(04 Jan 2024, 6:00 pm)toward6931 wrote i really do think that since when i worked at SNE and there was a plan in place where the big money making divisions were getting batches of new vehicles bi annually with a set fleet management plan, it does not feel like that is the case any more.
for example torquay and northampton getting brand new MMCs to try and bring up the standard of tourist and student services whilst dare i say it (again) a year round money making operation like the north east which traditionally has a higher percentage of people using public transport is slowly getting older and older buses or as i focused attention on recently busier and busier services which arent getting remedied
tbf, I think it's more they have underinvested for the past 5 or so, in particular during COVID, and there's now a massive backlog which is just getting worse as the investment is still way too low. You can't just keep cutting routes, to get arid of the oldest buses in the fleet.
It'll be interesting to see what happens in 4 years, or so, as both Arriva and Stagecoach are in serious trouble without investment as they both went on a massive buying spree in the early 10's and it's starting to catch up already. On paper, using the 15 year rule, they should be starting now. Obviously Arriva has decided to just up the number instead, but that's a massive sticking plaster.