Diamond Bus North West

[Metroline1511]

RE: Diamond Bus North West

(19/07/2020 20:05)R311 WVR Wrote:  Snap! A 197 had just passed me on Whitworth Street on the 20:59 Manchester - Stockport with “Bus Full, Social Distancing” despite it being an Enviro200 with 1 passenger on board.

Again yesterday evening. I'm relieved we now have the much more professional Stagecoach back on all day services now.

[Mayneway]

RE: Diamond Bus North West

(25/07/2020 20:25)ant17612 Wrote:  I believe Eccles were short of drivers due to route learning for tomorrows changes. Driver said he terminated a 163 at Bury and ran empty to the Trafford Centre. So although Bolton based must know the route.

Possibly an ex MCT driver, although the 18 is pretty straight forward with notes.

[M60lad]

RE: Diamond Bus North West
It was actually a friend of mine (who I havent seen for a while) who's an ex Atherton Driver who was driving the decker on 18, he knows most if not all of the routes Diamond do both at Eccles and Bolton.

[djb]

RE: Diamond Bus North West
If the data on bustimes is correct, diamond had a terrible start to the altered routes in trafford today (I checked after experiencing one of them).

On one route the driver ended up well off route on 3 of the first 4 journeys, and on another the first 3 runs went completely different ways!

[Mayneway]

RE: Diamond Bus North West

(27/07/2020 14:04)djb Wrote:  If the data on bustimes is correct, diamond had a terrible start to the altered routes in trafford today (I checked after experiencing one of them).

On one route the driver ended up well off route on 3 of the first 4 journeys, and on another the first 3 runs went completely different ways!

Non exsistent route training. No doubt the driver was trying to get around the route with route notes.

[djb]

RE: Diamond Bus North West

(27/07/2020 15:14)Mayneway Wrote:  Non exsistent route training. No doubt the driver was trying to get around the route with route notes.

Looking at it I feel sorry for them. On the first x5 to stockport they ended up at parrswood. But then rather than going up didsbury road they backtracked to sharston. On the morning return trips it seems they managed to end up in great moor, on brinksway, and heading towards Heaton Norris!

The 281s were all different routes, but frankly I imagine most passengers were unaware of a change (and i very rarely have company on the 281 anyway!)

[knutstransport]

RE: Diamond Bus North West

(27/07/2020 16:50)djb Wrote:  Looking at it I feel sorry for them. On the first x5 to stockport they ended up at parrswood. But then rather than going up didsbury road they backtracked to sharston. On the morning return trips it seems they managed to end up in great moor, on brinksway, and heading towards Heaton Norris!

The 281s were all different routes, but frankly I imagine most passengers were unaware of a change (and i very rarely have company on the 281 anyway!)

And I thought D&G's training could be bad at times. On one occasion I was on a bus with 2 drivers - neither of which knew the route and one was navigating the other using his phone but still missed out a section. Then there was the issue of when the 88A started one driver followed the 88A route correctly through Knutsford, most followed a mix of the 88 and 88A routes and one driver followed the 88 route even though he didn't go through one of the 88A timing points. However, it sounds like that's nothing in comparison to Diamond.

[Mayneway]

RE: Diamond Bus North West

(27/07/2020 16:50)djb Wrote:  Looking at it I feel sorry for them. On the first x5 to stockport they ended up at parrswood. But then rather than going up didsbury road they backtracked to sharston. On the morning return trips it seems they managed to end up in great moor, on brinksway, and heading towards Heaton Norris!

The 281s were all different routes, but frankly I imagine most passengers were unaware of a change (and i very rarely have company on the 281 anyway!)

A lot of my colleagues from MCT have walked or are in the process of walking away from Diamond because of the very lack of basic training. I think it’s very poor to send drivers out with idiot sheets driving a route they have never done before. It was one of the massive criticisms of UK North all them years ago and it’s still happening now.

[ant17612]

RE: Diamond Bus North West
20403 is now at Preston and painted in their new livery.

[knutstransport]

RE: Diamond Bus North West

(27/07/2020 18:23)Mayneway Wrote:  A lot of my colleagues from MCT have walked or are in the process of walking away from Diamond because of the very lack of basic training. I think it’s very poor to send drivers out with idiot sheets driving a route they have never done before. It was one of the massive criticisms of UK North all them years ago and it’s still happening now.

Wasn't one of the main criticisms of UK North that they were using Polish drivers who spoke very little English, so combined with poor route knowledge, they were hopeless at understanding what ticket they needed to sell to a passenger?