(06 May 2015, 4:47 pm)Malarkey wrote Just out of curiosity, how many of you feel that the Streetlites are rather slow.
Just that when I was on the 2 earlier on one of the 11reg Versas, 5409 went passed as we stopped at Hastings Hill to let a Wheel Chair Passenger off, obviously during this time the driver would have get out of his cab to get the ramp out etc, this would therefore allow 5409 to get quite far ahead right, well not quite we caught 5409 up just before the Roundabout at Penshaw Monument which I was quite shocked by considering we were at a Standstill for around a Minute while the Wheelchair alighted, I cant help but think if that was a B10BLE Wright Renown that it would been long gone, probably at the other end of Penshaw I think.
On top of that I used the 8 twice yesterday between Washington Galleries and Sunderland, going up/down Washington Highway felt like forever before we built up any form of speed as they are very slow in accelerating, by which time the Vehicle would have to slow down at a Junction, dont even get me started on my return journey on 5406, heating on full blast coupled with the "New Vehicle Smell" and "Leather" isnt pleasant at all whatsoever.
Which leads me to the conclusion that GNE have went for Quantity over Quality, basically theyve bought the Supermarket equivalent of "Asda Smart Price Beans" which isnt very nice, when they should of bought a tin of Heinz instead in the form of Mercedes Citaros, Maybe my opinion will change in the future when I use them to go up Stanley and Consett for Photographs in a few weeks, but thus far I am not to impressed on these Lightweight Vehicles, finishing on a positive, I do like the e-leather Seating, Wood Effect flooring and Branding on the Vehicles for the Services in which they have been purchased for.
According to the press release (the same one that made up a name for the C2C), they have invested 100% of their profits into buying these new vehicles.
Forgetting any thoughts on the business sense behind that - it means that these Streetlights, were all the company could afford, whilst maintaining the same sort of frequency.
As much as I prefer my Heinz to Smartprice, if I can only afford Smartprice - I will only buy Smartprice.
Granted these may be Smartprice beans with a few bells and whistles, but it is better than cutting back and going hungry.
It has made me wonder how profitable the service actually is though. I appreciate the Renowns, were good vehicles - but for them to remain in front line service, on the same route for 15/16 years... Whilst other routes have had 2/3 upgrades in the same period.
In my opinion, there was either nowt suitable on the market or it isn't that profitable of a route.
Having travelled on it regularly for a good number of years and witnessed the passenger trends first hand, I tend to think profits aren't the best.
People use it in stages, with the geography of the route, tends to lend itself to short trips.
Consett - Annfield Plain (vice versa)
Annfield Plain - Stanley
Stanley - Beamish
Pelton - Chester
Chester - Lumley
Lumley - Sunderland
With other short hops in between.
Then the changes in 2007/8, will have only tweaked things slightly, with it being Stanley - Craghead and Strange Villa - Chester.
Chuck in an ageing population in the mining villages, using their conc passes and you don't have a mega bucks bus.