(17 Feb 2014, 1:29 pm)andreos1 wrote Apart from the examples you gave, where you have stated certain units are allocated certain drivers, can anyone confirm if an ex Winlaton driver would appear on a 57 or 58 now, or will they still drive routes, previously allocated to their home depot?
I think the only example of this is the Blaydon Racers. One of our GNE reps said prior to Riverside's opening is that the Blaydon Racers will join a business unit group which is primarily ex-Gateshead services. That's why driver changeovers are still done at Gateshead rather than at Metrocentre (as is the case with the TEN, Toon Link etc).
(17 Feb 2014, 1:29 pm)andreos1 wrote That then links into an additional question, since there are now a range of vehicles allocated (often incorrectly) to different routes.
If a problem occurs with a decker working an 11 and the only spare vehicle is a Versa, what will happen to the ex Winlaton driver if he/she isn't familiar with that vehicle type?
Will they be told to just get on with it, or have driving staff been given familiarisation training behind the scenes?
Obviously depot standardisation comes into its own here, but with a depot the size of Riverside, that is practically impossible.
Vehicle types at Riverside:
- Volvo B7TL/Wright Eclipse Gemini
- Volvo B7TL/East Lancs Vyking
- Volvo B10BLE/Wright Renown
- Scania L94UB/Wright Solar
- Scania L94UA/Wright Solar Fusion
- Volvo B7RLE/Wright Eclipse
- Mercedes Citaro 0530N/Mercedes Citaro
- Mercedes Citaro 0530G/Mercedes Citaro
- Optare Versa V1170/Optare
- Volvo B7TL/Plaxton President
- Volvo B9TL/Wright Eclipse Gemini
- VDL SB120/Wright Merit
- Optare Versa V1110/Optare
- Wright Streetlite DF/Wright
The only new vehicles to Winlaton drivers when merging with Riverside are in italics above.
Solars in the past have been on loan to Winlaton depot (see here for an example), so I imagine a few of the drivers based there will have had familiarisation with this vehicle type - the remaining drivers would have been given familiarisation upon merge.
The articulated vehicles can only be driven by those who have been given artic. training; realistically, you don't see those vehicles off-route all too often!
This leaves Versas, Streetlites and Merits - I don't think it would be particularly difficult to have given drivers familiarisation on these vehicles when the depots merged.