Just realising a key thing Arriva need to do with their fleet is improve the communication available with drivers.

It was interesting when the x22 arrived late at Great Park today, the driver got off to contact the depot by phone to see if he was required to turn back at Regent Centre or continue to town. It's actually good to see Arriva being proactive like that today, I've never seen it since Jesmond closed and they couldn't change things at Haymarket. But surely they need to invest in a better system than drivers stopping and having to make calls.

(07 Jul 2024, 11:11 am)Shrek wrote Just realising a key thing Arriva need to do with their fleet is improve the communication available with drivers.

It was interesting when the x22 arrived late at Great Park today, the driver got off to contact the depot by phone to see if he was required to turn back at Regent Centre or continue to town. It's actually good to see Arriva being proactive like that today, I've never seen it since Jesmond closed and they couldn't change things at Haymarket. But surely they need to invest in a better system than drivers stopping and having to make calls.

They do use communication via Ticketer, but a number of the drivers prefer the use of a phone.

(07 Jul 2024, 11:38 am)RobinHood wrote They do use communication via Ticketer, but a number of the drivers prefer the use of a phone.

Indeed, the use of Ticketer seems to be fairly commonplace on late running express services into Newcastle at Regent Centre. I've experienced it myself on a number of occasions either when waiting for a bus there, or when already on one. At least I'm assuming it's communicated via Ticketer, as I've never seen them phone it in. 

Drivers tend to be pretty good at ensuring all passengers get onto the next available bus too.

(07 Jul 2024, 11:38 am)RobinHood wrote They do use communication via Ticketer, but a number of the drivers prefer the use of a phone.

That's interesting, I wasn't aware of that. How does that work out of interest?

Whats going on with the 3 left E200's at Durham. Weren't they meant to be a part of a pulsar swap with Yorkshire to have all of Arrivas E200's down there? I swear I heard that somewhere. I know some went down but no pulsars came up in return...

Understand if back in the days before interworking became a common thing to save money. But the 1503 308 ex Newcastle was displaying "308 Newcastle" rather than "308 Blyth". My first thoughts was is the bus going to Tynemouth or Blyth given that a 308 heading into Newcastle would change to "306 Tynemouth".

(16 Jul 2024, 2:24 pm)L469 YVK wrote Understand if back in the days before interworking became a common thing to save money. But the 1503 308 ex Newcastle was displaying "308 Newcastle" rather than "308 Blyth". My first thoughts was is the bus going to Tynemouth or Blyth given that a 308 heading into Newcastle would change to "306 Tynemouth".

Realistically majority of passengers won't know that the services interwork, will see it's a 308 and stop the bus. 

Chances are the options for Blyth and Newcastle are right next to each other on the controller and the driver hasn't clicked far enough through.

(16 Jul 2024, 2:35 pm)PH - BQA wrote Realistically majority of passengers won't know that the services interwork, will see it's a 308 and stop the bus. 

Chances are the options for Blyth and Newcastle are right next to each other on the controller and the driver hasn't clicked far enough through.

But what if that had've been a 306 though ex Newcastle and a passenger ended up either missing the 306 or alternatively, accidentally ended up un Tynemouth?

(16 Jul 2024, 4:17 pm)L469 YVK wrote But what if that had've been a 306 though ex Newcastle and a passenger ended up either missing the 306 or alternatively, accidentally ended up un Tynemouth?

But it wasn't? 

You could use that argument with literally any incorrectly screened bus. Given it was a 308, screened as a 308, I think most people would deduce that it was, in fact, a 308.

Is 7557 a false tracking on the 777?

Does anyone know what on earth Ashington are doing with 2601. There's clearly something very wrong with the thing but it's going out every day. Seen it's had another breakdown today at Monkseaton and it's getting pulled pretty much daily now, including Sunday (why is it out).

Is the depot supervisor trying to prove some point or has he just lost the plot? Doing the same thing over and over again is the sign of a mad man.

(23 Jul 2024, 5:26 pm)Storx wrote Does anyone know what on earth Ashington are doing with 2601. There's clearly something very wrong with the thing but it's going out every day. Seen it's had another breakdown today at Monkseaton and it's getting pulled pretty much daily now, including Sunday (why is it out).

Is the depot supervisor trying to prove some point or has he just lost the plot? Doing the same thing over and over again is the sign of a mad man.

Are there enough buses to go around? I heard it suggested a couple of today's cancellations were down to vehicle availability and not driver availability. It sounds pretty desperate if that's the case they're sending a bus out hoping to get a couple of runs done.

(23 Jul 2024, 6:29 pm)Shrek wrote Are there enough buses to go around? I heard it suggested a couple of today's cancellations were down to vehicle availability and not driver availability. It sounds pretty desperate if that's the case they're sending a bus out hoping to get a couple of runs done.

