Arriva North West - Bootle Depot

[Valandil]

RE: Arriva North West - Bootle Depot

(25/11/2016 15:01)mr t Wrote:  There have been a lot of complaints about the 89s being full at school times so deckers probably better off on it, same with the 60/61/62/63s.

60/61 at least generally are DD from my experience (unless the Halton Transport 61 is meant, but I doubt that).
There have been some times when yes say the 61 has had a single decker on an unfortunate working which passed a school/university at kicking out time, but I'd say the far greater problem with that route is the timekeeping as the reality often bears very little relation to the timetable, especially at peak times.

On a separate point, I noticed the schedule of a driver on the 61 and it showed working non-stop from about half past 1 till something like half past 7, with the largest gap between going in and coming back out being 9 minutes.
This was just the right-hand side of the card (I couldn't see the left).
Perhaps these cards stay with the vehicles rather than the drivers, or was he actually expected to work like that?

Interesting that an Enviro 400 was on the 360 -- it suggests that it was also on the 329, depending on how long ago this was.

[M113 YKC]

RE: Arriva North West - Bootle Depot

(25/11/2016 17:05)Valandil Wrote:  On a separate point, I noticed the schedule of a driver on the 61 and it showed working non-stop from about half past 1 till something like half past 7, with the largest gap between going in and coming back out being 9 minutes.
This was just the right-hand side of the card (I couldn't see the left).
Perhaps these cards stay with the vehicles rather than the drivers, or was he actually expected to work like that?

The boards on the bus are what the bus does all day, not the drivers.

[Valandil]

RE: Arriva North West - Bootle Depot

(25/11/2016 18:58)YJ59 AZA Wrote:  The boards on the bus are what the bus does all day, not the drivers.

Ah okay, thanks, so how do the drivers know which vehicle to be in at what time?
I'd have thought it would make more sense to write them for the drivers rather than vehicles, though there may be aspects I haven't thought of.

[RedPanda]

RE: Arriva North West - Bootle Depot

(25/11/2016 19:51)Valandil Wrote:  Ah okay, thanks, so how do the drivers know which vehicle to be in at what time?
I'd have thought it would make more sense to write them for the drivers rather than vehicles, though there may be aspects I haven't thought of.

You want as many buses as possible on the road and as few staff in the staff canteen. It'd probably be too tight to get a bus back to a bus station for it's next route as well.

[Barney]

RE: Arriva North West - Bootle Depot

(25/11/2016 21:06)RedPanda Wrote:  You want as many buses as possible on the road and as few staff in the staff canteen. It'd probably be too tight to get a bus back to a bus station for it's next route as well.

Once upon a time a driver/crew would be allocated the same bus for the whole of the shift but this was not the best use of resources. People need meal/toilet breaks etc. but a well-maintained vehicle can run continuously all day if necessary. A bus can't earn any revenue if it's parked up 20% of the time. Airlines have the same business model: keep it flying.

From a driver's perspective this is probably a good thing as I'm sure no-one would appreciate having to drive a'bad' bus all day. My dad used to hate getting allocated a bus without heaters for a full shift in the winter months.

[M113 YKC]

RE: Arriva North West - Bootle Depot

(25/11/2016 19:51)Valandil Wrote:  Ah okay, thanks, so how do the drivers know which vehicle to be in at what time?
I'd have thought it would make more sense to write them for the drivers rather than vehicles, though there may be aspects I haven't thought of.

Each bus running board is numbered. The driver duty content sheets on the wall show the running board number that you take over and when from and until; there's copies of each running board to look at the exact details of what you'll be doing (such as take-over and relief points). Not all depots and companies go by the same routine.

[MX12 KVM]

RE: Arriva North West - Bootle Depot
Noticed 2667 and 2668 are still operating out of here. Are they permanent transfers?

[Valandil]

RE: Arriva North West - Bootle Depot

(26/11/2016 00:38)YJ59 AZA Wrote:  Each bus running board is numbered. The driver duty content sheets on the wall show the running board number that you take over and when from and until; there's copies of each running board to look at the exact details of what you'll be doing (such as take-over and relief points). Not all depots and companies go by the same routine.

So, if I'm interpreting correctly, drivers look up on the wall which time they're on which running board and then hope for the best that they remember this information correctly throughout their shift (with variations for different depots and companies)?

I absolutely understand that drivers need meal breaks, that drivers do not stay with particular vehicles all day etc.

[motormayhem1]

RE: Arriva North West - Bootle Depot
Drivers will write there full duties down for that day in a works diary as me i write down my full weeks work in my diary with me being on the spare rosta , where as other drivers who are on a fixed rosta will have a copy of the rosta and tend to have a copy of the duty contents in there bags.

[Valandil]

RE: Arriva North West - Bootle Depot

(26/11/2016 11:08)motormayhem1 Wrote:  Drivers will write there full duties down for that day in a works diary as me i write down my full weeks work in my diary with me being on the spare rosta , where as other drivers who are on a fixed rosta will have a copy of the rosta and tend to have a copy of the duty contents in there bags.

Many thanks for the insight.

Out of interest, how do you know which vehicle you are to take?
Is that also put up many days in advance so you can write it down?