(17 Feb 2014, 11:23 pm)G-CPTN wrote The alterations to the 685 vehicles was discussed at a recent NCC Area Committee meeting in response to complaints received from passengers.
The leather seats afforded little purchase for passengers when the buses negotiated the twisty sections of the route. Previous (coach) vehicles had moquette seats and seatbelts, and the current vehicles had neither. Of course the current vehicles are low-floor to comply with disabled access regulations.

The Stagecoach representative announced that they would be introducing NEW vehicles later in the year, fitted with seatbelts (and wifi).

The Arriva guy was subjected to criticism that they, too, were not providing NEW vehicles, and it was my opinion that Arriva will simply recover the existing vehicle seats and fit seatbelts - leaving the criticism of poor ride quality (as mentioned, the previous (unreliable) vehicles were to coach specification rather than buses).

Does the poor ride quality not translate onto the E300s too or is it just an anti-Arriva stance?
I don't disagree that a route like the 685 needs coaches though.