(19 Feb 2018, 3:30 pm)Driver9*** wrote Arriva always has and always will do the absolute minimum in terms of bus maintenance and repair. Generally if something breaks or does not work but is not a legal requirement, it will not be fixed.

A classic example is the windscreen wipers, which usually have three settings, intermittent, normal and fast. In half the buses at my depot the intermittent setting will not be working and will never be fixed no matter how often they are reported. Like all companies its all about £££ at the end of the day, but Arriva take it to the extreme.

(19 Feb 2018, 4:55 am)omnicity4659 wrote The news/publicity articles the NE marketing team publish make absolutely no sense whatsoever, whether that be through sentences just being thrown together, spelling errors and just contradictory/wrong information... 

(19 Feb 2018, 7:13 pm)L469 YVK wrote Experienced this the most when complaining about the withdrawal of the late evening (after 11.30pm)  X10 and 308 runs to Blyth.

When I complained about the X10 and suggested that they ran it as a 43E (serving full 43 route to Cramlington and then the X10 route from there to Blyth),  I was met with the following bull***t:

"Our data shows that most people using the 23:40 X10 either travelled on the 43 at 23:05 or the X11 at 23:10"

Now, why the hell (unless people wanted stops that the X10/X11 didn't call at) would somebody use the 43 all the way from Newcastle to Cramlington when they could wait another 5 minutes for the 'express'? 

And when it came to expressing my disgust at withdrawing the 23:40 308 (which would've still been viable to run on a Friday & Saturday), I was simply met with the response of most people only using it between Newcastle and Billy Mill rather than them admitting the true reason (to close Blyth Depot earlier). 

Ahem, what about people with day, weekly and monthly tickets (both Arriva and Nexus) as well as any concessionary fares? The people (particularly the former) who probably pay to sit in endless traffic with packed buses running late. And yes they seem to be correcting that come the 18th March but they're probably only adding the extra bus and running time to keep the Traffic Commissioner of their backs and avoid fines for non compliance.

(20 Feb 2018, 4:06 pm)Driver9*** wrote The days of Arriva running late buses for a dozen or so punters are long gone. For years they ran a lot of local mini bus services through housing estates whilst the big buses who passed by these estates on the main road ran empty. It took them a long time to catch on (about the time DB took them over) but they realised why run an extra bus and driver just to save lazy people a minute or two walk to catch the empty big buses running past the estates....

(21 Feb 2018, 9:12 am)Multi21 wrote The latest cadet has fallen... 1920 is being towed into Stockton as I type this. By the way the engineers are talking it's going straight into the naughty corner and not coming back. Such a shame, first bus I ever drove in service on both on my own and with my mentor.

(20 Feb 2018, 4:06 pm)Driver9*** wrote The days of Arriva running late buses for a dozen or so punters are long gone. For years they ran a lot of local mini bus services through housing estates whilst the big buses who passed by these estates on the main road ran empty. It took them a long time to catch on (about the time DB took them over) but they realised why run an extra bus and driver just to save lazy people a minute or two walk to catch the empty big buses running past the estates....

(21 Feb 2018, 10:48 am)Cock Robin wrote What did you do to it?!

---

So now the punters catch taxis and the big buses are still empty.

(21 Feb 2018, 9:12 am)Multi21 wrote The latest cadet has fallen... 1920 is being towed into Stockton as I type this. By the way the engineers are talking it's going straight into the naughty corner and not coming back. Such a shame, first bus I ever drove in service on both on my own and with my mentor.

(21 Feb 2018, 11:25 am)Multi21 wrote Sorry im wrong it was 1922 not 20. Its had its Own licence and Ticket machine removed. Death by broken Torque Converter!

(21 Feb 2018, 7:00 pm)tyresmoke wrote Always one of the best! 1907 was the first to go and that was the best one of the lot.

(20 Feb 2018, 1:44 pm)Stuartphin1639 wrote By the looks of things  Sapphire streetlite 1611 and 1612 are both going to be branded as sapphire spares, unless they haven’t had the 1/5/5A Branded but added but have had all the rest of the vinyls added

(23 Feb 2018, 6:19 pm)Stephen James Peter Johns wrote Just seen a post on Facebook stating Blyths Hybrid Volvo B5LH Wright Gemini 2s are being swapped with Arriva Yorkshires VDL DB300 Wright Gemini 2s. 7805 has made the trip south on a lowloader.

Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk

(23 Feb 2018, 6:19 pm)Stephen James Peter Johns wrote Just seen a post on Facebook stating Blyths Hybrid Volvo B5LH Wright Gemini 2s are being swapped with Arriva Yorkshires VDL DB300 Wright Gemini 2s. 7805 has made the trip south on a lowloader.

Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk

(23 Feb 2018, 6:49 pm)Driver9*** wrote Best news at our depot for years. No more pathetic electric acceleration at dangerous junctions and roundabouts.

(24 Feb 2018, 8:34 am)omnicity4659 wrote 1525 YJ61 OAY **7628** / 1526 YJ61 OAZ **7629** / 1527 YJ61 OBA **7630** / 1530 YJ61 OBB **7631** / 1531 YJ61 OBE **7632** / 1532 YJ61 OBF **7633** / 1533 YJ61 OBG **7634** / 1534 YJ61 OBH **7635** / 1535 YJ61 OBK **7636** / 1543 YJ61 OBT **7637**

If what I'm told is true the DB300s cascading to Blyth are the above. Obviously, this is subject to change as always.

All bar 1535/1543 are Interurban liveried, with those two being MAX specification. If the rest get refurbished, they won't be able to be painted in MAX to match 1535/43 and the Pulsars on 306, due to the new Arriva Brand Guidelines. The North East marketing team have really shot themselves in the foot again by refurbishing the B5LHs...!

(24 Feb 2018, 8:34 am)omnicity4659 wrote 1525 YJ61 OAY **7628** / 1526 YJ61 OAZ **7629** / 1527 YJ61 OBA **7630** / 1530 YJ61 OBB **7631** / 1531 YJ61 OBE **7632** / 1532 YJ61 OBF **7633** / 1533 YJ61 OBG **7634** / 1534 YJ61 OBH **7635** / 1535 YJ61 OBK **7636** / 1543 YJ61 OBT **7637**

If what I'm told is true the DB300s cascading to Blyth are the above. Obviously, this is subject to change as always.

All bar 1535/1543 are Interurban liveried, with those two being MAX specification. If the rest get refurbished, they won't be able to be painted in MAX to match 1535/43 and the Pulsars on 306, due to the new Arriva Brand Guidelines. The North East marketing team have really shot themselves in the foot again by refurbishing the B5LHs...!

(24 Feb 2018, 12:09 pm)peter wrote Neither 1535 or 1543 are MAX spec, they're also Interurban liveried. In the photo above of 7805 is it is said that it is 1542 as opposed to 1543 (again 1542 is Interurban liveried).

(24 Feb 2018, 3:46 pm)DavidSBrough wrote Why have Blyth and Leeds swapped buses?

(24 Feb 2018, 7:48 pm)omnicity4659 wrote I think it's to standardise the fleet, seeing as they already have B5LHs and Blyth have loads of DB300s.

(24 Feb 2018, 10:30 pm)Malarkey wrote Wonder if new buses could be in the pipeline for the 306/308 as for me me having DB300 Gemini and VDL Pulsars seem like a downgrade from Streetlites and Volvo B5LH's.