The annual dartslf.com awards - 2017 edition!

[SK15 GZG (Moderator)]

RE: The annual dartslf.com awards - 2017 edition!
You beat me to it this year Steve - lol. Anyway here's my answers before I go off to celebrate the New Year

1 - Who was the best company of the year?
This year I'm going with Stagecoach Merseyside. They've invested in a lot of much needed double deckers this year as well as bringing up four from South West for the X8

2 - Who was the worst company of the year?
I can't think of one

3 - Which North West depot do you think made the most progress in 2017?
Arriva Green Lane. More much needed double deckers on busy routes and the allocation of Green Lane's decker fleet has generally been very good on the whole

4 - What bus(es) were the best delivery to a company of the year?
Arriva's Volvo B5LHs. These are extremely nice buses and I personally think they're the best deckers Arriva have bought for the area

5 - What withdrawn bus(es) were the hardest goodbye from a company of the year?
The Myllenniums from Green Lane. Far from perfect but they were something different at a depot which has become increasingly standardised in the past few years

6 - Which bus(es) looked the smartest during the year?
Arriva's new hybrids. I initially really didn't like the body design but I've really grown to like it

7 - What was the rarest sighting of the year?
A Volvo B5LH on the 7

8 - What was the biggest surprise in the industry of the year?
I'd have to go for Network Warrington placing a larger order than was initially expected

9 - What was the biggest disappointment in the industry of the year?
I really feel Arriva's rebrand has been a big disappointment. The new livery family looks alright but it isn't exactly an improvement on the smart livery family it has replaced

10 - What bus was the best during the year?
Green Lane's 2590. In my view the best low floor single decker the depot has ever had

11 - What bus was the worst during the year?
Can't really pick one out this year

12 - What bus(es) are you most looking forward to in 2018?
Network Warrington's new Enviro200s

13 - What bus(es) would you like to see in the North West in 2018?
More Enviro400s for Arriva's 53 and 68 and Stagecoach's 82/86 to fully convert both routes instead of the mixed allocation it has at the moment due to interworking. Out of the three routes I personally think the latter is the most likely. I'd also like to see more BYD D9URs too. Green Lane's batch are really good buses even if they're a bit small at busy times. I think they'd be ideal for the St Helens or Southport local services - but other than those I can't really think of anything else they'd be suited to