Warrington's Own Buses

[Valandil]

RE: WBT Network Warrington
A couple of amendments to Newman's school buses:

PC0001977/70 - WARRINGTON BOROUGH TRANSPORT LTD T/A NETWORK WARRINGTON, WILDERSPOOL CAUSEWAY, WARRINGTON, WA4 6PT
Variation Accepted by SN: Operating between Latchford, Newman High School and Dallam, Harrison Square given service number 285 effective from 08-Mar-2013. To amend Timetable.

PC0001977/75 - WARRINGTON BOROUGH TRANSPORT LTD T/A NETWORK WARRINGTON, WILDERSPOOL CAUSEWAY, WARRINGTON, WA4 6PT
Variation Accepted by SN: Operating between Newman High School and Gorse Covert given service number 284 effective from 08-Mar-2013. To amend Timetable.

[Bevan Price]

RE: WBT Network Warrington

(08/02/2013 21:04)Bevan Price Wrote:  

(04/02/2013 21:56)RSTurbo50 Wrote:  Looking on Flickr, it looks as though only the 02/52 plate Darts are in service with the V and Y plate examples now withdrawn as of the 28th of January. Such a shame..

24 was in service today (8 Feb.), seen on the 4A

To add to my previous note, most Darts numbered 23 and above seem to be still in service (19 March).
A question - does Dart 30 ever work passenger duties, or is it 100% confined to driver training ?

[RSTurbo50]

RE: WBT Network Warrington
^^^^

Yes, Darts number 24 onwards are still in service. Bus 30 is confined to driver training only. There is a trainers seat right next to the drivers cab so accessibility is difficult..

[RSTurbo50]

RE: WBT Network Warrington
What has happened to the V plate Darts and Y plate darts that are VOR. Are they parked up in the back or have they been sold? Does anyone have any pictures?

[Bevan Price]

RE: WBT Network Warrington

(20/03/2013 21:13)RSTurbo50 Wrote:  What has happened to the V plate Darts and Y plate darts that are VOR. Are they parked up in the back or have they been sold? Does anyone have any pictures?

9 and 16 parked next to the railway near Wilderspool Causeway yesterday (19 March). Possibly some at back of depot, but at the time I was distracted by a Class 60 loco. I have some photos, but not currently posted on the net. (too many other things to do.....)

[T42 PVM (Moderator)]

RE: WBT Network Warrington
network warrington been bailed out by the council

see this: http://www.thisischeshire.co.uk/news/103...l_bailout/

now that they have been bailed out it shows that they are in money troubles so i do wonder if they will sort out their bus network over the next 6 months to try and make the company profitable again.

[Mal]

RE: WBT Network Warrington
Doesn't look good,does it? Even more so when the council won't disclose the amount they have had to use. All this at a time of savage cuts for all councils and tax-payers.

Mal

[T42 PVM (Moderator)]

RE: WBT Network Warrington
it does say a 6 figure sum so thats a start, in these times i do agree it dont look good as most people in warrington relie on their services so something needs to be done may it be service cuts or may it be selling the company of to someone who can fix wherever network warringtons gone wrong

[motormayhem]

RE: WBT Network Warrington
The way i look at it is they have get a really low age fleet in turn costs money and while there paying off the cost of the buses there profit is going to be less as due to them being a municipal company they dont have the backing as a large national company does as espeacially with all the goverment and local council cuts.

[Valandil]

RE: WBT Network Warrington
There is some talk of changing the timetables again, particularly on the Penkeths where the afternoon peak is a bit of a desperate situation.

Currently the 30, 31 and 32 all leave within 6 or 7 minutes of each other, then leaving a gap of nothing for over half an hour.
This currently means that 3 buses frequently require access to 2 bays at a busy time, and the earliest is often left stranded trying to access a bay while changes-over are carried out or a few minutes' layover are spent on the stand. Also, all the passengers tend to crowd onto one of the three (whichever comes in earliest), often leaving a longer bus near-empty and possibly passengers on a route which they would not normally catch (often taking 'whatever comes first', e.g. the 30 instead of 31, if the 30 has arrived and the 31 hasn't yet).

I myself can see the 31 becoming every 45 minutes or so, with a dedicated Solo put on the route (or maybe running every hour as currently, but only interworking with just the 29 to Gemini, PVR 2). This would then allow for the 32 and 30 to interwork, without having to worry about longer vehicles running onto the 31. In recent times, the 31 ex Warrington at 1207 has regularly been worked by a Cadet, along with 2 afternoon peak journeys, causing some inconvenience for drivers, residents and passengers who are made late.