2846 left about 5 mins ago on the X16.

(11 Sep 2015, 4:45 pm)DaveyBowyer wrote Arriva seriously need to invest more money into their MAX and Sapphire routes if they want them to work. OK, perhaps the 57 plates have been performing better since Ecnospeed was removed but, the whole allocations across the North East look very scrappy from the 57 plate Sapphires to constant off route vehicles to even some routes (X7, X8, X12) even using single deckers for some runs that require double deckers and allocating Ex London refurbished buses to the X20 is not going to do a service with potential any favors. Arriva need to do the following:

- Order new buses for the key MAX and Sapphire routes to allow cascades to take place.
- Amend all timetables to ensure that services are running as close to time as possible.
- NO refurbished Ex London deckers for main workings (bar peak time extras), all buses used should be to a good standard!
- NO more first buses of the morning sneaking out of Blyth depot late and starting to get into problems around Newsham area etc.
- Adequate spare vehicles to ensure consistency and prevent brand dilution.
- Tighter controls on odd workings to ensure that these are rectified as soon as possible and kept to a minimum.
- NO drivers plodding along against favorable road and traffic conditions. All drivers to drive to the road and traffic conditions in a legal and safer manner whilst keeping the service as close to time as possible.

They've had a problem with inadequate spare buses for years, but there seems to be favouritism towards certain depots. The minute the 81 PVR went down they took 4501 off Redcar, but Stockton still have several vehicles on the road which should have gone into Reserve/Disposal. No wonder they always seem to have a line of spare buses in the depot whereas Redcar rarely have any.

2834 on 43.

X reg dart on X9.

7518 on X14

CX05 registered MAX Omnicity on 1/5/5A/19.

1305 was on X9

Not that unusual individually but all of 1101, 1303, 4507 and 4513 were on the 63 by 10am today!

Spare sapphire 1517 on the 46

1510 on X66
1915 on 7

7531 on X15

664 on the 22 (not seen big'un move so fast to leap on the sofa and look out of the window for ages)

Edit, just on its way into Durham now, at 19:28

(12 Sep 2015, 2:14 pm)Jimmi wrote CX05 registered MAX Omnicity on 1/5/5A/19.

Replaced a missing pulsar at 11:15 no idea where the pulsar was

And the said omnicity was 4644

1476 has joined 1479 on X12

Theres a E200 on service 24, just passed oakerside peterlee at 19:05, but looks like its the run that finishes at peterlee bus station at 19:14, don't know if it goes onto something else or goes light back to the depot.

(12 Sep 2015, 10:01 am)Cock Robin wrote They've had a problem with inadequate spare buses for years, but there seems to be favouritism towards certain depots. The minute the 81 PVR went down they took 4501 off Redcar, but Stockton still have several vehicles on the road which should have gone into Reserve/Disposal. No wonder they always seem to have a line of spare buses in the depot whereas Redcar rarely have any.

Stockton are sending a number of their Cadets to Thorntons for DDA modifications. So far only 1920 has gone there due to Thorntons being kept busy with other work. Some of the Cadets due to be withdrawn are remaining in fleet as temporary cover until the others return and are ready for service again.

1905 was withdrawn last week. 1910 & 1911 are the most recent to be listed for disposal, but 1468 has arrived at Stockton and is not ready for service yet, while 1467 is still in service at Durham.

1470 was on the 23 Sunderland to hartlepool earlier when I was on the x21 passed me at toll bar junction in grangetown

(12 Sep 2015, 6:20 pm)Mark wrote Stockton are sending a number of their Cadets to Thorntons for DDA modifications. So far only 1920 has gone there due to Thorntons being kept busy with other work. Some of the Cadets due to be withdrawn are remaining in fleet as temporary cover until the others return and are ready for service again.

1905 was withdrawn last week. 1910 & 1911 are the most recent to be listed for disposal, but 1468 has arrived at Stockton and is not ready for service yet, while 1467 is still in service at Durham.

will any of those cadets move to jesmond to replace 4501, 4512 and 4514?

(12 Sep 2015, 8:14 pm)buss14 wrote will any of those cadets move to jesmond to replace 4501, 4512 and 4514?

No, as all the ones being converted to DDA compliant will come back to Stockton for service 17 & 17A, while the others will be withdrawn by the end of the year.

1436 on X93.

7514 on the X18

Oh dear, we have a Pulsar on the Bishop Auckland College 5A, just left Aycliffe Town Centre with few seats left!

And yes this does mean that I've wasted my time going out for that, this morning![emoji34]

(14 Sep 2015, 6:53 am)Jimmi wrote Oh dear, we have a Pulsar on the Bishop Auckland College 5A, just left Aycliffe Town Centre with few seats left!

And yes this does mean that I've wasted my time going out for that, this morning![emoji34]

Hopefully loadings will have levelled out a bit now on all of our college services?

1471 on X12, 0935 from Middlesbrough

(14 Sep 2015, 8:12 am)tyresmoke wrote 1471 on X12, 0935 from Middlesbrough

And a debranded 1477 was the 0825 from Middlesbrough

(14 Sep 2015, 6:53 am)Jimmi wrote Oh dear, we have a Pulsar on the Bishop Auckland College 5A, just left Aycliffe Town Centre with few seats left!

And yes this does mean that I've wasted my time going out for that, this morning![emoji34]

Oh dear oh dear, should have been decker allocated until at least October at the earliest, as many people who pass the driving test will take there friends to college using the car in theory, I think I am on the 5A that goes to the college tonight so will see what it's like tonight

1492 on 21A in place of 4658

(14 Sep 2015, 8:12 am)tyresmoke wrote Hopefully loadings will have levelled out a bit now on all of our college services?

(14 Sep 2015, 8:25 am)Stuartphin1639 wrote Oh dear oh dear, should have been decker allocated until at least October at the earliest, as many people who pass the driving test will take there friends to college using the car in theory, I think I am on the 5A that goes to the college tonight so will see what it's like tonight

I'm not sure how much the numbers are expected to go down but I don't think they'd be that much. There is the hope people will make friends with students who will drive to college and offer to take them instead of using the bus. Also there is the hope that students who are a waste of space on their courses who don't turn up to lessons for example will be booted off their courses so will no longer be attending college. i'm intrigued to see the difference in the morning and afternoon loadings on the Bishop Auckland College runs.

4715 on a Redcar X93, with 7485 on 64 etc.
4718 was broken down in M'bro bus station but van turned up from Redcar and got it going.

(14 Sep 2015, 9:42 am)Jimmi wrote I'm not sure how much the numbers are expected to go down but I don't think they'd be that much. There is the hope people will make friends with students who will drive to college and offer to take them instead of using the bus. Also there is the hope that students who are a waste of space on their courses who don't turn up to lessons for example will be booted off their courses so will no longer be attending college. i'm intrigued to see the difference in the morning and afternoon loadings on the Bishop Auckland College runs.

It's also the fact that everyone tends to go in for 9am in the first week or two until they have their timetables etc sorted out and then start times are more spread out across the day.
It's not been as noticeable with Middlesbrough College this year mind, though loadings are higher all day

23 branded streelite on sapphire service 6, just passed cabin gate now heading to Durham