(10 Nov 2025, 3:05 am)Arriva7446 wrote Arriva haven't always helped themselves by getting rid of the better Solo's just because they were older. Eg 2812 was very reliable at Ashington right up until the end, and 2837 they had for a while was good but as they were 08 plate they left and some of the 59 plates like 2855 was way worse.

2601 - 3 are not that bad for reliability, although sometimes when they do go out they can be out for a long time. Probably 2602 best, then 2601 and then 2603 slightly worse. 3051 so far has been very poor. Even before the 3 month absence it was poor.

Long term I think Arriva need to decide if they want to run these type of minibus services. If they do they should put in a bid for more services than they currently have like the 19 or the Morpeth locals and as such this would justify investment in more newer minibuses, perhaps the 72 plates when Darlington are done with them, or just let them go as it seems pointless to keep bringing in these dodgy minibuses which have no use on their commercial services and they are not going to bring in anything decent just for super quiet services like the 415. Though at least 3051 and 52 are not quite as small as 2601 - 3 so may have more use on the 57 or the 1 and 2 if both are ever available at the same time so have a spare. I don't know really, just as a regular user of the 57 I am a bit fed up of the long line of dodgy minibuses

What’s actually up with 3051? I’d assume it will see service again at some point but how soon will that be?