(06 Jun 2015, 6:44 pm)South Tyne Lad wrote I think GNE are turning into arriva a bit, There like buying streetlites for all routes and if they buy streetdecks as a double decker that shows there buying cheaper less capable buses for routes that used to have mighty B10BLES, Omnicities and Mercedes Citaro Bendys there all heavy duty buses with bigger engines for tougher routes like them except the X66
Im sure everyone here would prefer a B8RLE on the Limes and maybe double deckers for the Red Kites though it was right buying streetlites for the X66 as its only 10 minutes long.
Nearly all bus companies don't buy heavywieghts now, that's why I think the B8RLE will not sell good its all about fuel savings!!!
You'll find that most companies in this industry now favour light-weight vehicles opposed to heavy-weight vehicles - it's not a case of "Go North East turning into Arriva" or anything like that.
I think the reason why a large number of bus operators are ordering single-deckers from Wrightbus is because Euro 5 is still offered. Euro 6 offers a greater fuel efficiency, which, when paired with a lighter weight, offers significant fuel savings. However, in the present climate, the operators struggle to reap the rewards from Euro 6 because the initial cost is so much greater than its Euro 5 equivalent. When manufacturers no longer offer Euro 5 products (ADL recently suggested that they were looking to wholly move over to Euro 6 soon), Euro 6 will be less of a novelty and I think this is when new buses will reduce in price, giving operators more of a choice between light-weight and heavy-weight.
As it stands, operators don't have much of a choice for heavy-weight products anyway. The Volvo B8RLE and Mercedes Citaro are some of the only heavy-weight vehicles available, and I think we're still waiting on a Wrights-bodied demonstrator vehicle of the former, with a MCV body presently being the only option available?