(02 Sep 2021, 7:32 pm)Storx wrote I think it's more about downgrading rather than age. Like I live up Blyth way and we have the Gemini's and tbh they're perfectly fine and I have no problems with them. Now if you gave us brand new buses with tables which have a nicer interior etc. I wouldn't be too happy to then get the Gemini's back a year later while the other Blyth bus routes keep there brand new buses because they want to move them to Ashington for the X21/X22 instead while I still pay the same price as the other punters with their brand new buses (which would be actually more here because of Coastliner and Cramlington discounts).
Like in your case you didn't want the B9's to go but next year you probably wouldn't want them back either when you've had brand new Streetdecks for the past 2 year.
Also whoever mentioned the old Metrobuses/Olympians in the 00's they were mid 80's buses if I'm right so no older than the 03/04 plate Omnidekkas running around now.
Yeah as I mentioned in my earlier post I can understand why people would be annoyed to have new buses taken off their service when they've not been on there long etc. I don't deny that must be frustrating. If a bus is bought new for a service it should be bought to last on that service for a decent period of time. To be honest the age of a bus has never bothered me personally at all just and It's more the way vehicles are presented that I look for. To be honest I love getting on an older bus when it is kept immaculate. I personally am more satisfied when I see bus companies take real pride in their fleet. Weardale are very much like this as were OK Travel. The likes of Redby on the other hand were the total opposite most of the time. That was a company that bought a lot of knackered and untidy vehicles and they could never seem to decide on their livery until nearer the end of their days!
The last A-reg Metrobuses GNE hadwould have been aorund 23 years old I think when they were withdrawn. I think it was around mid to late 2006 when they left the fleet. The last Nationals were getting on for 30 year old as some of them were V and W regs, so they would have been around 26/27.