Can confirm the A1/M1 interworking, was using a VW van on Monday, with the 470/3 having layovers at Cawledge.

There was a van on the 1155 15 from Rothbury to Alnwick, quickly swapped at Alnwick as it was a Solo on the return journey, as the arse of a driver didn't give a toss about those who were unable to board the 15.......

I have a rather long rant about PCL after relying on their services for a few days now...gonna type it up on Friday night once I get home.

(08 Nov 2017, 5:06 pm)omnicity4659 wrote Can confirm the A1/M1 interworking, was using a VW van on Monday, with the 470/3 having layovers at Cawledge.

There was a van on the 1155 15 from Rothbury to Alnwick, quickly swapped at Alnwick as it was a Solo on the return journey, as the arse of a driver didn't give a toss about those who were unable to board the 15.......

I have a rather long rant about PCL after relying on their services for a few days now...gonna type it up on Friday night once I get home.

They are a totally unprofessional company who shouldn't have been given the time of day in the first place, and your post just further reiterates this point!

(08 Nov 2017, 5:06 pm)omnicity4659 wrote Can confirm the A1/M1 interworking, was using a VW van on Monday, with the 470/3 having layovers at Cawledge.

There was a van on the 1155 15 from Rothbury to Alnwick, quickly swapped at Alnwick as it was a Solo on the return journey, as the arse of a driver didn't give a toss about those who were unable to board the 15.......

I have a rather long rant about PCL after relying on their services for a few days now...gonna type it up on Friday night once I get home.

Send a complaint to Northumberland council. If there service is that bad the contract should be terminated.

(08 Nov 2017, 8:09 pm)Cobalt271 wrote They are a totally unprofessional company who shouldn't have been given the time of day in the first place, and your post just further reiterates this point!

Peter really needs to consider his customers before throwing himself on the front line and introducing pointless services like the A1 with a Optare Versa when that bus could have a trip on the 15 allowing said minibus not to be allocated. It's totally not a shame Nexus don't give him any contracts, he is most definitely worse than other companies that have and had minibus allocation issues!

(08 Nov 2017, 8:09 pm)Cobalt271 wrote They are a totally unprofessional company who shouldn't have been given the time of day in the first place, and your post just further reiterates this point!

To some extent I feel that they are trying to run a reasonable bus service but at the same time, I feel there is some things that still let them down quite badly. It's a year since they took over the 15/16 from Spirit Buses and yet a year on, we are still getting reports of things going wrong, breakdowns, no shows, inappropriate vehicle allocations (if there was as many people on that 15 as the day I rode said journey to Alnwick that omnicity4659 was on the other day that left some people behind, it could have possibly been in or near double figures being left behind). Passengers were extremely peed off when the Solo broke down in Alnwick Bus Station on the 14:15 15 to Thropton, passengers complaining about having to get a taxi home, again! with others facing a very long trek home to Rothbury/Thropton on the X15 & X14. I have never been confident with their services after the breakdown that led me to question as to whether I was going to be stuck in a freezing cold Thropton for a whole night (thankfully I wasn't) funnily enough, that incident was exactly one year to the date.

Got some time now so will type this up.

I've used the 15 a few times this week, and I've had nothing but bother, on Monday, the driver drove straight past me at speed and stopped further up the road, laughing and saying he didn't see me (I was in direct sunlight, stood at a junction)... No apologies or anything... 

Yesterday, it was a different driver, where he stopped at the same location, but then continued to shout at me telling me that that wasn't a bus stop, despite Google Maps and bustimes.org.uk saying so, he then drove past the so-called bus stop and shouted that that is where I should stand. I also attempted to get the 1740 departure from Alnwick, but when my X20 approached Alnwick at 1738, the bus was nowhere to be seen, causing me to divert via Morpeth and Rothbury, and walking along a dark unlit road to where I'm staying, thankfully I had a torch, or I probably would have been knocked over.

