(08 Apr 2015, 10:46 am)Jimmi wrote I'd like to see Stagecoach continue this new style of livery and puns, could you imagine what branding for a service to Killingworth, I imagine it would look like... "I'd KILL to go to KILLingworth" and instead of a man in a suit it is a siloet of a woman on the floor looking scared with a man wielding a knife about to stab her.

Sorry if that was dark reading to anyone.

(08 Apr 2015, 10:46 am)Jimmi wrote I'd like to see Stagecoach continue this new style of livery and puns, could you imagine what branding for a service to Killingworth, I imagine it would look like... "I'd KILL to go to KILLingworth" and instead of a man in a suit it is a siloet of a woman on the floor looking scared with a man wielding a knife about to stab her.

(08 Apr 2015, 5:22 pm)markydh wrote So that'll be five years since the last new bus in Newcastle. If they don't get any next year I'll be having serious words with the MD...

(08 Apr 2015, 8:15 pm)markydh wrote Constant investment? 2003 saw a good number of MANs. Then there were 13 in 2005, 6 partially government funded in 2006, some E400s in 2006 that were sent to Preston less than a year later so don't really count. The years between 2007 and 2010 saw significant investment. 2011 intake was significantly government funded (the scheme was more generous then). And nothing since. Slatyford had 3 of it's E400s siphoned off to Shields and has received plenty of it's own cast offs back again when other depots saw upgrades. And hasn't had a new bus since 2009. Walkergate had to fight tooth and nail to keep the 2005 MANs which were originally intended for cascade elsewhere.

I'm not suggesting Teesside shouldn't get upgrades. But I would suggest that a company withholding investment from it's most profitable depots due to QCS wouldn't go to the significant bother of massively upgrading a depot down the road. Irrespective of government support, installing gas facilities and buying gas buses is a massive outlay. And as I have said, Sunderland is subject to QCS just as Newcastle is.

And it makes perfect sense to purchase new vehicles regularly for your profitable depots. It happens elsewhere in the company every year. Also, whatever the chairman of the group might say, Stagecoach will bid for services when QCS is intoduced. They will make more money from operating under a contract system than by pulling out altogether. Successful businesses are always pragmatic when push comes to shove. They get one year to ensure all buses are Euro 5 or higher. Playing a very stupid game by giving themselves over 150 buses to purchase in that year ?

(08 Apr 2015, 8:24 pm)Kuyoyo wrote Except Teesside aren't having their routes threaten because the Tees Valley Councils saw the true light and are working in partnership with the operators. We're also not part of the NECA - but we do have something you'd hate, a Labour MP against QCS.

(08 Apr 2015, 8:10 pm)AIG20 wrote I assume the main reason why South Shields is getting new vehicles is so that they can upgrade services 10/11/30 to Euro 5 when the contract with Nexus is renewed, and this will also allow services 17/18 to be allocated one vehicle type, instead of a mixture of vehicles - as service 17/18 is currently operated by MAN E200s, Pointer Darts, and MAN ALX300s (if they are not being used on services X34, X20 and the "E"s).

(08 Apr 2015, 11:09 pm)markydh wrote It's really the 03 and 53 reg MANs that I would like to see replaced. They've been worked pretty hard for 12 years and a few are starting to really show their age. They really should be moving into reserve roles now. Yes, there are older buses around (all to be withdrawn by December). I will be watching next year's order very carefully. There won't be any Equality Act deadlines to meet...

(08 Apr 2015, 11:54 pm)callum2015 wrote Next year won`t they be focusing on getting all deckers DDA for the deadline (is it 2017 or 18 for deckers?) if rumors are true then north west & Manchester will have a number of Enviro 400s to be moved elsewere this year so maybe North East will get lucky & manage to get there hands on some of them?

(09 Apr 2015, 7:42 am)Michael wrote 2017 for deckers.

This year will see all of the NON DDA single deckers removed from the fleet, I would imagine cascades will replace the Tridents and Olympian's from Stockton - these could be E400's like you said.  

Does the 2016 single decker deadline include all training buses to be DDA to?

(09 Apr 2015, 7:42 am)Michael wrote 2017 for deckers.

This year will see all of the NON DDA single deckers removed from the fleet, I would imagine cascades will replace the Tridents and Olympian's from Stockton - these could be E400's like you said.  

Does the 2016 single decker deadline include all training buses to be DDA to?

(09 Apr 2015, 7:42 pm)Multi21 wrote No Micheal it only includes buses that are used in public service

(09 Apr 2015, 6:32 pm)Andreos1 wrote Haven't looked/checked/heard anything, but can't see the training vehicles needing to be DDA - unless they include operating the ramps/lowering vehicle a mandatory part of the test.

(09 Apr 2015, 11:38 pm)roar wrote It's part of the test now but only a tell me show me section that uses point cards. The actual practical bit is covered in cpc hours so as the driver has already passed the driving test its done with what ever vehicle is available.

(10 Apr 2015, 6:48 am)Andreos1 wrote I think the only reason they do it the way they do it now, is due to the practicalities of having an easy access vehicle available for test.

(10 Apr 2015, 7:30 am)G-CPTN wrote What about taking the test on a vehicle with manually-selected gears?

Does a driver who already has a car licence for manual transmission retain that right for PSVs - or do they have to take their test on a manual-shift vehicle?

Most service buses have fully-automatic gear selection.

What about automated manual gearboxes as fitted to most trucks nowadays?

Does this qualify as 'manual' or automatic? - ie would a vehicle fitted with such a gearbox qualify a driver for driving manual-shift gears as fitted to many existing coaches?

(10 Apr 2015, 7:30 am)G-CPTN wrote What about taking the test on a vehicle with manually-selected gears?

Does a driver who already has a car licence for manual transmission retain that right for PSVs - or do they have to take their test on a manual-shift vehicle?

Most service buses have fully-automatic gear selection.

What about automated manual gearboxes as fitted to most trucks nowadays?

Does this qualify as 'manual' or automatic? - ie would a vehicle fitted with such a gearbox qualify a driver for driving manual-shift gears as fitted to many existing coaches?

(10 Apr 2015, 10:37 am)Andreos1 wrote Hopefully this link covers everything: 
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/changes-to-motorcycle-lorry-and-bus-driving-test-rules--2

It is a bit of a minefield, with so many hoops to jump through now and laws seemingly changing on such a regular basis.