(03 Aug 2014, 11:41 am)G-CPTN wrote From:- https://www.utbank.co.uk/2013/10/the-dda-is-big-news-for-anyone-working-in-bus-and-coach-finance/

(03 Aug 2014, 12:36 pm)Dan wrote I'm the only person on board under 60 years of age! The other four passengers aren't using the power sockets.

Tried multiple sets, but to no avail.

Had no luck with Sapphire this week!

(03 Aug 2014, 12:50 pm)Roland Pratt wrote They could have been having a shave or something!

(03 Aug 2014, 12:47 pm)Dan wrote 7505 was alright. Well, it got into Newcastle on time after leaving Ashington 2 or 3 mins late...so must have been alright.

(03 Aug 2014, 11:49 am)mb134 wrote Was this the reason initially that Arriva bought both body types?

(03 Aug 2014, 12:54 pm)Roland Pratt wrote Cadets! You could imagine there would have been more interest if it had been an Alexander bodied one!

(03 Aug 2014, 12:52 pm)Dan wrote Aye... The old woman had a few white hairs coming from her chin, like! Guess she'll have to pluck them out instead.

(03 Aug 2014, 12:56 pm)Roland Pratt wrote Didn't you offer to pluck her?!

(03 Aug 2014, 12:53 pm)Roland Pratt wrote Did Alexander make the necessary modifications between V and W reg?

(03 Aug 2014, 1:00 pm)mb134 wrote Aren't the V reg B10's wright bodied? If so could Arriva have ordered these then realised that they would have a shorter life than Alexander bodied ones so bought those to follow on?

(03 Aug 2014, 1:03 pm)Roland Pratt wrote Yes, they are Wright bodied. I meant did the bodybuilders make modifications in between V and W reg to make them DDA, so if the V reg.s had been Alexanders they wouldn't have been DDA, and if the W regs had been Wrights they would have been.

Possibly not, as the Cadets are W reg and they aren't DDA.

(03 Aug 2014, 12:45 pm)mb134 wrote I could have walked faster than 7502 along the A1 yesterday, my days it was slow, how was 7505?
Yeah there was a screaming baby on mine so I decided that music was the best way as well

(03 Aug 2014, 1:39 pm)Philly rf wrote Does anyone know why arriva never use they 57 reg low landers on long route hardly anymore

(03 Aug 2014, 12:42 pm)Dan wrote I got the Wi-Fi to work on 7505 yesterday, but it was that slow I turned it off. Was taking liberties when it was taking about 30 seconds to send a message, so went back to using my own data.

Plugs worked yesterday though, and the journey was quite pleasant...after I put my earphones in!

(03 Aug 2014, 2:59 pm)mb134 wrote Also Dan, just looking through your pictures, your one of 7505 at Haymarket yesterday has its registration labelled as NK57DWX, it should be the same as your shot of it at Ashington Lots of great shots on there mind

(03 Aug 2014, 1:41 pm)mb134 wrote Only two are any good (7453 and 7454 I think)based on what I've heard

(03 Aug 2014, 3:45 pm)mb134 wrote Will the X21 timetable be changed in the future so that it no longer interworks with the 35 on Sundays or evening's?

(03 Aug 2014, 5:57 pm)VolvoMarkII wrote Probably not. Breaking an interworking pattern will simply create more duties for the same end result.

More drivers working late just for the sake of a bus type wouldnt go down too well. I would guess that the X21/35 evening cycle is probably allocated to the Sapphire rota anyway, so the drivers are still Sapphire spec on the 35 on a night.

(03 Aug 2014, 6:02 pm)Dan wrote All the drivers I saw in Ashington yesterday afternoon were in Sapphire uniform... Even if they weren't on Sapphire services...

I thought the idea behind Sapphire was so that it would be a small, dedicated team of drivers? Passengers have the potential to get to know their drivers? Clearly if the rota is so large it can incorporate other services, in addition to the Sapphire services, this is not the case...

Speaking of which, 1514 was the Pulsar with plug sockets which didn't work, and with incredibly slow Wi-Fi which cut off altogether after about five minutes.

(03 Aug 2014, 8:22 pm)mb134 wrote Does the 308 go past Whitley Bay Ice Rink? Thanks in advance

(03 Aug 2014, 8:23 pm)citaro5284 wrote Yes

(03 Aug 2014, 8:24 pm)mb134 wrote Cheers

(03 Aug 2014, 8:26 pm)Tom wrote So does the 309 - much better than the 308 I tell you that! The 308 is very unreliable.

(03 Aug 2014, 6:02 pm)Dan wrote All the drivers I saw in Ashington yesterday afternoon were in Sapphire uniform... Even if they weren't on Sapphire services...

I thought the idea behind Sapphire was so that it would be a small, dedicated team of drivers? Passengers have the potential to get to know their drivers? Clearly if the rota is so large it can incorporate other services, in addition to the Sapphire services, this is not the case...

Speaking of which, 1514 was the Pulsar with plug sockets which didn't work, and with incredibly slow Wi-Fi which cut off altogether after about five minutes.

(03 Aug 2014, 8:26 pm)Tom wrote So does the 309 - much better than the 308 I tell you that! The 308 is very unreliable.

(03 Aug 2014, 8:36 pm)aureolin wrote I'd thought that too, but I can't actually find it written down anywhere. Just that "we’re giving those working the Sapphire routes some extra training to help them give you the best possible experience when you travel with us on a Sapphire bus."

I agree though it seems a little pointless to have drivers in Sapphire uniform on non-Sapphire services. Like branded vehicles off route (interworking or not), it damages the reputation of that brand.