(27 Apr 2014, 5:56 am)Dan wrote No depot is perfect with every depot having an 'issue' that can be picked out (whether it is allocations, engineering, etc). To me it suggests that the 'issue' lies with Stanley's engineering department.
Stanley is a good example of how a depot should be run. With the exception of the "Venture" Solo SR allocations, Stanley are pretty good when it comes to allocating branded vehicles to the correct services (just compare Stanley to Riverside).
Despite this, you'll find they have almost every vehicle of their spare vehicle allocation out in action on a daily basis, while the branded vehicles are repaired.
Part of their spare vehicle allocation (on weekends/school holidays) is made up by the "Yellow Bus" branded Olympians, and you'll find that branded vehicles are often substitued for these vehicles - much to the annoyance of higher management. I'd argue that Stanley are applying 'quick fixes' to get the branded vehicles out straight away (thereby keeping GNE management's faces straight!) and not actually fixing the issues properly with the vehicles.
With this in mind, things SHOULD improve by the end of the year - once the Olympians have departed the fleet. For now I think the current allocation works well.
Picking up from here I thought it would be a good time to ask this but who controls the operations of the Venture SRs? Does somebody from Stanley do it or is somebody appointed to do it that lives near Consett so they don't lose fuel going up and down every night?