Arriva North West - St Helens Depot

[Raawwwrrr!]

RE: Arriva North West - St Helens Depot

(22/05/2014 12:27)MPTE1955 Wrote:  This is not CMT/GTL days so that point really is irrevelant, I do get that a solo is better than no bus at all, but this is a busy route and with people thinking these routes need deckers a solo's are a step in the wrong direction. If you used this route you would see why the solo's are unacceptable as it is always busy, don't forget as well that it is not just seating but standing room on a solo is quite minimal.

It isn't CMT/GTL days but the point is that buses with around 28 seats were more commonly used in years previous with no problem, without the quality bus partnership ticketing arrangements and without a service up to every 3 minutes. More people may use the service nowhere days but there is an increased frequency, increased operators to travel with on day and weekly tickets, and increased buses (that are also low floor) on the service so the impact will be minimal. Stick an optare solo on a less frequent but just as busy route such as the 352 and then you'll have problems.

I do use the 10/A frequently, I used to live on the route, and still use it nowhere days when travelling to my partners, doctors, dentist, friends and work. I know exactly what the loadings are like, and I know that even during peak time you can still get an empty bus, despite the 3 in-front being full standing loads, just like the 79.

[Valandil]

RE: Arriva North West - St Helens Depot
I wonder if a London-style 'maintenance of headway' approach would bring improvements to the 10(A), if it is the case that bunching is common with buses at the back of the queue being near-empty while already-full buses at the top of the pack continue to try to pick up.
It may be too resource-intensive though, as I know that TfL has staff who just work on maintaining headway and also rely on software and driver communication frequently.

[MPTE1955]

RE: Arriva North West - St Helens Depot

(22/05/2014 13:37)Raawwwrrr! Wrote:  It isn't CMT/GTL days but the point is that buses with around 28 seats were more commonly used in years previous with no problem, without the quality bus partnership ticketing arrangements and without a service up to every 3 minutes. More people may use the service nowhere days but there is an increased frequency, increased operators to travel with on day and weekly tickets, and increased buses (that are also low floor) on the service so the impact will be minimal. Stick an optare solo on a less frequent but just as busy route such as the 352 and then you'll have problems.

I do use the 10/A frequently, I used to live on the route, and still use it nowhere days when travelling to my partners, doctors, dentist, friends and work. I know exactly what the loadings are like, and I know that even during peak time you can still get an empty bus, despite the 3 in-front being full standing loads, just like the 79.

I can't comment on what the route was like back in CMT/GTL days as I didn't live along the route as I do now and certainly hardly ever got 10/10A back then and also wasn't on a bus forum back then, but with GTL it wouldn't surprise me, however, that was many years ago anyway and not present day so not particularly relevant. Yes you can get 3 full buses along the route and then one almost empty but that still doesn't make the use of 2 solos acceptable, just like it wouldn't be on the 79's. It is poor work from JS to be using these on this route, and like St Helens Rider said they probably shouldn't be here at all.

[sth77]

RE: Arriva North West - St Helens Depot
Personally I think that the Solo's and SR's are ok for certain local routes only, certainly NOT 10/A, 89 or 320 or 352. The biggest problem is that whenever full size cascades become available they more often than not end up at a garage based in Liverpool instead of being deployed where they would be most beneficial.

Someone please correct me if I am wrong but are 2504-13 and 2670-75 on loan to Bolton after being cascaded from their respective depots? I would say that once Bolton receive their pulsar's back, 2504-13 will end up in based in Liverpool & 2670-75 will head back to Liverpool.

[X782 NWX]

RE: Arriva North West - St Helens Depot
It seems like whatever JS do they're going to be in the firing line to me. If they dont run a service they will get moaned at and when they try their best to run one they still get moaned at.

I see why people say that a solo is unacceptable but surely its better than nothing.

[MPTE1955]

RE: Arriva North West - St Helens Depot

(22/05/2014 15:06)Daniel Anderton Wrote:  It seems like whatever JS do they're going to be in the firing line to me. If they dont run a service they will get moaned at and when they try their best to run one they still get moaned at.

I see why people say that a solo is unacceptable but surely its better than nothing.

JS are only in firing line for the use of solo's, if it was 2 darts it would be mentioned but the criticism wouldn't come. So to say whatever they do they would be in the firing line is wrong, we have already done the solo is better than no bus thing. Anyway, I'm done with this matter now as we will all start going round in circles soon.

[Jack]

RE: Arriva North West - St Helens Depot
It's not like it's happening every single day, ok it happened twice yesterday but it's once every blue moon that one gets on there, especially the smaller CX58 examples. Lay off a bit, there's still another 20 odd full size buses with the next one a few minutes behind.

[motormayhem1]

RE: Arriva North West - St Helens Depot
The rumour was they got brought in for the tenders etc mainly but as they arrived the tenders was lost so they stayed but i think there not suited for the busy town routes st helens operate.

[Jack]

RE: Arriva North West - St Helens Depot
What tenders did St Helens have then?

[motormayhem1]

RE: Arriva North West - St Helens Depot
Nearly all the late tenders was operated by arriva st helens but the ones that was here around the time we got them was
121/122 Gillars green-clockface/bold
147 st helens-st helens junction
156 st helens-ashton
196 st helens-thomas drive(prescot)
602 ashton-bradleigh rd (earlstown)

At one spell a few years ago they ran basically all the tenders that are operated in the town centre on a night.