Today, my mother went to Rothbury to get some shopping, she missed the 15 due to early running, so proceeded to walk with a pram to Rothbury, of which she regrets now... She then attempted to get the 15 back to where we are staying at 1155, but then was refused travel as a minibus turned up, and no effort was made to assist her to get her on her way, with the driver shrugging his shoulders and saying that the "other bus broke down", thankfully the Arriva X14 was behind, of which the driver was apparently "shocked" at what happened, and gave my mother a lift to an alternative entrance to Cragside where she was able to safely walk back to where we are staying. I attempted to get a photo of the minibus on its return from Alnwick to send to NCC, but they had swapped it for a Solo, presumably after being "confronted" earlier in Rothbury.

I truly feel sorry for those who rely on PCL's diabolical services as a lifeline, as their actions are putting people in dangerous situations, this is just on one service, so goodness knows what they're doing on others.

The only part of the above I find surprising is that they actually bothered to provide a replacement bus for the 15, mind my fear is with it being a Wednesday, one van is likely to be on A1 and the other on the M1 at the same time, so I wonder if the 15 was ran at the cost of not running one of the other two services?

In my last post when the Solo broke down in Alnwick, 15 driver got on the phone and a short time later, the 470 Versa and driver turned up, 470 driver got in the Solo and basically concluded it was not going anywhere, jumped back in the Versa and went back to wherever he was hiding, leaving frustrated (originally intending) passengers

Don't know what they have in terms of spare buses now but it doesn't seem like it's many, the Darts and ex First Solo don't appear to be in use anymore and the Excel was recently spotted in Morpeth, I fear that the Excel is now the only spare, except on Tuesdays where it's required on the 885.

The Solo which regularly runs on the 15 often seems to be breaking down and is crap even when it does 'work', should send the thing back to Dawson's as it's garbage.

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It's a pretty horrendous service - the Versas seem pretty decent but the vans are completely unprofessional and should certainly not be used on the 15/16.  I agree with Jimmi about the spares, as far as I can work out the allocations must be

A1/M1 - Van
S`1 - Primo
T1 - Primo
15/16 - Solo (when it's not broke)
470/473 - Versa
808 - Van

Meaning all they have spare is the other van and the Excel (when they are not required on the 613/815/885). Pretty stupid if they have got rid of buses.

(08 Nov 2017, 9:26 pm)Tom wrote It's a pretty horrendous service - the Versas seem pretty decent but the vans are completely unprofessional and should certainly not be used on the 15/16.  I agree with Jimmi about the spares, as far as I can work out the allocations must be

A1/M1 - Van
S`1 - Primo
T1 - Primo
15/16 - Solo (when it's not broke)
470/473 - Versa
808 - Van

Meaning all they have spare is the other van and the Excel (when they are not required on the 613/815/885). Pretty stupid if they have got rid of buses.

They also have a Asda Free Bus from prudhoe to Metrocentre.

(08 Nov 2017, 9:32 pm)S830OFT wrote They also have a Asda Free Bus from prudhoe to Metrocentre.

What is worrying is that they've had the versas only a couple of months. Surely there should not be the number of breakdowns in such a period. The vehicles are only about 4 years old. Personally previous experience of PCL has caused me to loose all faith in them.

Charles

I'd be contacting the Traffic Commissioners through their complaints procedure, it's beyond issues with operating a single service for the council. Very surprised they haven't been called up for an official enquiry as the council should know which services have and have not ran.

(09 Nov 2017, 2:03 pm)RBZ 5459 wrote I'd be contacting the Traffic Commissioners through their complaints procedure, it's beyond issues with operating a single service for the council. Very surprised they haven't been called up for an official enquiry as the council should know which services have and have not ran.

The M1 and A1 I think are commercial

So, after I decided to send an email to clarify what has been going on, some things have come to light and the council have actually requested the use of the van on the 15/16 for the next 6 weeks. As there are roadworks it would not be possible to take the shortest diversion route with a bigger bus and this would result in significant delays to the service, so the council decided to operate via Whittingham Crossroads with a smaller bus to try and maximise the chances of the service running on time. He stated that it is extremely rare for a buggy or wheelchair to use the service, and this was a significant part of the decision to request the use of the 16 seater van. He did say there were some delays on the 15/16, but was very surprised to here about the early running and would be addressing it with the drivers.

