(21 Aug 2013, 9:01 pm)Adam Malarkey wrote I was a tad confused at the time, thinking where is the Versa, thanks for clearing that up for me Daniel.
(21 Aug 2013, 10:34 pm)CatsFast101 wrote Would all buses on a Sunday need a euro 5 vehicle. I thought that the 26A was operated by GNE commercial for a few early evening runs and Sunday daytime-early evening buses with Monday-Sunday evening buses been the contracted service which was Arriva but now GNE.
The runs previously operated by Arriva, and the ones which are therefore secured by Nexus are as follows:
Monday to Friday -
2020 #26A Sunderland to Heworth (and return)
2050 #26A Sunderland to Heworth (and return)
2120 #26A Sunderland to Heworth (and return)
2150 #26A Sunderland to Heworth (and return)
2220 #26A Sunderland to Heworth (and return)
2250 #26A Sunderland to Heworth (and return)
2320 #26A Sunderland to Heworth (and return)
Saturdays -
1950 #26A Sunderland to Heworth (and return)
As above
Sundays -
1850 #26A Sunderland to Heworth (and return)
1920 #26A Sunderland to Heworth (and return)
1950
As above
Mondays to Saturdays, the #26A workings before these can be operated by whatever has been allocated throughout the day (primarily a B7TL but other things do slip off onto there and GNE's timetable would suggest it was allocated a single decker..but nevermind!). The above mentioned runs - in accordance to the contract - have to be operated by a Euro 5 vehicle, and, as Deptford's best Euro 5 candidate, they are operated by a "SimpliCity" branded Optare Versa, which presumably has worked a 42 during the day. As the "SimpliCity" branded Optare Versas are removed from service from a similar time to the final commercial boards on the 26A, it makes sense that these have a quick trip to the depot so the driver can cash in, and then the next driver picks the bus up and heads back to Park Lane before performing 26As for the night.
Sundays, you can see that more #26A workings are secured, but as Deptford do not require most/all of their "SimpliCity" branded Optare Versas to be out on Sundays (they do when counting 26A), the 26A can run off a commercial 26A which is operated throughout the day.
There is nothing stopping Deptford having the usual allocation out on a Sunday throughout the day and swapping them around at contract time, but the running costs would obviously be cheaper if they didn't. :p