(12 Feb 2023, 1:01 pm)tcts24 wrote 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.They do seem quite full at times when I have struggled to get a seat though but quite possibly it been at times when one is running late. I would agree from around 5:30 though they isn’t as many passengers and that 6 you mention I used to hate if I was unfortunate enough to get that.
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.
I had 36461 on the 3s yesterday and spoke to engineering on returning to the depot. The scraping noise is the diferential.
Suppose see what happens then but it seems daft getting rid of the darts back in 2017 only for them to slowly start getting them back. Saying that I would say 34605 and 34611 are the two best buses in the fleet now.