(07 Apr 2021, 9:38 pm)mb134 wrote Agreed, and they badly need investment. However, I don't think that should excuse the frequency with which their vehicles are removed from service the day they return after a breakdown/period off road. 7525, I think it was, in Jan/Feb had a period of a week or so where it came back, broke, was off for a few days, returned and broke the next day (and repeat). 7530 was a similar story yesterday, taken off early afternoon in its first day in service since March 24th. Again, I'm not suggesting that they're letting them out in an unsafe condition - but if the bus has been road tested or fixed correctly it shouldn't break/be taken off on its first day back. I understand there will be occasions where this does happen, but as regularly as it seems to?
With 7510, I'm sure they had a suitable rear diff for it in 7513 (which is now at Alpha according to a post on a FB group) so I'm not sure what happened there. The Scania's and the 57/09-plate E400s are not in a good way at all. With the Volvo's, the two 05 plates seem to be very hit and miss, but again agreed they're not really suitable for that sort of depot if there isn't a route like the 35. 7484 seems ridiculously reliable for how old it is, the last time I got it (last summer) the driver seemed to be enjoying it, and commented on it being decent on driver changeover at Ashington. 7486 I'm not sure on, but I assume has a serious problem as it hasn't surfaced since February while the rest of the B7s have been in constant service.
On the vehicles in your first paragraph, 7556 was off due to an accident so shouldn't be out of action much longer.
Yeah your right about investment, mind I have noticed what you mean there 7510 (Tues), 7484 (Today), 7543 (Multiple Days, got 2809's broken tracker? not sure), 2809 (Sunday) are a few other buses that have done the same within the last week of a breakdown or lengthy absense in the week beforehand.
Be interesting to see what happens as we had this conversation a few month ago and we said that at least they've got time with less buses on the road to fix things and here we are in the exactly the same boat bar 3 of there better buses have been took off them and the PVR is still down when let's be honest with the X21/X22 and the 35 in particular it shouldn't be.
I don't know what the numbers were like on the 1 and 2 but Arriva seem to be causing a right headache to reduce the PVR by 4 between them when they don't have any buses realistically to replace the minis without investment especially when big bus drivers get paid more anyway and the extra costs between a full size single (no doubt decker at Blyth) vs a Solo.
Oh forgot to say aswell someone asked the other day was 1407 tracking right now, it was as it was on the 57A the other day (seen it pass by).