(24 Feb 2025, 7:36 pm)L469 YVK wrote Sorry.....but some of the issues (including fleet are very relevant and do warrant discussion.

Some of the upcoming fleet being released for cascading (i.e Angel StreetDecks) could actually help resolve some of GNE's issues with newer vehicles being cascaded.

Not sure how that is relevant actually.

The core of the issue is not the vehicles breaking down, but rather how management treat staff who report and/or refuse to drive vehicles which are defective. No matter which depot or routes you palm these vehicles onto, those issues would still remain due to a wider policy which pervades the bus industry (not just GNE specifically) where preventative maintenance is largely sacrificed so that the daily PVR can be met. Unfortunately, this means kicking the can down the road by making temporary repairs to vehicles when a fuller investigation of the defect is probably required - partially due to the availability of engineering staff but more often due to the budgetary constraints to which Engineering Managers have to adhere.

If GNE really wanted to resolve the reliability issue, the solution is actually quite simple: hire more engineering staff to work through the night. That's when the buses are off the road and in the depot, potentially to be worked upon. However, from first-hand knowledge having worked in this type of environment, EMs are reluctant to do this due this as nightshift incurs a premium rate compared to dayshift. So, unless something changes drastically, firefighting is all you can hope for rather than defects being rectified.