(03 Aug 2014, 11:41 am)G-CPTN wrote From:- https://www.utbank.co.uk/2013/10/the-dda...h-finance/

It's an outrage if you ask me. The industry should never have agreed to it. If they'd all threatened to pull out there's not a lot the government could have done.
You give these mninority interest groups an inch and they take a mile. First it was Diptac grab rails and split steps and now look where it's ended up.

(03 Aug 2014, 12:36 pm)Dan wrote I'm the only person on board under 60 years of age! The other four passengers aren't using the power sockets.

Tried multiple sets, but to no avail.

Had no luck with Sapphire this week!

They could have been having a shave or something!

(03 Aug 2014, 12:50 pm)Roland Pratt wrote They could have been having a shave or something!

Aye... The old woman had a few white hairs coming from her chin, like! Guess she'll have to pluck them out instead.

(03 Aug 2014, 12:47 pm)Dan wrote 7505 was alright. Well, it got into Newcastle on time after leaving Ashington 2 or 3 mins late...so must have been alright.

Think the X93 must have took it out of 7502 then, as 7509 was alright as well yesterday morning.

(03 Aug 2014, 11:49 am)mb134 wrote Was this the reason initially that Arriva bought both body types?

Did Alexander make the necessary modifications between V and W reg?

Cadets! You could imagine there would have been more interest if it had been an Alexander bodied one!

(03 Aug 2014, 12:54 pm)Roland Pratt wrote Cadets! You could imagine there would have been more interest if it had been an Alexander bodied one!

(That referred to the comment about Crusaders but the quote didn't copy!)

(03 Aug 2014, 12:52 pm)Dan wrote Aye... The old woman had a few white hairs coming from her chin, like! Guess she'll have to pluck them out instead.

Didn't you offer to pluck her?!

(03 Aug 2014, 12:56 pm)Roland Pratt wrote Didn't you offer to pluck her?!

Already done my good dead for the day... Maybe another time, eh?

(03 Aug 2014, 12:53 pm)Roland Pratt wrote Did Alexander make the necessary modifications between V and W reg?

Aren't the V reg B10's wright bodied? If so could Arriva have ordered these then realised that they would have a shorter life than Alexander bodied ones so bought those to follow on?

(03 Aug 2014, 1:00 pm)mb134 wrote Aren't the V reg B10's wright bodied? If so could Arriva have ordered these then realised that they would have a shorter life than Alexander bodied ones so bought those to follow on?

Yes, they are Wright bodied. I meant did the bodybuilders make modifications in between V and W reg to make them DDA, so if the V reg.s had been Alexanders they wouldn't have been DDA, and if the W regs had been Wrights they would have been.

Possibly not, as the Cadets are W reg and they aren't DDA.

(03 Aug 2014, 1:03 pm)Roland Pratt wrote Yes, they are Wright bodied. I meant did the bodybuilders make modifications in between V and W reg to make them DDA, so if the V reg.s had been Alexanders they wouldn't have been DDA, and if the W regs had been Wrights they would have been.

Possibly not, as the Cadets are W reg and they aren't DDA.

Ah right I get you now maybe the Renowns were cheaper, and Arriva decided to buy those knowing they would make money back quicker and then bought the others knowing they could use them for longer? Just a thought

(03 Aug 2014, 12:45 pm)mb134 wrote I could have walked faster than 7502 along the A1 yesterday, my days it was slow, how was 7505?
Yeah there was a screaming baby on mine so I decided that music was the best way as well

As the saying goes, "you can't beat a Volvo (excluding B5TL / LH)"

Does anyone know why arriva never use they 57 reg low landers on long route hardly anymore

(03 Aug 2014, 1:39 pm)Philly rf wrote Does anyone know why arriva never use they 57 reg low landers on long route hardly anymore

Only two are any good (7453 and 7454 I think)based on what I've heard

(03 Aug 2014, 12:42 pm)Dan wrote I got the Wi-Fi to work on 7505 yesterday, but it was that slow I turned it off. Was taking liberties when it was taking about 30 seconds to send a message, so went back to using my own data.

Plugs worked yesterday though, and the journey was quite pleasant...after I put my earphones in!

Also Dan, just looking through your pictures, your one of 7505 at Haymarket yesterday has its registration labelled as NK57DWX, it should be the same as your shot of it at Ashington (NK57 GWX) Lots of great shots on there mind

(03 Aug 2014, 2:59 pm)mb134 wrote Also Dan, just looking through your pictures, your one of 7505 at Haymarket yesterday has its registration labelled as NK57DWX, it should be the same as your shot of it at Ashington Lots of great shots on there mind

Thanks! Will correct it when I get home.

(03 Aug 2014, 1:41 pm)mb134 wrote Only two are any good (7453 and 7454 I think)based on what I've heard

Thought that but someone one said it was because that only two e an f of thouse have bigger engines. I didn't know why so that's why I asked

Will the X21 timetable be changed in the future so that it no longer interworks with the 35 on Sundays or evening's?

