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Post by Eastlondoner62 on Nov 26, 2017 22:34:05 GMT
Lol yeah! I'll try to find out more information tommorrow. Also as you know the D6 is coming too and they will need more staff for Ibus. Do they actually have I-Bus controllers? If they do they don't pay attention to the W11! Or the 388, I lost count the amount of times I've waited at Stratford City with no 388 in sight only to give up and go over to the 25 at Stratford Centre
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Post by ilovelondonbuses on Nov 27, 2017 18:52:49 GMT
Just a question; Can AW hold a lot more of buses that it currently holds? Is it a big site? It would be interesting to know if the garage could hold double deckers too.
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Post by RandomBusesGirl on Nov 27, 2017 19:31:39 GMT
Just a question; Can AW hold a lot more of buses that it currently holds? Is it a big site? It would be interesting to know if the garage could hold double deckers too. W12 took a while to move in, so probably AW is now full. Note W13 ain't moving in at all. As for DDs, there don't seem to be any roofs so doesn't look like there's anything blocking them
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Post by snoggle on Nov 27, 2017 23:40:02 GMT
Just a question; Can AW hold a lot more of buses that it currently holds? Is it a big site? It would be interesting to know if the garage could hold double deckers too. I think the site has authorisation for something like 60 buses if they are crammed in tightly. The depot certainly isn't fully utilised and is less full than when it opened simply because CT Plus have moved out a lot of their minibuses. Not sure where they've gone but only those for local Waltham Forest council work seem to be based there and a couple of coaches too. There is nothing that prevents double deckers using the site. Some of the Enviro Cities were stored there after delivery and before transfer to Ash Grove. There is certainly the prospect of CT Plus using the site to try to win a share of the March 2019 East London tenders. They could go for the 123 as discussed many times before but I'd argue the 357 and 275 are more modest additions that would work better for them. We shall no doubt see what transpires around June / July next year - assuming TfL still have a bus network in place to tender by then. They could, if forced, just scrap routes like the 357 altogether and say to passengers "use the hopper ticket and change to other services". I don't see how TfL take out 9% of mileage over 2 years and not end up with entire routes being scrapped and evening and Sunday services being lost.
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Post by snoggle on Nov 30, 2017 17:22:46 GMT
Right a little update and gossip on CT Plus.
Today's shambles on the W11 includes 1240 not tracking at all on I-Bus so not showing on LVF. 1259 was display "W11 blank" on the front and "W5 Crouch End" on the side. Also a Enviro 200 on the 397 today rather than a MMC. Not seen that in quite a while.
The new bus stop has come into service at Sainsburys. In a cock up of almighty proportions there is no Bus Stop flag at the new stop location which is, as I suspected, down by the Holiday Inn with a tiny open shelter with space for 3 people. The old bus stop flags by Sainsburys are still in place as are all the timetables. There is nothing to say those stops are now closed and not being served by any route. I asked the driver as I alighted if it was now 1 stop for everything and he said yes. However a lot of pensioners were not clear about the new arrangements and were wandering around in the new roadway when they saw a bus arrive. One lady got on the W11 going the wrong way so was faced with having the cross Billet Rd at probably it's most dangerous point to get a bus back the other way. As I expected it is now quite a drag from the store front door and you stand no chance at all of running for your bus if you see it arriving. In the past you could trot along and wave at the driver and in almost every case they'd wait for you. Not a chance of that now.
Had a chat with one of the drivers. He said the stop change was at Sainsbury's insistence as it allows them to make other highway changes to stop travellers pitching their caravans and motor homes in the car park. Apparently the store manager has been asked to put up a notice about the stop move and has refused to do so.
Allegedly the frequency cuts on the W11 and W12 are at CT Plus's request as they've got "their sums wrong" and needed to scale back the operation to avoid losses. I'm a tad sceptical about this but it's not a good sign if they end up tendering for any more local routes. Also it seems that welfare minibus drivers are being allowed to drive the TfL contract routes for a few hours to bolster their earnings. Seems the regular TfL route drivers are not "happy" (ahem!) about their loss of hours but, of course, it's cheaper for CT Plus overall. Strikes me that all is not well in the CT Plus camp.
