(17 Feb 2021, 11:39 pm)Storx wrote Just thought I'd bring that up when you mentioned the cycle patterns as they both do it, but once you start buying junk (let's be honest they are compared to Leylands etc) with poor engines and turbos they aren't going to last 15 years especially on hard work.

Aye that's what I was meaning. Their mindset seems to be that they're still running a network of Volvos and Scanias which to an extent they are, but they aren't the same as Olympians, L113 saloons etc. 

Operators like Arriva and First who seem to invest in large batches rather than a smaller batch here and there (like GNE for example), they really need to be looking at heavy duty stuff rather than StreetLites, for example. I've said it before but I think if Volvo came out now with a decker chassis with the engine from the B8RLE, companies like Arriva and First would snap them up - especially considering both companies are using elderly B7TLs and B7RLEs reliably as part of their frontline fleets.

I've banged on about it before, but it's of note again I think. I've used buses on the continent quite a bit, particularly in Norway, and they tend to use heavy duty stuff (Volvo, Merc etc). They also have pretty decent public transport usage - I'd wager this is at least partially because services are reliable, so folk are more comfortable using them. All the gimmicks in the world don't make a lightweight vehicle suitable for a demanding route.