(05 Jan 2016, 8:35 pm)Davie wrote I forgot to mention, one of the Redarrow B9's blind wasn't working. It wasn't showing the service number, but did show the destination and via points.

If you spot it while you're out and about, drop me a PM on here and I will let the engineers know (if they don't find it and fix it first!)

Cheers.

(05 Jan 2016, 8:32 pm)Greg in Weardale wrote Exactly my point. Deckers don't need to be DDA. And I doubt that in the real world anyone is going to be worried about even a single decker going round with no destination for a day or two until it can be fixed. Anything is better than a bus being cancelled. Yes it's reasonable to expect wheelchair access, but many of the DDA regulations are obsessive pedantry and are unfair expense to small operators trying to run buses where everything favours the big guys.

The cost of ensuring a fleet is DDA compliant is the same, no matter whether it's a small or large company. It's not as if these regulations have caught everyone by surprise; operators have had years to get everything in place, yet we're still seeing buses running around without having destination equipment fitted. There's no excuse for that, given how long everyone has known.

I'd disagree, and suggest its looked at in another way. If there's no standard set in writing, then it potentially allows every vehicle to be fitted to a different standard. Being in a wheelchair isn't a prerequisite to being classed as disabled, and it's important to recognise the huge spectrum of disabilities out there.

(05 Jan 2016, 8:36 pm)Dan wrote If you spot it while you're out and about, drop me a PM on here and I will let the engineers know (if they don't find it and fix it first!)

Cheers.

I'll have a look for it tomorrow.

(05 Jan 2016, 7:51 pm)Greg in Weardale wrote Yes 9119 is plastic and cheap, nowhere as good as an Enviro 400 MMC, but it is better than a knackered, ancient President and Streetdecks on X21 will be an improvement on the current hotch potch of vehicles. If 6037 is out on X21 with no destination tomorrow then someone give the driver a sheet of A4 paper ... A3 even better ... and a black felt tip and tell him to write NEWCASTLE on one side and BISHOP AUCKLAND on the other and put it in the windscreen. Not ideal, but it's better than nothing and perfectly legal, even if the DDA secret police are about.

The destination was working perfectly fine when it left the depot this morning.... otherwise it would of had a temp destination put in the windscreen till the bus got to chester to be repaired/replaced

(05 Jan 2016, 8:39 pm)Adrian wrote I'd disagree, and suggest its looked at in another way. If there's no standard set in writing, then it potentially allows every vehicle to be fitted to a different standard. Being in a wheelchair isn't a prerequisite to being classed as disabled, and it's important to recognise the huge spectrum of disabilities out there.

Quite. I can walk for miles, most days, but I have a condition that results in low muscle tone, often with a lot of pain and I lose my balance easily. Without those pesky rails, I'd probably fall off my seat on every bend. There's a few seats towards the rear of the lower deck of the angels that I can't use, for this reason.

The front destination number on one of the cobalt connects was not working tonight. Was going through earsdon at around 5:30, didn't catch fleet number as going in opposite direction

Looks like Dan & Citaro will have a busy week sending emails regarding blinds then....!

(06 Jan 2016, 12:13 am)rc81 wrote The front destination number on one of the cobalt connects was not working tonight. Was going through earsdon at around 5:30, didn't catch fleet number as going in opposite direction

I should be able to track which bus it was given that the 19 is a fairly infrequent service - which direction was it heading in, when passing through Earsdon at 17:30?

The OmniCitys are renowned for the panel of LEDs for the route number going off. Always a temperamental fault, as they seem to work in the depot but go off when they leave!

It looked like 8261's side & rear blind wasn't working, although they could have just been turned off.

Can we start doing the destination reports via PM to the relevant people now? Getting tiring seeing this thread clogged up with 'xxxx's destination wasnt working'

(06 Jan 2016, 11:40 am)S813 FVK wrote Can we start doing the destination reports via PM to the relevant people now? Getting tiring seeing this thread clogged up with 'xxxx's destination wasnt working'

Agreed.

However I'd not want to discourage discussion on the forum, as we don't have the luxury of a direct reporting route for all operators.

Could I suggest that reports are added to the PSVAR thread for now, and we can review the situation again in the coming days or weeks. This will prevent the operator threads from being clogged up.

(05 Jan 2016, 8:23 pm)S813 FVK wrote 5389, 5390 and 8328 are all corporate livered spares for services Q1/Q2/Q3 (and service 58?)

