(10 Feb 2023, 5:24 pm)col87 wrote Well how did they manage between 1996 - 2008 when most of the fleet was full size buses including double deckers. While I quite like the darts it Dosent solve the issue of buses getting full really but then it’s quite clear Stagecoach don’t really care about Hartlepool hence no investment.
Well I had actually been wondering that myself. Suffice to say though, as things stand, Hartlepool engineering can't handle anything longer than the MAN's they currently have.
I seem to recall having the conversation with you about "full" buses a few years ago before I drove them. I started with Stagecoach in September 2021 and with occasional variation, for the last 6 months I've largely been on the same shift - Duty 202 - Monday to Friday, 1421 to 2345 on 6s and 7s. Again with occasional variation, on average I'll have around 15 customers travelling at the same time during daytimes. The one notable exception is route 6 trip 106 (starts St. Patrick's at 1516), which from Oxford Road onwards will generally have 50-60 customers (mostly English Martyrs students). The E200's have a capacity of 68 and the MAN's a little more. On only one occasion doing that run have I actually reached full capacity. The only other time I recall having a full to capacity bus is rememberance Sunday. So Hartlepool's issue of buses getting full is easily solved - because they don't actually get full!
You are indeed quite correct. Stagecoach do not care about Hartlepool, or Herne Bay, or Hull, or frankly anywhere. They care about profit as of course do Sainsburys, Sky, Selotape or any other commercial organisation. Route 36 generates more income than route 6, therefore route 36 sees more investment. The same as one branch of W H Smiths will generate more income than another and receive higher investment as a result.
It's all for the good of the income, not the good of the customer. If it was, there probably wouldn't be any cash to invest in the 36 either.
(10 Feb 2023, 5:36 pm)col87 wrote I think a further point as well is 36461 probably needs to be scrapped as well. I was on it the other night and I don’t know what it was but they was an awful scrapping sound coming from it. That’s after constant issues with the doors not working the lights not working or a problem with the alarm over the last year.
Would agree as well Man is a decent company and the enviros have done ok. I think if they made a version of the lion city for the UK market that could work in places like Hartlepool and Shields.
I had 36461 on the 3s yesterday and spoke to engineering on returning to the depot. The scraping noise is the diferential.