He also stated he is trying his best to run the service as best as he could but his efforts are being undermined by the fact there are continuous roadworks along the route (which is true as the council are undergoing a program to repair/maintain bridges along the stretch of the 15/16 and in all of Northumberland) so it is not only the passengers who are frustrated.

Also the Versas on the 470/473 I think have been fairly reliable? And of course there have recently been changes to make the timekeeping more reliable.

So yeah, not as bad as it seems. Just thought I would clarify as it doesn't seem anyone has actually complained....

(09 Nov 2017, 5:04 pm)Tom wrote So, after I decided to send an email to clarify what has been going on, some things have come to light and the council have actually requested the use of the van on the 15/16 for the next 6 weeks. As there are roadworks it would not be possible to take the shortest diversion route with a bigger bus and this would result in significant delays to the service, so the council decided to operate via Whittingham Crossroads with a smaller bus to try and maximise the chances of the service running on time. He stated that it is extremely rare for a buggy or wheelchair to use the service, and this was a significant part of the decision to request the use of the 16 seater van. He did say there were some delays on the 15/16, but was very surprised to here about the early running and would be addressing it with the drivers.

He also stated he is trying his best to run the service as best as he could but his efforts are being undermined by the fact there are continuous roadworks along the route (which is true as the council are undergoing a program to repair/maintain bridges along the stretch of the 15/16 and in all of Northumberland) so it is not only the passengers who are frustrated.

Also the Versas on the 470/473 I think have been fairly reliable?  And of course there have recently been changes to make the timekeeping more reliable.

So yeah, not as bad as it seems. Just thought I would clarify as it doesn't seem anyone has actually complained....

I would be surprised if their Versa's have been fairly reliable, Borders Buses got 2 out of the same batch for the Wooler-Berwick stretch and they have been quite troublesome up to now.

(09 Nov 2017, 7:57 pm)Cobalt271 wrote I would be surprised if their Versa's have been fairly reliable, Borders Buses got 2 out of the same batch for the Wooler-Berwick stretch and they have been quite troublesome up to now.

I can confirm that optare Versa at border buses have broken down few time same as PCL

(09 Nov 2017, 8:14 pm)jimmoc wrote I can confirm that optare Versa at border buses have broken down few time same as PCL

Indeed. There's at least 1 off the road every week. They've also both had to have their suspensions raised too to stop the bottom of the buses scraping the ground.

(09 Nov 2017, 5:04 pm)Tom wrote So, after I decided to send an email to clarify what has been going on, some things have come to light and the council have actually requested the use of the van on the 15/16 for the next 6 weeks. As there are roadworks it would not be possible to take the shortest diversion route with a bigger bus and this would result in significant delays to the service, so the council decided to operate via Whittingham Crossroads with a smaller bus to try and maximise the chances of the service running on time. He stated that it is extremely rare for a buggy or wheelchair to use the service, and this was a significant part of the decision to request the use of the 16 seater van. He did say there were some delays on the 15/16, but was very surprised to here about the early running and would be addressing it with the drivers.

He also stated he is trying his best to run the service as best as he could but his efforts are being undermined by the fact there are continuous roadworks along the route (which is true as the council are undergoing a program to repair/maintain bridges along the stretch of the 15/16 and in all of Northumberland) so it is not only the passengers who are frustrated.

Also the Versas on the 470/473 I think have been fairly reliable?  And of course there have recently been changes to make the timekeeping more reliable.

So yeah, not as bad as it seems. Just thought I would clarify as it doesn't seem anyone has actually complained....

But it was just this once that the van had been used, it's been a Solo all the other times? The diversion via Bridge on the Aln only seems to add 2-5 minutes onto the journey, of which is usually gained back with the slack timetable...    The Wooler services already operate up that road with full size Versas!

Only one road closure and one set of temporary traffic lights on the diversion...too! 

The early running was in Alnwick heading to Rothbury on Tuesday, and also on the M1 service, of which @SouthTyneLad can back me up on too. Again, the 15 left Rothbury for Alnwick yesterday a few minutes early, as I got to Cragside at 1556, and not 1600....

My mother says she made a direct complaint to PCL, of which they haven't yet got back to her.