And other services I've seen it sneek onto other services 

(05 Jan 2016, 8:42 pm)pdiddy wrote The destination was working perfectly fine when it left the depot this morning.... otherwise it would of had a temp destination put in the windscreen till the bus got to chester to be repaired/replaced

Destination now working I've photographed the bus on the freezing cold

(06 Jan 2016, 4:56 am)Dan wrote I should be able to track which bus it was given that the 19 is a fairly infrequent service - which direction was it heading in, when passing through Earsdon at 17:30?

The OmniCitys are renowned for the panel of LEDs for the route number going off. Always a temperamental fault, as they seem to work in the depot but go off when they leave!

It was heading towards Northumberland park

8293 is currently being collected from Saltmeadows by Trevor Wigley.

Eventually salt meadows has been clogged up for months. Saw an old x40 artic being towed away yesterday too and an old toon link the previous day

(07 Jan 2016, 11:47 am)Acky81 wrote Eventually salt meadows has been clogged up for months. Saw an old x40 artic being towed away yesterday too and an old toon link the previous day

Looks like the backlog is going bit by bit.
Did you see if the other two were off to Barnsley too?

I forgot to mention this on Monday; but does anyone know if there's any truth behind the speculation that Arriva are taking over service X25?

(07 Jan 2016, 5:56 pm)Davie wrote I forgot to mention this on Monday; but does anyone know if there's any truth behind the speculation that Arriva are taking over service X25?

No.

(07 Jan 2016, 5:57 pm)R852 PRG wrote No.

I didn't think so, I just wanted confirmation.

I've just passed an unbranded black Solar, it's currently in Beacon Lough if anyone wants a photo.

(08 Jan 2016, 8:20 am)Davie wrote I've just passed an unbranded black Solar, it's currently in Beacon Lough if anyone wants a photo.

Waiting for branding for the loop, I wonder? It's had a lot of subs on it, recently.

(08 Jan 2016, 10:22 am)BusLoverMum wrote Waiting for branding for the loop, I wonder? It's had a lot of subs on it, recently.

Yes, 5219 returned to service following repaint yesterday (which is why 5220 has gone to Saltmeadows Rd in its place).

Probably going to be at least one red single-deck on the Loop services every day for the next few months, excluding weekends.

(07 Jan 2016, 3:48 pm)Andreos1 wrote Looks like the backlog is going bit by bit.
Did you see if the other two were off to Barnsley too?

No I didnt

(08 Jan 2016, 10:32 am)Dan wrote Yes, 5219 returned to service following repaint yesterday (which is why 5220 has gone to Saltmeadows Rd in its place).

Probably going to be at least one red single-deck on the Loop services every day for the next few months, excluding weekends.

5220 has now been replaced by 5223. Whizzing through them!

As the first MPD for Hexham has now returned to service following repaint... The colourscheme is slightly more interesting than just yellow as originally noted: there's also a bit of blue on there, too!

(08 Jan 2016, 3:38 pm)Dan wrote As the first MPD for Hexham has now returned to service following repaint... The colourscheme is slightly more interesting than just yellow as originally noted: there's also a bit of blue on there, too!

Without seeing the vehicle, does the blue cover the roof and above the windows? Just going off other liveries (Venture and Nexus) where from the top of the windows, it is a different colour.

The yellow-with-blue MPD was my 687 ride from Corbridge to ALDI this morning (10:55 - 11:07)

AFAICR it was a blue roof.

Why blue?

Unidentified Saltwell Parks seen going into Jarrow bus Stn around 1630 did not see which route it was on either !!

South Tyne Optare Versa 8294 has gained rear advertising boards.

(08 Jan 2016, 5:06 pm)Coppercap40 wrote Unidentified Saltwell Parks seen going into Jarrow bus Stn around 1630 did not see which route it was on either !!

Possibly driver change overs?

(08 Jan 2016, 4:37 pm)G-CPTN wrote The yellow-with-blue MPD was my 687 ride from Corbridge to ALDI this morning (10:55 - 11:07)

AFAICR it was a blue roof.

Why blue?

Yes, that's right.

'Visit Hexham' have a bluey-purple colour-scheme, so I guess it makes sense to tie a two-tone base livery in with this?

http://www.visithexham.net/
https://twitter.com/VisitHexham