(29 Nov 2013, 5:52 pm)aureolin wrote I dread to think what they had on the 73 then.
(03 Jun 2014, 4:29 pm)Dan wrote Another day, another dawn...
Compass allocated Iveco MX06CTY to services 37/8X today, with a paper destination display hardly even being visible behind the driver's wiper.
What's more irritating, is that for the first time, I saw the ticketing process that goes on on these 'vans'. Without ticket machines for obvious reasons, I saw the driver of service 37 issuing green paper slips on which he had to write the ticket details with a pen. The driver subsequently ripped part of this green paper slip away from the main part of the book, very much like a raffle ticket book.
Following on from discussion in the Gateshead Central Taxis thread - an operator also renowned for operating 'van-like' buses on their contracted services - it begs the question: Why are these operators still being awarded contracts? While I can understand that it makes commercial sense to Nexus to award these contracts on the basis of the cheapest bid, it does make you wonder why Nexus cannot see that the quality of the bus service is immensely low (especially on contracts previously operated by some of the bigger operators and/or the contracts which are jointly operated by one big operator and one smaller independent).
Without getting too off-topic (as I appreciate we have a separate thread for this), with the threat of Quality Contracts upon us, it makes you wonder whether the parties who put in the cheapest bid will continue to be awarded these contracts - regardless of the quality provided by these operators... Or, does that appeal more, given that fines will be issued?
(03 Jun 2014, 9:42 pm)Andreos Constantopolous wrote The 79 had the vehicle normally allocated to the 37 again today.
No idea where the normal Solo is.
Re QCS/Nexus contract, does the vehicle meet the contract spec?
If it does - great. If not - is it any different to one of the other contractors sticking an unsuitable vehicle on a Nexus contracted route?
Regardless, something needs to be done regarding the 'quality' of the vehicles.
(03 Jun 2014, 9:51 pm)Dan wrote Was that the vehicle that is meant to be allocated to the 37 (the Bluebird with a destination display) or the vehicle which is usually allocated to the 37 (an Iveco van)?
No, I don't believe it does. I think it was gtom who got in touch with Nexus regarding the use of vans and non-Nexus liveried vehicles before, and he was told the vans were only meant to be allocated when no other vehicles were available. We can see the amount of fines CCT have amassed each period in the documents aureolin shared recently - quite high given they have so few contracts.
Comparing the Compass 37 and the GNE 37 - although the vehicles GNE allocate may not be Nexus liveried all of the time, they are almost always Euro 5 (I can only recall two instances where this has not been so) and have always had working destination displays. There is no issue with quality for GNE.
(03 Jun 2014, 10:04 pm)Andreos Constantopolous wrote The Bluebird.
My schedule on a morning is a bit out of kilter, so don't see the first 37 of the day like I used to. It always tended to be the Bluebird whenever I have seen it though - either when popping to see the folks or doing whatever it is I have to do.
Who mentioned GNE and their workings on the 37 or other Nexus contracts :p
Apart from drivers not knowing about Nexus tickets (almost as bad as Belmont ANE drivers) and whether the service can accept them, their allocation usually does meet the spec.
I can't recall not seeing a Solo of some description on the 37 - but that should be the case, given the size of the fleet and proportion of suitable vehicles, compared to a smaller independent, such as Compass.
However, we all know GNE have a record, just look at that document of aureolins you mentioned
(03 Jun 2014, 10:14 pm)Dan wrote The usual allocation is one of the vans. An enthusiast I talk to actually informs me of when something besides a van turns up, given that it interworks with the evening 8X service and it may be worthy of a photograph.
It is very rare for a Solo to turn up on the 37, the Bluebird used to be the regular until the Cadets were brought in, and ever since, it has seemingly been a van with the odd working being the Bluebird these days.
You mentioned other contractors? It therefore did seem appropriate to mention that the Go North East variation of service 37 is usually operated to a much higher standard than that set by Compass - like I say, the vehicles Go North East allocate always have a destination display and are Euro 5 99% of the time (although this can be in the form of the Sunderland Connect backup or indeed a SimpliCity Versa).
Go North East do have a 'record', but is this not to be expected when you consider the amount of contracts/tendered services they operate compared to the likes of Compass? I really cannot see issues with quality on Go North East's half, but if you can, so be it...
(03 Jun 2014, 10:20 pm)aureolin wrote I'd say the non-compliance fines for an operator of GNE's size are worrying, and certainly shouldn't be expected. The expectation should be zero, and I'd be very surprised if someone at exec level isn't targeting at that. I do agree though that 9/10 the non-compliance fine doesn't impact on customer quality.
(03 Jun 2014, 10:23 pm)Andreos Constantopolous wrote Will have to keep my eyes open next time I pop round to the folks (the 37 is the only bus that serves their estate), with the house in view of the bus stop.
As I say, it tends to be the Bluebird whenever I am round theirs - but if your enthusiast friend says it is the van, so be it...
Mind, I never said there was a quality issue with the GNE allocation to the 37 or any other bus that is allocated to it, commenting on the fact a Solo is the usual allocation...
What I did say, was that they have a record - look at the fines for non-compliance.
I haven't done any maths, but it will be interesting to see fines vs the fleet size/suitable vehicles to see if these smaller independents are as bad as made out.
