(30 Oct 2014, 9:25 pm)aureolin wrote Have 5333 and 5336 had problems for very long? It can't be good having issues with 50% of the X7 fleet, when there's some a lot of competition on route nowadays. I somehow can't see it dragging on for as long as the problems on the 20 have for example.

I believe both have been VOR since mid-September. Peterlee had a Volvo B10BLE and a Scania L94UB to cover all of last month but have only really had a Scania L94UB this month (I'm guessing they've needed the 'extra' bus). Obviously if Deptford have quite a few problems of their own, paired with the fact there's now greater competition on the route (either from the new vehicles on Arriva's service 23 or indeed the new X21 service), they're going to want to get the Mercs back on the road as soon as they can. I think it's been more so an issue of awaiting various parts more than anything else, though I'm not 100% and someone else may be able to confirm...

The situation with the Wear Tees Xpress cannot be compared to the Prince Bishops. The issues with the Mercs have been mechanical and that's why they've had to receive new parts. The apparent issues with the Scania L94s (in most cases) are not mechanical at all; indeed, the most common reason for the "Prince Bishops" branded allocation to be VOR is for their monthly checks. There has been a Scania L94UB which has required an engine overhaul recently, which is a mechanical fault, and was VOR for a period of approximately three months, but this has now returned to service. With a higher PVR and no branded spare vehicles, the missing vehicles are a lot more noticeable. Deptford's allocations are also rather fluid - indeed corporate liveried vehicles are often swapped around and put out onto different services on the grounds of suitability or contractual requirements. Without repeating the points I've made on several occasions prior to this post, it is quite easy to assume that if a vehicle is VOR it's going to be for a mechanical reason. This is not true, and I think most of us will know this as I've banged on about it more than DaveyBowyer has banged on about the Red Arrows getting new buses  this year.

(30 Oct 2014, 9:28 pm)Tom wrote Saw the 1415ish X21 today, and it had about 10 passengers coming in, and 12 passengers going out. No idea about the X7, but has it been affected much by the X21?

Not particularly.