D&G Bus

[knutstransport]

RE: D&G Bus

(06/11/2018 10:43)mikestone Wrote:  Surely the idea is that the driver can take his statutory break while lying over?

Indeed. I think the timetable is written in a way which prevents the need for driver changeovers by having the long layovers.

[knutstransport]

RE: D&G Bus

(06/11/2018 18:28)33109 Wrote:  If they get a decker, do any of their drivers even have experience with them?

Someone claimed they were already drivers who knew the 82 at Wincham so presumably that means there's ex Arriva or/and GHA drivers there.

Although one decker will be interesting as it would mean they'd have to do servicing on Sundays or college holidays only.

[iMarkeh]

RE: D&G Bus

(06/11/2018 10:43)mikestone Wrote:  Surely the idea is that the driver can take his statutory break while lying over?

Yes but you could use another driver to do the dead time route and the 82 driver has his time off and the dead time driver just keeps swapping buses. Round trip, off the bus, jump on the next one. Logistically, it is a mess but if they want to save on driver changes, this is the only way they could do it.

[knutstransport]

RE: D&G Bus
D&G quite often have a spare bus or a blue Skoda car at Knutsford, which is where drivers on breaks are commonly sat, as well as being the transport to take drivers to and from Wincham.

[Rick Hunter]

RE: D&G Bus

(06/11/2018 19:08)knutstransport Wrote:  Someone claimed they were already drivers who knew the 82 at Wincham so presumably that means there's ex Arriva or/and GHA drivers there.

Although one decker will be interesting as it would mean they'd have to do servicing on Sundays or college holidays only.

The majority of drivers at Wincham are ex GHA Tarvin. 3 are from GHA Winsford and also served with Howards, one does the 288/737/188 the other 2 do 88/89s. Crewe depot fitters work Sundays so maintainence of any vehicle isn't a problem. Vehicles are on 6 week inspection cycle so with the half terms and holidays the decker inspections could well fit in there.

[knutstransport]

RE: D&G Bus

(07/11/2018 08:49)Rick Hunter Wrote:  The majority of drivers at Wincham are ex GHA Tarvin. 3 are from GHA Winsford and also served with Howards, one does the 288/737/188 the other 2 do 88/89s. Crewe depot fitters work Sundays so maintainence of any vehicle isn't a problem. Vehicles are on 6 week inspection cycle so with the half terms and holidays the decker inspections could well fit in there.

The reason I raised it was when Wincham was officially allocated all the 13 reg Solo SRs and one Streetlite it was very common for other Streetlites to end up on Wincham routes either in lieu of the Solos or the allocated Streetlite, then when the allocation changed to all the Streetlites were at Wincham and all the 13 reg Solo SRs were at Crewe, the Solos still occasionally finished being used by Wincham. Now they seem to have stopped bothering giving Wincham an official list and they have Solo 880s and Streetlites which swap around frequently.

I was aware at least one of the current 88 drivers was a driver who was driving the route just after GHA closed the Macclesfield outstation but wasn't driving the 88 when D&G were running it from Crewe. On the other hand at least one of the drivers who drove the 88 when D&G first took it over still drives it, despite the change of depot.

[knutstransport]

RE: D&G Bus

(06/11/2018 09:38)iMarkeh Wrote:  I was chatting to the driver and he was saying that they only found out on Friday that a bigger bus would be needed. Apparently an Arriva driver told them at Chester interchange telling them about how busy it gets.

The duplicate bus needs to start in Kelsall. It was full and standing in Tarvin and then people started getting left in Kelsall.

So in short D&G took over a route, allocated 3 buses to the route which are smaller than the ones Arriva used and branded those buses for the route and had it not been from a warning from an Arriva driver would have used the smaller buses. Sounds like they need to do more research in advance of taking over routes!

[CTL45]

RE: D&G Bus

(07/11/2018 13:14)knutstransport Wrote:  So in short D&G took over a route, allocated 3 buses to the route which are smaller than the ones Arriva used and branded those buses for the route and had it not been from a warning from an Arriva driver would have used the smaller buses. Sounds like they need to do more research in advance of taking over routes!

D&G were seen to be monitoring loadings before they registered the service. They also had discussions with the college so any information to the contrary is pure fantasy.

[M60lad]

RE: D&G Bus
If it helps one other thing I've found out is that the current Depot Manager at Wincham is one of the Managers from Crewe Depot and also before then he was Depot Manager at South Lancs at Atherton so he does know what he's doing vehicle wise and what vehicles are suitable for what routes hence why bigger Enviro200s are being used on 82s these will be sticking to 82s and in theory shouldn't venture out onto any of Wincham's other routes.

Also I've heard he does actually go out driving from time to time if ever their short.

[knutstransport]

RE: D&G Bus

(08/11/2018 06:29)M60lad Wrote:  If it helps one other thing I've found out is that the current Depot Manager at Wincham is one of the Managers from Crewe Depot and also before then he was Depot Manager at South Lancs at Atherton so he does know what he's doing vehicle wise and what vehicles are suitable for what routes hence why bigger Enviro200s are being used on 82s these will be sticking to 82s and in theory shouldn't venture out onto any of Wincham's other routes.

Also I've heard he does actually go out driving from time to time if ever their short.

While the Wincham allocations are usually consistent, there are occasions when a 33 seater Streetlite and a 27/28 seater Solo M880 get allocated the wrong way around.

There are also morning services on both the Wilmslow-Knutsford and the Knutsford-Macc sections of the 88 where all passengers only just fit on. All it would need is for a few people who usually walk/cycle to instead try to catch the bus if the weather gets really bad, for people to be left behind with a very long wait for the next service.