty is Cadet DK55 FXC (2518) and on the evening M58 duty is ALX200 X264 OBN (2264).

[MPTE1955]

RE: Arriva North West - Bootle Depot
2224 was on the 62 as well.

[M113 YKC]

RE: Arriva North West - Bootle Depot
Today, Pulsar 2s MX12 KWY (3109), MX12 KXA (3111) and MX12 KXE (3115) were on the 311. I had 3111 to Skelmersdale this morning... This sounded absolutely fantastic, however it did rattle a bit (again, though, 100% better than most of the older ones). It had a cooling-fan on, which really did make it sound fantastic on gear one! I had 3115 this afternoon from Skelmersdale and the driver (a friend) told me that the bus kept catching onto the kerb because she usually swings over it when she pulls into bus-stops and it was catching every time. Also, the bus felt a bit sluggish on gear one - and it didn't exactly perform well on the hills in Skelmersdale, but I'm not going to moan because I'd rather have a rattle-free bus like 3115 than sluggish Plaxton Pointer 2 X224 ANC (2224) or rough-rider sister-bus X226 ANC (2226), which were also on the service! Pulsar CX58 EXH (2916) was also on the 311, along with ALX200 X264 OBN (2264).

[MPTE1955]

RE: Arriva North West - Bootle Depot
Anybody noticed how 4427's side and rear boards arent working, it has been like this for at least a week as I had it on 61 last week and they werent working then.

[M113 YKC]

RE: Arriva North West - Bootle Depot

(04/10/2012 14:13)3111 Wrote:  Today, Pulsar 2s MX12 KWY (3109), MX12 KXA (3111) and MX12 KXE (3115) were on the 311. I had 3111 to Skelmersdale this morning... This sounded absolutely fantastic, however it did rattle a bit (again, though, 100% better than most of the older ones). It had a cooling-fan on, which really did make it sound fantastic on gear one!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/michael2770...otostream/

(02/10/2012 13:10)3111 Wrote:  The 345, on the other hand, is all unusual today! ALX200 X264 OBN (2264) is on the non-M58 duty, whilst Cadet CX07 CSO (2638) is on the morning M58 duty and Pulsar CX58 FZG (2925) is on the evening M58 duty!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/michael2770...otostream/

Today, Pulsar CX58 FZJ (2927) was on the 61 - interestingly, it was on the same duty that Pulsar 2 MX12 KWV (3107) was on yesterday!