Arriva North West - Bootle Depot

[M113 YKC]

RE: Arriva North West - Bootle Depot

(23/01/2013 16:59)507009 Wrote:  

(23/01/2013 16:34)3111 Wrote:  I disagree with that. Their poor bottom-deck seating layout isn't good for many passengers, particularly the less-abled type. They also have poor fuel consumption, along with most examples having slow acceleration. Many passengers, drivers and depot managers won't miss them when they leave the fleet!

There are still 23 seats downstairs on a DLA and of those ten are fully accessible without steps. That's precisely ten more than the step-entrance R-WVRs had and the DLAs outclass those in terms of ride quality, internal brightness and cleanliness and legroom. They also have space for prams which the R-WVRs didn't and were constantly the subject of complaints from passengers on the 61 in that regard.

I know they're not perfect and some (not as many as is suggested, but some) struggle with speed, but from a general passenger viewpoint, they are good buses. I've never heard a passenger complain and indeed have overheard praise for them compared with what went before.

Well, we're in two different situations... I've heard plenty of passengers complaining about them in Bootle, Birkenhead and Rhyl - including a member of my family (less-able), who has hurt theirself climbing up the steps to the non-less-able-friendly area when the seats that are able for them have been taken. An ex-Skelmersdale-based driver who I know told me that they weren't loved there when they replaced Palatine 2s on the 375/385 - trend?

Bootle's manager wants them gone as soon as possible, according to a friend (driver) of mine, due to their poor fuel consumption and I know about a few drivers (and no doubt that there's more!) who will be glad to see the back of them!

Yes, they're much better than the Palatine 2s that they replaced - but not much better. They still limit the less-able passengers a lot, whereas I guess that Palatine 2s limited them totally due to their step at the entrance.