First Manchester

[Mrboo]

RE: First Manchester
Does not really sell First Oldham

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019...le-service

[Bevan Price]

RE: First Manchester
Is Oldham short of double-deckers ? At least two 674xx single deckers on the 409 today (18 June), and another on the 83 -- both routes seem to be normally 100% double deck when I have seen them in the last few years.

[Mayneway]

RE: First Manchester

(18/06/2019 22:42)Bevan Price Wrote:  Is Oldham short of double-deckers ? At least two 674xx single deckers on the 409 today (18 June), and another on the 83 -- both routes seem to be normally 100% double deck when I have seen them in the last few years.

409’s is now a ‘chuck anything on it’ route with Enviro300’s and Streetlites the norm even during the day. Ironically today I noticed two Enviro300’s leave Ashton on 409’s while at the same time a double decker (possibly Enviro400) left on a 346.

[Mrboo]

RE: First Manchester

(19/06/2019 03:17)Mayneway Wrote:  409’s is now a ‘chuck anything on it’ route with Enviro300’s and Streetlites the norm even during the day. Ironically today I noticed two Enviro300’s leave Ashton on 409’s while at the same time a double decker (possibly Enviro400) left on a 346.

No one cares they try and put out the right buses for AM peak then after they use what ever they have spare if they need to swap a bus often you see Single deckers now on 83 / 180/184 even streetlights they do try and use on X84 a Single Decker so that would work a 83 or 184 down to Manchester but it rare now you need a decker on any routes

[M60lad]

RE: First Manchester
I actually despute the fact that its rare you need a decker on any of Oldham's routes, I work in Manchester myself and while during the day you could get away with Singles on most routes/duties in the evening peaks deckers are needed especially if a service is missed/not running for whatever reason.

I finish work at 18:00 and if its running I catch 18:09 182 home which is booked Streetlite due to the fact that it comes off 6 (Kirkholt Circulars) in the afternoon and I've seen and been on it when its left Manchester full and standing, also if its missing the next bus 24 at 18:23 can pick up the load that 182 should have got, one good thing is that now some of the Streetlites have gone to Queens Road the 24 is more often than not now a double decker which is what that duty needs rather that the Streetlite or B7 that used to be used on it.

The problem I've found is that while singles are in use on most Manchester duties now, double deckers (Enviro400s & Geminis) are going round on 350 which I think could happily have singles on it most of the day but you can't have everything I suppose and I think the only reason why 350 has mostly deckers on it is due to Schools traffic in the morning and in the afternoon.

[Mrboo]

RE: First Manchester

(19/06/2019 06:43)M60lad Wrote:  I actually despute the fact that its rare you need a decker on any of Oldham's routes, I work in Manchester myself and while during the day you could get away with Singles on most routes/duties in the evening peaks deckers are needed especially if a service is missed/not running for whatever reason.

I finish work at 18:00 and if its running I catch 18:09 182 home which is booked Streetlite due to the fact that it comes off 6 (Kirkholt Circulars) in the afternoon and I've seen and been on it when its left Manchester full and standing, also if its missing the next bus 24 at 18:23 can pick up the load that 182 should have got, one good thing is that now some of the Streetlites have gone to Queens Road the 24 is more often than not now a double decker which is what that duty needs rather that the Streetlite or B7 that used to be used on it.

The problem I've found is that while singles are in use on most Manchester duties now, double deckers (Enviro400s & Geminis) are going round on 350 which I think could happily have singles on it most of the day but you can't have everything I suppose and I think the only reason why 350 has mostly deckers on it is due to Schools traffic in the morning and in the afternoon.

And the point you made if a bus did not turn up you would need a bigger bus so really a single decker could do job now am not talking a 33 seater streetlight so long as duty`s get covered a single decker will cope. remember there was a point they did buy singles in the past. If I was buying buses I would buy single deckers and remove all seats apart from rear of bus over wheels so you have lots of space for standing and wheelchairs/buggies. like you will get passengers upset that they have to stand at peak but off peak you give wheelchairs and buggies space. and there still space to sit

[acocker96]

RE: First Manchester

(19/06/2019 07:15)Mrboo Wrote:  And the point you made if a bus did not turn up you would need a bigger bus so really a single decker could do job now am not talking a 33 seater streetlight so long as duty`s get covered a single decker will cope. remember there was a point they did buy singles in the past. If I was buying buses I would buy single deckers and remove all seats apart from rear of bus over wheels so you have lots of space for standing and wheelchairs/buggies. like you will get passengers upset that they have to stand at peak but off peak you give wheelchairs and buggies space. and there still space to sit

Buggies have enough space as it is, forever displacing standing paying passengers on packed buses.

[gilesbus1]

RE: First Manchester
Not sure if its a sign of things to come or just an accident in the wash but 69529 has no longer a FirstGroup logo on the front, all others in the batch remain the same unchanged,

[Mrboo]

RE: First Manchester

(19/06/2019 08:23)acocker96 Wrote:  Buggies have enough space as it is, forever displacing standing paying passengers on packed buses.

It not the buggies more wheelchairs then have space without asking buggies to leave service. as often you see 2 buggies off peak on a service. it also turns them into people movers many people like to stand also on buses but due to lack of space they get in way of driver.

[M60lad]

RE: First Manchester
The Norht side of Manchester grinded to a virtual halt last night due to the full closure of Stevenson Square from 17:00-22:00 for an event for Clean Air week, unfortunatly this created chaos in the surrounding area with reports of buses running from 60 to even 90mins late. It was actually taking 60mins just to get from Shudehill to Oldham Street, it didn't help as apparently a bus broke down at Oldham Street/Great Ancoats Street junction.

I finished work at 18:00 and it was utter gridlock on Church Street/Dale Street and beyond with buses still attempting to get to their terminus points, I got talking to one driver from Oldham Depot who was on an 81 who by the time they left Manchester should have been on their mealbreak and supposed to take off a 409 after their break but couldn't due to the problems in Manchester so despite the problems being in Manchester a 409 would have been missing last night along with one of the last First 81s to Oldham as the bus they were on should have been 20:05 81 from Piccadilly-Oldham only but the bus didn't get to Oldham until 19:50ish on its way to Derker.