Not too sure, doesn't seem to be any shortages at Ashington, but happy to be corrected? Even still though, I don't understand why it's not on the 434 instead so when it does go again, it's near the depot - it's meant to be on there anyway.

I know Blyth is a mess in terms of vehicle availability though, has been for awhile now.

(23 Jul 2024, 10:33 pm)Storx wrote Not too sure, doesn't seem to be any shortages at Ashington, but happy to be corrected? Even still though, I don't understand why it's not on the 434 instead so when it does go again, it's near the depot - it's meant to be on there anyway.

I know Blyth is a mess in terms of vehicle availability though, has been for awhile now.

There seems to be a lot of saloons and deckers on the 57/57a runs these days, I am guessing they are having serious issues with their remaining Solos, not just 2601.

7542 has received a wrap for the Alnwick Garden promoting 'A Year Of Poison', and looks to be there today.

A couple of days out by bus this week and I've noticed (and travelled on) several Arriva Northumbria E400s in service with cracked upper deck windows (presumably from trees as opposed to malicious damage).

(01 Aug 2024, 9:48 am)morritt89 wrote A couple of days out by bus this week and I've noticed (and travelled on)  several Arriva Northumbria E400s in service with cracked upper deck windows (presumably from trees as opposed to malicious damage).

Cracked window shouldn't be on the road, should it? You don't know how that windows is going to behave, especially subject to further tree strikes or at higher speeds.

(01 Aug 2024, 10:56 am)Adrian wrote Cracked window shouldn't be on the road, should it? You don't know how that windows is going to behave, especially subject to further tree strikes or at higher speeds.

Just checked the law as I was curious, there doesn't seem to be any law saying it has to be off the road. Only appears to be an issue if it blocks the driver vision.

(Not saying that's right mind)

(01 Aug 2024, 10:56 am)Adrian wrote Cracked window shouldn't be on the road, should it? You don't know how that windows is going to behave, especially subject to further tree strikes or at higher speeds.

Realistically depends on the extent of the crack. 

Full length across the window will obviously be different to a small crack in one corner. 

Would obviously be a different story with a windscreen.

1595 noticed this a few days ago but thought my eyes were playing games.

1595 now has the yellowy orange display board on the front appose to the white one the ex sapphire lites have

(09 Aug 2024, 6:33 pm)Ryland wrote 1595 noticed this a few days ago but thought my eyes were playing games.

1595 now has the yellowy orange display board on the front appose to the white one the ex sapphire lites have

I think Belmont (if it’s still there) are increasingly short of working blinds. I remember one of the white ones had a chunk of the display missing for goodness knows how long. I think they’ve given up bothering with side and rear displays.

(09 Aug 2024, 6:33 pm)Ryland wrote 1595 noticed this a few days ago but thought my eyes were playing games.

1595 now has the yellowy orange display board on the front appose to the white one the ex sapphire lites have

https://flic.kr/p/2q7ghXv

Note it now also has the Wright badge covered over like on 1598 (and headlight surround missing on day of photo).

I noticed some of the 14-15 reg E400s having long orange displays on the back and only displaying route numbers.

Remember how in the days of roller blinds you would often see the bottom half of a number above the top half of another because it hadn’t quite been turned enough? I saw that on the back of what might have been the 48 leaving Durham bus station, this afternoon. That’s how knackered some of them are.

7512 had more than a crack, this morning. It arrived at the Arnison centre with the left side rear window completely shattered. We were heading into town on the X21, yesterday morning, and all the way down Dryburn road and past Wharton park the bus was getting clattered by trees. It seems worse than usual, this year.

7542 hasn't been out for a few days. Any info?

Also, what's up with 7548? not been tracked since May.

I noticed on 1412 they have removed the DB logo above the windows, so now it reads 'a      company'. Would it have been that much effort to remove them few letters too? It looks daft tbh.

Must say the Solo's at Ashington, again, are becoming a bit of a joke. Now down to 2/7 of them of the road after the last of the 59 heaps broke down last night (again).

Feel sorry for Ashington in actually having to deal with these things, it's lucky the X21/X22 are down to every 30 minutes currently otherwise they'd not have enough buses since the 57/57A is a full saloon/decker allocation today.

Urgently need replacing, same with the 3 sheds at Whitby which seem just as bad. I probably wouldn't be moaning as much if they hadn't replaced unreliable Solo's in the past with new buses which were fine with unreliable Solo's.

(12 Aug 2024, 4:04 pm)BusLoverMum wrote Remember how in the days of roller blinds you would often see the bottom half of a number above the top half of another because it hadn’t quite  been turned enough? I saw that on the back of what might have been the 48 leaving Durham bus station, this afternoon. That’s how knackered some of them are.

That is exactly what I saw the other day. Believe it was a 67 reg Streetlite which surprised me.