(03 Aug 2014, 3:45 pm)mb134 wrote Will the X21 timetable be changed in the future so that it no longer interworks with the 35 on Sundays or evening's?

Probably not. Breaking an interworking pattern will simply create more duties for the same end result.

More drivers working late just for the sake of a bus type wouldnt go down too well. I would guess that the X21/35 evening cycle is probably allocated to the Sapphire rota anyway, so the drivers are still Sapphire spec on the 35 on a night.

(03 Aug 2014, 5:57 pm)VolvoMarkII wrote Probably not. Breaking an interworking pattern will simply create more duties for the same end result.

More drivers working late just for the sake of a bus type wouldnt go down too well. I would guess that the X21/35 evening cycle is probably allocated to the Sapphire rota anyway, so the drivers are still Sapphire spec on the 35 on a night.

All the drivers I saw in Ashington yesterday afternoon were in Sapphire uniform... Even if they weren't on Sapphire services...

I thought the idea behind Sapphire was so that it would be a small, dedicated team of drivers? Passengers have the potential to get to know their drivers? Clearly if the rota is so large it can incorporate other services, in addition to the Sapphire services, this is not the case...

Speaking of which, 1514 was the Pulsar with plug sockets which didn't work, and with incredibly slow Wi-Fi which cut off altogether after about five minutes.

(03 Aug 2014, 6:02 pm)Dan wrote All the drivers I saw in Ashington yesterday afternoon were in Sapphire uniform... Even if they weren't on Sapphire services...

I thought the idea behind Sapphire was so that it would be a small, dedicated team of drivers? Passengers have the potential to get to know their drivers? Clearly if the rota is so large it can incorporate other services, in addition to the Sapphire services, this is not the case...

Speaking of which, 1514 was the Pulsar with plug sockets which didn't work, and with incredibly slow Wi-Fi which cut off altogether after about five minutes.

Same in Darlington with the 7, Sapphire drivers often seem to be on town services and the X66, one morning on a Framwellgate Moor journey the driver said its only the second time he's driven up there.

The Sapphire WiFi is often slow, and often cuts off between Neville Cross and Ferryhill.

Does the 308 go past Whitley Bay Ice Rink? Thanks in advance

(03 Aug 2014, 8:22 pm)mb134 wrote Does the 308 go past Whitley Bay Ice Rink? Thanks in advance

Yes

(03 Aug 2014, 8:23 pm)citaro5284 wrote Yes

Cheers

(03 Aug 2014, 8:24 pm)mb134 wrote Cheers

So does the 309 - much better than the 308 I tell you that! The 308 is very unreliable.

(03 Aug 2014, 8:26 pm)Tom wrote So does the 309 - much better than the 308 I tell you that! The 308 is very unreliable.

But I can't use my Teen Card on the 309... Otherwise I would do

(03 Aug 2014, 6:02 pm)Dan wrote All the drivers I saw in Ashington yesterday afternoon were in Sapphire uniform... Even if they weren't on Sapphire services...

I thought the idea behind Sapphire was so that it would be a small, dedicated team of drivers? Passengers have the potential to get to know their drivers? Clearly if the rota is so large it can incorporate other services, in addition to the Sapphire services, this is not the case...

Speaking of which, 1514 was the Pulsar with plug sockets which didn't work, and with incredibly slow Wi-Fi which cut off altogether after about five minutes.

I'd thought that too, but I can't actually find it written down anywhere. Just that "we’re giving those working the Sapphire routes some extra training to help them give you the best possible experience when you travel with us on a Sapphire bus."

I agree though it seems a little pointless to have drivers in Sapphire uniform on non-Sapphire services. Like branded vehicles off route (interworking or not), it damages the reputation of that brand.

(03 Aug 2014, 8:26 pm)Tom wrote So does the 309 - much better than the 308 I tell you that! The 308 is very unreliable.

I'll second that! The 308 on paper is quicker but by the time it gets hammered beyond capacity (warrants a 10 min frequency but can't with needing to combine with the 306), it's only marginally quicker than the 309 if not, the same time and on some occasions, the 309 has been quicker than the 308. The 309 is pretty much spot on and only 2-3 minutes slower on most occasions with the only exception where the 309 takes more than 5 mins more is the peak journeys that arrive in Newcastle after 08:11 and just after 9am.

(03 Aug 2014, 8:36 pm)aureolin wrote I'd thought that too, but I can't actually find it written down anywhere. Just that "we’re giving those working the Sapphire routes some extra training to help them give you the best possible experience when you travel with us on a Sapphire bus."

I agree though it seems a little pointless to have drivers in Sapphire uniform on non-Sapphire services. Like branded vehicles off route (interworking or not), it damages the reputation of that brand.

I'm guessing its not economically possible to just have X21/X22 duties... even with our 5's we've got odd bits on 17s, 27s and 9s for example, plus a few duties with no 5's at all including Saturday duties in Stockton.