(02 Sep 2021, 3:46 pm)Washingtonian wrote Do passengers really complain that much whether or not a bus is new or how old it is? I'm not denying passengers could be saying this but at one time people where not that bothered so much about a bus' age just as long as it was reliable, got them where they wanted, it was safe and comfortable enough. There were buses like the MCW Metrobuses and Leyland Olympians that were running on main stream services up until around the mid noughties and they must have been getting on for 25-30 years old by the time they were withdrawn. These buses were more reliable than some of the newer models at the time. Now if anyone says a bus is 10 years or older that they are old! I know that GNE and other operators are expected to meet emissons targets every year but it just shows sadly that a lot of stuff now isn't built to last as long and thats such a shame given the millions of pounds invested in new buses year on year. I was at Seaburn rally on Monday and it was a joy to see stuff like the Metrobuses and Olympians etc which are still as solid as a rock.
I personally don't mind an older vehicle (say 15 years old) as long as it meets the specification promised on the route.
If I'm getting the X21, I expect to get a bus with high-back seats, WiFi, USB ports and tables as that is what is advertised. Anything less I consider to be false advertising.
If you go to McDonalds and order a Big Mac, and get given a saver menu hamburger, you wouldn't be happy. If they turn around and say "well, it's still food", you'd tell them to shove it. So why is it alright for an operator to turn around and says "it's still a bus" and that's the end of it?
As for the likes of the Olympians, the reason they're still 'solid as a rock' is because people will have spent far more than the vehicle is worth restoring them, and keeping them on the road!