(25 Aug 2015, 3:37 pm)Dan wrote I'm still not convinced by Arriva showing how late vehicles are running on their app..?

Surely more customers would like to know when their bus is due, rather than how late it is, or have I missed the point? I mean, when family and friends ask me when the bus is due, I usually respond by saying "In 5 minutes" rather than by saying, "Due at 16:45 - it's 13 minutes late."

I'd rather know how long it is going to be, whether it's early or late, personally.

(25 Aug 2015, 10:28 am)Coppercap40 wrote Any info as to where 562 can be found today please?

(25 Aug 2015, 10:42 am)Michael wrote Probables be on the Npower shuttle.

Aye, it is on the NPower shuttles

Enthusiasts want to know how late a bus is running, whereas Joe Public just wants to know when it's going to turn up. 

Arriva's app allows you to do both. In the journey planner mode, it'll say your bus is due at 16:45 (+2) for example. Although I'd have personally designed it to just state 17:47. Giving details that it's running 2 minutes late only when you expand that particular trip. There's actually no indication what the +0, +2, etc refers to, unless you start digging through the FAQs. 

Then livemap of course allows you to see exactly where the bus is, and then get the same details for that trip, as you would via the journey planner mode. The map is nothing more than a bit of a novelty really, and it takes some knowledge of the bus network to actually scout down where the bus is on route.

(25 Aug 2015, 3:52 pm)Andreos1 wrote Aye, it is on the NPower shuttles

Yes I managed to get a pic today, must have been the 2 magpies that were hopping around !!!

(25 Aug 2015, 3:37 pm)Dan wrote I'm still not convinced by Arriva showing how late vehicles are running on their app..?

Surely more customers would like to know when their bus is due, rather than how late it is, or have I missed the point? I mean, when family and friends ask me when the bus is due, I usually respond by saying "In 5 minutes" rather than by saying, "Due at 16:45 - it's 13 minutes late."

Ah, the standard bus driver response 

I don't use the Arriva live map no more as its not a real time if the bus turns up at the bus stop where I get on and the live map still showing the bus 20 to 30 minutes down the route, on the arriva app I just use the timetable with the green line commencing down on the left hand side as its usually within a couple of minutes before the bus stop.

(25 Aug 2015, 5:03 pm)cbma06 wrote I don't use the Arriva live map no more as its not a real time if the bus turns up at the bus stop where I get on and the live map still showing the bus 20 to 30 minutes down the route, on the arriva app I just use the timetable with the green line commencing down on the left hand side as its usually within a couple of minutes before the bus stop.

I have to say that that's the opposite of my own experience. I find the liveapp to be dead on. It's a lifesaver on a morning if it's chucking down, and I don't want to be standing for a bus that's running late.

(25 Aug 2015, 4:56 pm)MurdnunoC wrote Ah, the standard bus driver response 

I'm learning quickly, aren't I?

Our new 'Bus Refurbishments & Repairs' thread (which can be found here) reminded me that I haven't provided an update on our current status with things at Thornton's for a while...

The three away at present are Riverside's Volvo B10BLE/Wright Renown 4900 (V990 ETN), 4910 (W491 SCU) and 4919 (X919 WGR) - 4910 is the most recent one to have gone to Thorntons.

Formerly based within the Driver Training School, Volvo B10M/Plaxton Paragons 7080 (Y808 MFT) and 7082 (Y782 MFT) returned to Riverside from Thornton's this afternoon, following seating configuration modifications ahead of the new academic school year next week.


Also worth noting is that Volvo B10BLE/Wright Renown 4896 (V986 ETN) and 4897 (V987 ETN) have both transferred from Deptford to Riverside - one of these is just an extra vehicle in the fleet which will help Riverside out while their own Volvo B10BLEs are away for DDA conversion, and one is to allow 4843 (R843 PRG) to be withdrawn (released by one of the entry into service of one of the MPDs from Peterlee).

(25 Aug 2015, 3:37 pm)Dan wrote I'm still not convinced by Arriva showing how late vehicles are running on their app..?

Surely more customers would like to know when their bus is due, rather than how late it is, or have I missed the point? I mean, when family and friends ask me when the bus is due, I usually respond by saying "In 5 minutes" rather than by saying, "Due at 16:45 - it's 13 minutes late."

