You Wait Ages For A Bus

BIG N · Post by **BIG N** » Tue 21 Feb, 2012 10:46 pm

The truck you both saw would have been one of the two american wreckers belonging to Bridge recovery of Ossett, either the Kenworth or the Peterbuilt. Bridge have the contract for recovery with Arriva Yorkshire and there is barely a day goes by without them towing something in for us from one of our 5 depots.In fact Blakey, its not as expensive as you might think as the contract is very heavily discounted, its something i once brought up at a union meeting as I too wondered what the cost was compared to running our own recovery vehicle. I was informed that each tow job cost in the region of £100 which for that sort of work is very cheap, I suppose one or even two tow's a day on average at that rate works out a lot cheaper than taxing, maintainig, fuelling and crewing a recovery vehicle on a seven day, 18 hour basis.One little funny point about that though - The contract price does not cover recovery off a motorway and last summer we ( Heckmondwyke depot ) had three buses break down on the M621 within a week while running back dead from Leeds, this cost over £400 per recovery, the outcome is a large notice in the depot stating that under no circumstances are we to use the motorway when running back dead, the buses dont like the big hill and its costing too much money.We did point out that maintaining them to a better standard might help in saving costs but I think we would be far better off talking to a bus stop to be honest.

BLAKEY · Post by **BLAKEY** » Wed 22 Feb, 2012 12:54 am

BIG N wrote: We did point out that maintaining them to a better standard might help in saving costs but I think we would be far better off talking to a bus stop to be honest. talk about "deja vu" Big N !! - I've been retired eleven years in May but your sentiment comes back to me as clearly as if it was yesterday - I couldn't have put it better myself.

Post by **tyke bhoy** » Wed 29 Feb, 2012 4:39 pm

Back on track, pun intended, for a bit.It's no surprise that a large proportion of these new buses are running "the track" 110 Leeds Bus Station - Kettlethorpe. I notice they are all equipped with the new Wayfarer RFID ticket machines as have most other Arriva (Wakefield Depot) buses I have travelled on in the last month or slightly less.I understand that Transdev have also at least one depot ,Keighley, converted as have Ariva Cleckheaton and Dewsbury. http://www.wymetro.com/news/releases/Smartcardreaders .While this is initially for the National Concessionary pass does this mean West Yorkshire's version of the Oyster card (codename YorCard) will soon replace the metro card?

BLAKEY · Post by **BLAKEY** » Wed 29 Feb, 2012 10:55 pm

raveydavey wrote: Getting back to Worst in Leeds, they've unveiled their latest master plan, tucked away in the pages of the YEP....They're going to switch the routes of the 4 and 16/16a between the Anglers Club and Compton Road - essentially, the 16/16a will now go along Beckett Street past St James's Hospital, whilst the 4 will go via Nippett Lane / Stoney Rock.This is apparently due to the ftr's not being suitable for the road lay out around Jimmy's and this causing problems, which won't be experienced by the "normal" buses used for the 16 . They've only been on the route since 2007, so I've no idea why it's taken 5 years to come up with this piece of wisdom...You really couldn't make it up. It gets even worse too raveydavey - I've just heard that the purple horrors are shortly to be taken off the road every evening and all day Sundays and be replaced by normal OPO double deckers - some of the "customer service hosts" are to be made redundant.In York, the news is even better - the Council, who are in the number 4 route ftr farce jointly with "first", are to pull out of the agreement and want the articles removing from the ancient highways of Eboracum. In a typical "first" spin announcement its said that another location has been found for the beasts after they've been refurbished - at £300,000 each plus they shouldn't need refurbishing at such a young age.As you so rightly say "You couldn't make it up" - mind you we don't need to make it upwith screenplay writers like they have !!

Leodian · Post by **Leodian** » Wed 29 Feb, 2012 11:08 pm

I feel like I'm missing out as I've never been on a 'Purple Slug' bus. I must go on one before they disappear. I did go on the first bendy buses in Leeds that were on the Alwoodley run which must be over 15 years ago now. They did not seem to be around that long.

BIG N · Post by **BIG N** » Thu 01 Mar, 2012 3:57 am

Tykeboy - all Arriva Yorkshire depots ( Castleford, Dewsbury, Heckmondwyke, Selby and Wakefield ) have now switched to the new Wayfarer 2000's and a right royal pain they are too.Metro want all operators in West Yorkshire to switch to these machines in the next 18 months to two years, we were initally informed that this was due to the Wayfarer 2 becoming out dated and parts were becoming hard to find for them. then we find out Metro want all operators on them and now the first hint of the future has surfaced.On our notice board a letter from head office has appeared that thanks all the drivers for their efforts in embracing the new technology ( obviously they haven't sat in the canteen and listened to the chat about said technology ) but one of the more interesting passages hidden in the letter says - "the introduction of these new machines opens up the opertunity for a wealth of new and exciting ticketing oppertunities that will be coming on line in the near future"Read into that what you will but I would guess your not far off the mark with your thoughts about the Northern version of the Oyster card.Incidentally - the same letter also says the new buses have been a great success in the short time they have been in service and goes on to casually mention that we are to recieve a further forty brand new single deckers in the late summer - so much for being cash strapped !

