New Buses Orders

[Gillmoss 0324]

RE: New Buses Orders

(22/03/2013 21:16)3111 Wrote:  

(22/03/2013 14:50)Phil Wrote:  Maybe I'm letting this get to me more than it should but why oh why have GL decided on Pulsars yet again? Is it depot management going for profit rather than customer satisfaction? I simply cannot see how a case for deckers on the 12/13 being declined.

Just try deckets for a bloody change. Stop treating people like sardines

The 12/13 serve a significant number of hotspots and residential areas. If the services were marketed properly around those areas, they would probably appeal to car users (one of the main points of bus services - to provide car users with other ways to travel). If that knock-on effect did take place, patronage figures would increase and would prove that the order of single-deckers for the services was not enough. However, if that did happen and Arriva did eventually decide to provide the services with double-deckers, car users may already have decided against using the services and the damage may have been done. I'm sure that, if double-deckers were drafted in alongside huge marketing effort, their time would be worthwhile.

For existing passengers, in comparison to a typical Marshall, there are five extra seats and an additional area of standing room. Whilst Pulsars do tend to go onto the services regularly at the moment, a full allocation of them will be beneficial somehow. It's something, at least (not much, but better than how it currently is). As for how many have been ordered and how many are needed, there may (on paper) already be enough spare Pulsars to cover what's needed (as 507009 mentioned, the 26/27 usually have a few examples on there). And as for the choice of Pulsars, Volvo/Eclipses seat only one additional passenger (and probably a few standees) - in addition, Arriva probably get Pulsars for a discount price with them being the UK VDL importer, so overall it's better business from their perspective. Wright quality doesn't seem to be great these days, either - Eclipses that I've sampled haven't been much better or worse than Pulsars (hit and miss).

Furthermore, bunching is another big factor with these regular services - often, several pass through Queen Square Bus Station at once, then nothing appears for up to 10 minutes and then the cycle is repeated. Personally, I think that the bunching issue needs to be addressed in order for the services to run more efficiently (such as adding more time where traffic is an issue). Then, when they're running efficiently and passenger numbers are more realistic (spread-out) on each 12/13 journey, patronage figures can be properly assessed.

Bear with me on this - my wording, as always, may be a bit difficult to understand. This isn't aimed at Phil. This scenario also goes with most (if not, all) services. Hope it makes sense and points are taken-in!

Couldn't agree more mate. The 12/13 could be a big profit generator for Arriva NW however over the last 5-7 years it's been allowed to drift along with Merseytravel's SMART initatives quietly dying and then Endurances and even worse later on Dart slf's appearing on a route which can sometimes attract 50-60 users from Deysbrook to the City Centre. Arriva had a case for deckers on the 60 that it served a number of major schools yet the 12/13 serves at least 2 major schools, a large further education college at Bankfield, many residential area's and the Royal Hospital. The bunching on this route isn't as much as a problem as on the 10's for example but I've waited at the Jolly Miller sometimes for both city and Stockbridge bound journey's and not got on the bus sometimes due to the standing loads. If Stagecoach still did the 12/13, 18A's no problem if Arriva put in Pulsars but they don't and it is this reason the deckers ARE needed here and it would be interesting for a straight answer as to why (profit I reckon) we're not getting them. Overall Merseytravel too should be interested in the Tuebrook corridor and I'm not being overtly critical of Arriva for the sake of it it's just that what's being offered isn't what's needed and many of us have mentioned for a few years now deckers should be the way to go for the 12/13 and possibly many other GL routes.