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Post by snoggle on Dec 8, 2017 1:01:01 GMT
1258 has lost its internal CCTV display screen. All you can see is the mounting frame behind the glass cover. Just to continue the Sainsburys saga. The old stops are now covered over with a notice giving a rough idea where the new stop is. A temporary bus stop sign has been erected but no official pole or timetables to say what routes stop there. Talking to people today most are very "fed up" (to put it mildly) about being shoved into the wilds with an inadequate shelter and no information. One chap summed it up nicely "Sainsburys only care about people with cars. Don't give a stuff about us". And that's absolutely true. It's a shambles and people are still not clear about where the buses go from. Ironically the Dial a Ride minibuses are still allowed to go up the main entrance bay and stop there. Can't wait for Sainsburys to evict them too - it's only a matter of time before they twig. Can't work out if I should write to the Mayor or Sainsbury's MD or both. So much for a "Healthy Streets" agenda that reduces car reliance and encourages public transport.
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Post by snoggle on Jan 11, 2018 15:45:52 GMT
A new structure is being built at Walthamstow Garage near the staff accommodation / office block. Looks to be wide enough for two buses so I am guessing it is a light maintenance shed. This would remove the need for buses to go back and forth to Ash Grove for minor works or have staff come from AG to sort out vehicles with defects. I am surprised they've lasted this long to be honest given some of the MMCs are now beginning to develop a whole load of irritating defects (blinds, camera screens, I-Bus screens, dents and bodywork bashes).
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Post by zeldieralt on Jan 15, 2018 0:30:32 GMT
Kind of annoyed as the route 153 my local bus is awarded to go ahead as the route 153 has recently started introducing e200 mmc looking spectacular. Knowing go ahead well enough the buses that will be used on the 153 will more likely use their left overs 😕
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Post by vjaska on Jan 15, 2018 1:40:42 GMT
Kind of annoyed as the route 153 my local bus is awarded to go ahead as the route 153 has recently started introducing e200 mmc looking spectacular. Knowing go ahead well enough the buses that will be used on the 153 will more likely use their left overs 😕 The 153's buses are to be new SEe's for the upcoming Central London ULEZ - every single decker route within has to use electric buses. With NP set to lose a number of single decker routes, I can't see there being many strays from the 192, 379 or W10 at all before the zone is introduced.
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Post by RandomBusesGirl on Jan 15, 2018 7:52:36 GMT
Kind of annoyed as the route 153 my local bus is awarded to go ahead as the route 153 has recently started introducing e200 mmc looking spectacular. Knowing go ahead well enough the buses that will be used on the 153 will more likely use their left overs 😕 The MMCs were only strays from W13 and other W routes (and one door ones hopped from 394), not really an introduction. And what VJ said - it will be brand new electrics likely with USB sockets and not some poor old 'envile' (E200)
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Post by T.R. on Jan 15, 2018 11:30:17 GMT
Kind of annoyed as the route 153 my local bus is awarded to go ahead as the route 153 has recently started introducing e200 mmc looking spectacular. Knowing go ahead well enough the buses that will be used on the 153 will more likely use their left overs 😕 The 153's buses are to be new SEe's for the upcoming Central London ULEZ - every single decker route within has to use electric buses. With NP set to lose a number of single decker routes, I can't see there being many strays from the 192, 379 or W10 at all before the zone is introduced. I'd sincerely hope no vehicles from the 192/379/W10 appear - it's bad enough if a W5/W12 Solo turns up! I suppose the existing DA's are going off lease/sold since the D6 was awarded with new vehicles.
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Post by YY13VKP on Jan 30, 2018 17:04:31 GMT
2510 seems to be having rotten luck, first a fire, now its been damaged in an accident on January 5th. Any idea what happened here?
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Post by ServerKing on Jan 30, 2018 17:30:17 GMT
Kind of annoyed as the route 153 my local bus is awarded to go ahead as the route 153 has recently started introducing e200 mmc looking spectacular. Knowing go ahead well enough the buses that will be used on the 153 will more likely use their left overs 😕 The 153's buses are to be new SEe's for the upcoming Central London ULEZ - every single decker route within has to use electric buses. With NP set to lose a number of single decker routes, I can't see there being many strays from the 192, 379 or W10 at all before the zone is introduced. Inserts prepared for DMN1
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Post by LT 20181 on Feb 3, 2018 21:17:13 GMT
What's going to happen to DA1-11?
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HCT Group
Feb 3, 2018 21:28:04 GMT
via mobile
Post by vjaska on Feb 3, 2018 21:28:04 GMT
What's going to happen to DA1-11? I’ve a funny feeling that they are leased - either way, I can’t see them staying as all of CT Plus are already stocked up with compliant single deckers and the DA’s are too long for the majority of CT Plus’s single decker routes.
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