BLAKEY · Post by **BLAKEY** » Thu 01 Mar, 2012 9:23 am

BIG N wrote: Tykeboy - all Arriva Yorkshire depots ( Castleford, Dewsbury, Heckmondwyke, Selby and Wakefield ) have now switched to the new Wayfarer 2000's and a right royal pain they are too.On our notice board a letter from head office has appeared that thanks all the drivers for their efforts in embracing the new technology ( obviously they haven't sat in the canteen and listened to the chat about said technology ) but one of the more interesting passages hidden in the letter says - "the introduction of these new machines opens up the opertunity for a wealth of new and exciting ticketing oppertunities that will be coming on line in the near future" Well BIG N, I know from all your most interesting posts that you are in the West district of Arriva Yorkshire, but from the tales of distress that I hear from my former colleagues at Pontefract and Castleford (I still keep in close touch with many after eleven years of retirement and I'm really happy to do so) they have almost forgotten what "eating in the canteen" is like due to the ridiculous running times and tight scheduling these days.

BLAKEY · Post by **BLAKEY** » Thu 01 Mar, 2012 10:01 am

Leodian wrote: I feel like I'm missing out as I've never been on a 'Purple Slug' bus. I must go on one before they disappear. I did go on the first bendy buses in Leeds that were on the Alwoodley run which must be over 15 years ago now. They did not seem to be around that long. With the greatest of respect Leodian I think you may be confusing two topics here. As far as I recall the first articulated buses in Leeds were those introduced on the number 1 service from Holt Park to Beeston via Headingley in around 2000. After being withdrawn ridiculously early a while ago, and lying around "stored" all over the place, six have recently resurfaced after expensive refurbishment, "disguised" as Centrebus in orange and blue, and are now used on the 95 from City to Boddington Hall - and are quite often seen too on their original number 1 route.The special vehicles which were on the Scott Hall Road routes to Alwoodley and Shadwell in the times you mention were normal single deckers but with posh seating and "branded" (I loathe that word, it belongs to baked beans and motor cars etc and not to transport sevices) as "Superbus" in quite an attractive but of course expensive liverfy of silver and blue.By dogged and stubborn intention I too have never been on an "ftr"articulated bus and never will - the word "ftr" by the way is meant to be a slick pointer to "future" - the sooner the purple slugs disappear the better for me - if I was into law breaking graffiti I'd buy a paint aerosol and letter them all "past", meaning "PAST." My reason for this dogged attitude is quite simple - I have no intention of having my limited intelligence offended by some marketing guru trying to convince me that an articulated bus with metal wheel spats and very few seats is a "streetcar" operated by a "pilot" in a "cockpit", and after the original intention to have all fares taken before boarding nose dived (sorry, just couldn't resist that), fares taken by a "customer service host" To use a popular but pertinent modern saying - "You couldn't make it up could you ??"

Post by **tyke bhoy** » Thu 01 Mar, 2012 10:38 am

BIG N wrote: - "the introduction of these new machines opens up the opertunity for a wealth of new and exciting ticketing oppertunities that will be coming on line in the near future"Read into that what you will but I would guess your not far off the mark with your thoughts about the Northern version of the Oyster card.Incidentally - the same letter also says the new buses have been a great success in the short time they have been in service and goes on to casually mention that we are to recieve a further forty brand new single deckers in the late summer - so much for being cash strapped ! The barriers in Leeds station have now been in place for 3 years. At the time of their introduction I complained to Metro that my reissued annual Metro Card was printed on the same flimsy card with the same flimsy printer as the use once train tickets. Being a corporate card renewed in May, Metro initially replaced my old card with a Feb -Apr card. It was tatty at the end of that 3 month period and I usually use the bus over train so it was only going through the barrier reader twice a week as opposed to twice a day.Metro's response at the time was that YorCard http://www.yorcard.co.uk/ was being piloted in Sheffield and would if the trial was successful be rolled out to the rest of SYPTE and WYPTE. I suspect it will also encompass the "City Region" http://www.leedscityregion.gov.uk/ eventually but am hoping it will be introduced in WY before May 2013.Incidentally my 2009/2010 and 2010/11 Metro Cards both had to be replaced within the first two months (I insisted on the old style cards for the replacement which meant I had to use a manned barrier in Leeds station). Although causing some bus drivers reading problems my 2011/12 card might just last the next 2 months so they may have improved the card and print quality but there is still no way these cards are fit for purpose if that purpose is to go through the barrier twice a day, 5 times a week 47 weeks a year (on average). BigN while you may not be totally happy with your employer and the new equipment, at Least Arriva are investing in the fleet rather than paying higher dividends. Other than the "latest gimmick" I don't see worst indulging in this much.

Post by **tyke bhoy** » Thu 01 Mar, 2012 10:53 am

Blakey my memory of the bendy buses matches yours in that they first appeared on the 1 route possibly just before 2000. While I don't doubt your sources are we sure the "imposter buses" now on the 95 route in almost Centrebus livery are those buses refurbished. The initial bendy buses had a full 5 seat rear row. The current bendy's have a "big white box" replacing the 2 nearside back row and possibly the 2 penulitmate row seats.Leodian you are missing nothing by not having travelled on the purple slugs. I have been on a York version. Incidentally does anyone wonder whether the York buses might also endup as a daytime service on another route in Leeds. I'm wondering whether any thought has been given to replacing the 95 route which is so predominantly a student service it is suspended Jun-Aug but will almost certainly need a new terminus when Leeds Uni close their Boddington Hall Residences