(10 Nov 2017, 8:37 am)omnicity4659 wrote But it was just this once that the van had been used, it's been a Solo all the other times? The diversion via Bridge on the Aln only seems to add 2-5 minutes onto the journey, of which is usually gained back with the slack timetable...    The Wooler services already operate up that road with full size Versas!

Only one road closure and one set of temporary traffic lights on the diversion...too! 

The early running was in Alnwick heading to Rothbury on Tuesday, and also on the M1 service, of which @SouthTyneLad can back me up on too. Again, the 15 left Rothbury for Alnwick yesterday a few minutes early, as I got to Cragside at 1556, and not 1600....

My mother says she made a direct complaint to PCL, of which they haven't yet got back to her.

It was the council I sent an email and Peter had got back to the council straight way about the service to clarify the early running of services and other things about how the roadworks and undermining his attempts to operate a good service (I think it is a bit more than that in all fairness) -so it isn’t dodgy as the information has come from the council about requesting the use of a van.

Decided to head up to Thropton this afternoon to see what's what:

15: 4 minutes late departing Thropton (9 minutes late if you go by the 16 timetable).
M1: no show

Oh and kudos to the Arriva X14 driver for departing two minutes early, guess I'm going home the long way round!

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(11 Nov 2017, 4:22 pm)Jimmi wrote Decided to head up to Thropton this afternoon to see what's what:

15: 4 minutes late departing Thropton (9 minutes late if you go by the 16 timetable).
M1: no show

Oh and kudos to the Arriva X14 driver for departing two minutes early, guess I'm going home the long way round!

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Don't know why the M1 doesn't just get withdrawn as it seems to run when it wants. 

Guess being 4 minutes late isn't horrendous, what was on the 15?

The usual Solo was on the 15.

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What's happening with the Rural Link there R222LOT has a tiny sticker stating Rural Link. Thought all there buses would go in the Green Livery.

Primo KX58 LJA now carries a promotional livery for Linden Homes

[img]PCL Travel Rural Link - KX58 LJA by Pulsar Photos, on Flickr[/img]

PCL appear to have lost Asda bus to GNE

https://flic.kr/p/EC1e67

(22 Dec 2017, 10:28 am)Tyne_Traveller wrote PCL appear to have lost Asda bus to GNE

https://flic.kr/p/EC1e67

PCL Travel didn't lose it - they threw the contract in at the weekend.

Go North East have stepped in to provide the services. Should be a fleet livery Scania L94 after Christmas, and a dual-door B7TL from the Special Events fleet until then.

(22 Dec 2017, 12:15 pm)Dan wrote PCL Travel didn't lose it - they threw the contract in at the weekend.

Go North East have stepped in to provide the services. Should be a fleet livery Scania L94 after Christmas, and a dual-door B7TL from the Special Events fleet until then.

Where can I find the timetable for it

(22 Dec 2017, 12:56 pm)jimmoc wrote Where can I find the timetable for it

Is Optare Excel Y249DRC still in use?
Tried to work out the allocations...
T1: 58 plate primo 
S1: 08 plate primo 
15/16: 06 plate solo
808/613/885: R222LOT
M1/A1: 56 plate Volkawagen 
470/473: 2x Optare Versas 

From this how many buses would be spare?
Also it's strange at how PCL have had no rare allocations on the 470/473.

(09 Jan 2018, 9:15 pm)S830OFT wrote Is Optare Excel Y249DRC still in use?
Tried to work out the allocations...
T1: 58 plate primo 
S1: 08 plate primo 
15/16: 06 plate solo
808/613/885: R222LOT
M1/A1: 56 plate Volkawagen 
470/473: 2x Optare Versas 

From this how many buses would be spare?
Also it's strange at how PCL have had no rare allocations on the 470/473.

Seen the Excel on Prudhoe/Metrocentre ASDAs just before Christmas.

(10 Jan 2018, 9:12 am)RBZ 5459 wrote Seen the Excel on Prudhoe/Metrocentre ASDAs just before Christmas.

It's currently based at Wooler, noted it there just over a week ago. I assume it's covering the former Glen Valley routes.

Charles