05 Mar 2015, 5:12 pm
#532
(05 Mar 2015, 5:06 pm)Jimmi 7485/6 seem like they will be re trimmed with e-leather seating as they will be MAX standard.
It won't be the first time Arriva will have refurbished a bus after less than a year, 1512 arrived around autumn 2013 and around a year later it was refurbished to Sapphire spec for the 5/5A!
Don't think so. Believe I read / was told that the two Volvo B7TLs will merely be repainted and fitted with Wi-Fi, retaining their standard fabric moquette.
Begs the question: why have a brand if you're not going to standardise it? The exact same has happened with "Sapphire"; whilst the specification is similar, each and every single "Sapphire" branded vehicle is not the same up and down the country. Some have white destinations, others don't. Some have 2+1 seating to allow more leg-room, others don't. The list goes on - and now the same is happening with "MAX".
The Lowlanders are great and have an abundance of power. Although the Volvo B7TLs performed well, better buses are required as the B7TLs fall down the hills when they have to come to a complete halt to get back into first gear. A 57-reg Lowlander should have at least been trialled - tachographs aren't required when the peak season timetable comes into fruition, so why not? The only logical explanation I can come up with is that it saves Arriva a job: drivers and engineers don't have to familiarise themselves with a Lowlander for a few months during the peak season operation of the X93.
