First Manchester

[Mayneway]

RE: First Manchester

(02/09/2017 23:08)Alexw12 Wrote:  What's the point in branding buses in Manchester atm if they're so short on buses... Anything and everything has appeared on routes recently, so defeats the object of having branding.

Not route branding but actual 'Greater Manchester' along the sides like the livery was supposed to be. Remember, after many years of just being 'first' they re-introduced regional branding a few years ago with the strapline 'greater manchester' along the sides.

[AlexBus12]

RE: First Manchester
Rusholme Enviro 400, 33831 was the first bus to leave the new Bolton Interchange this morning, working the 36

[Quackdave]

RE: First Manchester

(02/09/2017 22:22)Mayneway Wrote:  Even the streetlites look plain and boring. Whys there no 'Manchester' branding like what's on the B9's?
They really need to pull there finger out in Manchester, they seem to be slipping further and further behind Stagecoach.

I personally think the livery looks much better without the divisional branding. And it's not as if it serves any real purpose - people don't check the sides of buses to remind themselves which conurbation they're in.

I offer no opinion as to whether First are slipping behind Stagecoach or not; but if they are, then they need to focus on far more important things than this.

[NorthernCounties]

RE: First Manchester

(03/09/2017 16:08)Quackdave Wrote:  I personally think the livery looks much better without the divisional branding. And it's not as if it serves any real purpose - people don't check the sides of buses to remind themselves which conurbation they're in.

I offer no opinion as to whether First are slipping behind Stagecoach or not; but if they are, then they need to focus on far more important things than this.

Slipping behind? They've never managed to get alongside them.
Maintenance is still an issue. Too many rattles and bangs coming from the steering arm on many vehicles and not just the old ones, I've heard a few 12 regs banging the same way recently

[M60lad]

RE: First Manchester
Not sure how many are coming but a transfer into First Manchester's fleet is Optare Solo 53703 LK05DXR which was seen by a friend of mine in Ashton Under Lyne today

[acocker96]

RE: First Manchester

(04/09/2017 18:53)M60lad Wrote:  Not sure how many are coming but a transfer into First Manchester's fleet is Optare Solo 53703 LK05DXR which was seen by a friend of mine in Ashton Under Lyne today

There's a load of ex-former First London Enviro200's up for sale, I bet keeping a few and cascading them up north would have been more cost effective than bringing in more battered old Solo's.

[Mayneway]

RE: First Manchester

(05/09/2017 14:14)acocker96 Wrote:  There's a load of ex-former First London Enviro200's up for sale, I bet keeping a few and cascading them up north would have been more cost effective than bringing in more battered old Solo's.

Isn't a lot of the London stock leased though rather than bought? I know stagecoach did lease their vehicles with the option to buy at the end of the lease. So it might well be that these vehicles don't belong to first and are being sold by the finance company. Having said that Stagecoach have completed on ex London stock cascaded it North and refurbed and converted buses for groups short on vehicles but First just don't seem to know what their doing. Bringing in odds and sods ain't fixing the problem.

[dca529x]

RE: First Manchester

(05/09/2017 14:14)acocker96 Wrote:  There's a load of ex-former First London Enviro200's up for sale, I bet keeping a few and cascading them up north would have been more cost effective than bringing in more battered old Solo's.

Those Enviro200s aren't First's to cascade, they were with Tower Transit, First's successor in London when they gave up.

[WhiteVanMan]

RE: First Manchester

(02/09/2017 22:22)Mayneway Wrote:  Drove to stone in Staffordshire today to drop off a car. Got to say every First bus I came accross down there looked young, clean and very smart. 'The potteries' liveried Streetlites stood out with their striking livery. Hour and half later we came off M67 at Hattersley and the first First Manchester bus we came accross was an extremely tired looking,

I have noticed this with all the major operators. Some areas, their buses looking very smart, whilst in others they look uncared for, including newish buses.

[Mayneway]

RE: First Manchester

(06/09/2017 22:59)WhiteVanMan Wrote:  I have noticed this with all the major operators. Some areas, their buses looking very smart, whilst in others they look uncared for, including newish buses.

You would think an operation the size of first Manchester would be a 'golden egg'. Yet the seem to be slowly letting things slip.