I'm sure it did say when it was due to actually turn up for a while, with the +3 or whatever on the end, but that was changed to show when it was officially due. Might me my brain playing tricks on me though the way it does work at the moment is more sensible. If people saw "13:11 + 3" and incorrectely interpreted it as turning up at 13:11, which would be 3 minutes late, they won't miss their bus. If it said (for the same bus as the previous example) "13:14 + 3" and people incorrectly interpreted that as "arriving 3 minutes after 13:14" then they might miss their bus if they don't hurry along, thinking they have more time than they actually do to get to the stop.

(25 Aug 2015, 5:11 pm)aureolin wrote I have to say that that's the opposite of my own experience. I find the liveapp to be dead on. It's a lifesaver on a morning if it's chucking down, and I don't want to be standing for a bus that's running late.

It's usually spot on for the 22 towards Durham, but way out for the first 20 minutes moving away from Durham. I've stopped believing it when it tells me the Sunderland bound bus is going to be late because twice it's done that and it's been on time or early. On another occasion, when the Christmas festival was on we ended up waiting 45 minutes in the freezing cold for a bus, while the app claimed that the bus we'd set out for approached the village and drove past us. It doesn't cope very well with buses running more than a few minutes late.

Folks, I'm not wondering this from a perspective of whether you agree with buggys on buses or not. How comes you can travel with a child in a pushchair on Arriva's express routes particularly the X15 which serves mainly the A1 and all of these vehicles (well bar the MPD's) can easily get to 62mph yet, passengers can't do this on the X9/X10?

(25 Aug 2015, 9:45 pm)DaveyBowyer wrote Folks, I'm not wondering this from a perspective of whether you agree with buggys on buses or not. How comes you can travel with a child in a pushchair on Arriva's express routes particularly the X15 which serves mainly the A1 and all of these vehicles (well bar the MPD's) can easily get to 62mph yet, passengers can't do this on the X9/X10?

Wheelchair access will always trump buggy access. In any situation - buggy access on buses, parent and child parking - those things are a courtesy, whilst wheelchair access (and other features which make disabled people less disabled in that situation) are mandatory.

(25 Aug 2015, 9:45 pm)DaveyBowyer wrote Folks, I'm not wondering this from a perspective of whether you agree with buggys on buses or not. How comes you can travel with a child in a pushchair on Arriva's express routes particularly the X15 which serves mainly the A1 and all of these vehicles (well bar the MPD's) can easily get to 62mph yet, passengers can't do this on the X9/X10?

Maybe its the difference in miles for each route?

How many miles does it do the motorway?, so the X9/X10 may do more so pushchairs aren't aloud.

Honestly i have no idea.

I know the question isn't focused on pushchairs on the bus but i'll have my say on it anyway: Don't mind pushchairs being on the bus... as long as the child is in it, annoys the life out me when someone gets on with a pushchair and the kid isn't in it.

There is a big difference between the X15 and X9/X10.

The X15 is on and off the A1 and, for most of the route, it is a standard single carriage way like most roads (minus the Dual Carriageways and Motorways). I am aware that some of the X15 route is on a dual carriage way (like when it first joins the A1 heading north at Gosforth). However, all of the A19 covered by the X9 and X10 is dual carriage way and doesn't keep exiting at every single possible point (not saying the X15 does that because i know for a fact it doesnt). That could be something to do with it.

(25 Aug 2015, 6:07 pm)Dan wrote Our new 'Bus Refurbishments & Repairs' thread (which can be found here) reminded me that I haven't provided an update on our current status with things at Thornton's for a while...

The three away at present are Riverside's Volvo B10BLE/Wright Renown 4900 (V990 ETN), 4910 (W491 SCU) and 4919 (X919 WGR) - 4910 is the most recent one to have gone to Thorntons.

Formerly based within the Driver Training School, Volvo B10M/Plaxton Paragons 7080 (Y808 MFT) and 7082 (Y782 MFT) returned to Riverside from Thornton's this afternoon, following seating configuration modifications ahead of the new academic school year next week.


Also worth noting is that Volvo B10BLE/Wright Renown 4896 (V986 ETN) and 4897 (V987 ETN) have both transferred from Deptford to Riverside - one of these is just an extra vehicle in the fleet which will help Riverside out while their own Volvo B10BLEs are away for DDA conversion, and one is to allow 4843 (R843 PRG) to be withdrawn (released by one of the entry into service of one of the MPDs from Peterlee).

Any idea when the last Toonlink B10 will get withdrawn?

(25 Aug 2015, 10:25 pm)Michael wrote Any idea when the last Toonlink B10 will get withdrawn?

no idea ask

(25 Aug 2015, 11:48 pm)Diamond One wrote no idea ask

He just did...?

(25 Aug 2015, 10:25 pm)Michael wrote Any idea when the last Toonlink B10 will get withdrawn?

Is 5239 still at Stanley for maintenence? Wont be withdrawn until it gets to Riverside - it is in full branding for toon link

5291 in blue on the 43/44 in Durham yesterday.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/16042610@N07/20866530702/

(25 Aug 2015, 10:24 pm)S813 FVK wrote There is a big difference between the X15 and X9/X10.

The X15 is on and off the A1 and, for most of the route, it is a standard single carriage way like most roads (minus the Dual Carriageways and Motorways). I am aware that some of the X15 route is on a dual carriage way (like when it first joins the A1 heading north at Gosforth). However, all of the A19 covered by the X9 and X10 is dual carriage way and doesn't keep exiting at every single possible point (not saying the X15 does that because i know for a fact it doesnt). That could be something to do with it.

The X15 barely reaches 40-50mph on the Morpeth-Alnwick stretch, it turns off at Felton and again into Shilbottle. I'm not sure on the Alnwick-Berwick section, but I'll say either held up by a tractor or other cars causing backlogs, as I've been in the car multiple times.

6060 won't start. The angels seem to be having a few issues lately.

We've ended up on a rather packed pulsar X12. Who was saying arrival should scrap this route to Newcastle again? [Sceptical raised eyebrow]

(26 Aug 2015, 7:58 am)durhambusman wrote 5291 in blue on the 43/44 in Durham yesterday.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/16042610@N07/20866530702/

It left Durham about quarter of an hour ago for anyone wanting to catch sight of it

(25 Aug 2015, 6:07 pm)Dan wrote Our new 'Bus Refurbishments & Repairs' thread (which can be found here) reminded me that I haven't provided an update on our current status with things at Thornton's for a while...

The three away at present are Riverside's Volvo B10BLE/Wright Renown 4900 (V990 ETN), 4910 (W491 SCU) and 4919 (X919 WGR) - 4910 is the most recent one to have gone to Thorntons.

Formerly based within the Driver Training School, Volvo B10M/Plaxton Paragons 7080 (Y808 MFT) and 7082 (Y782 MFT) returned to Riverside from Thornton's this afternoon, following seating configuration modifications ahead of the new academic school year next week.


Also worth noting is that Volvo B10BLE/Wright Renown 4896 (V986 ETN) and 4897 (V987 ETN) have both transferred from Deptford to Riverside - one of these is just an extra vehicle in the fleet which will help Riverside out while their own Volvo B10BLEs are away for DDA conversion, and one is to allow 4843 (R843 PRG) to be withdrawn (released by one of the entry into service of one of the MPDs from Peterlee).

4843 is on 97/98 today.   It operated the sunniside 97 this morning.
4896 or 97 is on service 27, with the other on service 95/96/64.
4919 is back in service today, was parked at Gateshead metro this morning.

A nice shiny red bus has just arrived

(26 Aug 2015, 1:55 pm)citaro5284 wrote A nice shiny red bus has just arrived

Wouldnt be that B8RLE (BA15 BXS) by any chance would it?

(26 Aug 2015, 2:01 pm)Malarkey wrote Wouldnt be that B8RLE (BA15 BXS) by any chance would it?

I hope so

(26 Aug 2015, 1:01 pm)park5354 wrote 4843 is on 97/98 today.   It operated the sunniside 97 this morning.
4896 or 97 is on service 27, with the other on service 95/96/64.
4919 is back in service today, was parked at Gateshead metro this morning.

One of the 97 buses is at saltmedows looked like it was sanded down ready for repaint

(26 Aug 2015, 2:19 pm)Si1989 wrote One of the 97 buses is at saltmedows looked like it was sanded down ready for repaint

If it is, it means they're changing or getting rid of the Highwayman brand... as a few people predicted... when it was announced they wanted to the change the services.

I wonder if anymore have being done... hence the post from Citaro... with the shiny red bus being a ex highwayman scania.

I knew Dan was onto something when he said that it was in GNE red...