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Post by rmz19 on Feb 11, 2015 12:15:40 GMT
There's actually a 'Bus Drivers Anthem' made by Go-Ahead Camberwell drivers for the strike, certainly livens up my bus strike woes! (Although the guy briefly interviewed could've justified his reasoning)
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Post by vjaska on Feb 11, 2015 13:07:18 GMT
I used to drive the Arriva Volvo citybuses. If anyone is interested in hearing more about them I'll post. I'd like to hear more please - also, didn't you drive the VC's with London General IIRC?
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Post by snoggle on Feb 11, 2015 13:14:59 GMT
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Post by John tuthill on Feb 11, 2015 14:13:08 GMT
Couldn't agree more. They're off as "an act of goodwill" in other words it was getting them nowhere. The regional officer is a Mr. Wayne King(!) You couldn't make it up!!
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Post by vjaska on Feb 11, 2015 15:03:27 GMT
Couldn't agree more. They're off as "an act of goodwill" in other words it was getting them nowhere. The regional officer is a Mr. Wayne King(!) You couldn't make it up!! Or maybe they were frightened by the disgusting behaviour of a member of the RMT union who was on LBC today.
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Post by daveb0789 on Feb 11, 2015 22:09:04 GMT
I used to drive the Arriva Volvo citybuses. If anyone is interested in hearing more about them I'll post. I'd like to hear more please - also, didn't you drive the VC's with London General IIRC? That's right I did. This was in 1996. When I joined the company I expected the VCs to be a really nice and fast drive but in many ways they unfortunately were not. I had heard a school bus has toppled over on a roundabout after a driver went too fast. This resulted in all the VCs being governed down. Only VC30 had any decent turn of speed. They were so slow that a routemaster could beat them off the lights. The Volvo citybuses at my next and final London bus company were completely different. Grey Green looked after their buses. They were fast and and they paid very good wages. Top speed was around 53 mph. The G and H reg wouldn't change gears once speed was lost which was a bit annoying. In other words the kickdown only worked while accelerating.
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Post by overgroundcommuter on Feb 11, 2015 23:30:34 GMT
The Citybuses on the 176 as a passenger were outstanding.
I think what happened was when LondonLinks Walworth Garage was closed, the service transferred to Cowie South London at N, which led to a mix of old style LT Olympians and the horrible Kentish Bus ones where as an average height man, the legroom was next to non existent!
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Post by snoggle on Feb 11, 2015 23:52:26 GMT
Or maybe they were frightened by the disgusting behaviour of a member of the RMT union who was on LBC today. I've just heard a recording of that short discussion. Oh dear.
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Post by M1104 on Feb 11, 2015 23:55:25 GMT
I'd like to hear more please - also, didn't you drive the VC's with London General IIRC? That's right I did. This was in 1996. When I joined the company I expected the VCs to be a really nice and fast drive but in many ways they unfortunately were not. I had heard a school bus has toppled over on a roundabout after a driver went too fast. This resulted in all the VCs being governed down. Only VC30 had any decent turn of speed. They were so slow that a routemaster could beat them off the lights. The roundabout in question was Tibbets Corner, Putney Heath and the bus was VC39. VC28 still had 'proper power' plus the torque break occurred during 2nd gear (like most NVs) whereas the other VCs did so in 1st...like the ZF boxed B7TLs.
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Post by vjaska on Feb 12, 2015 0:25:47 GMT
Or maybe they were frightened by the disgusting behaviour of a member of the RMT union who was on LBC today. I've just heard a recording of that short discussion. Oh dear. Yes, I heard it on the ITV News this afternoon and it was sickening and irrelevant to the topic.
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Post by joefrombow on Feb 12, 2015 0:39:00 GMT
I've just heard a recording of that short discussion. Oh dear. Yes, I heard it on the ITV News this afternoon and it was sickening and irrelevant to the topic. They seem lost without Bob .
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Post by moz on Feb 12, 2015 0:40:04 GMT
The Citybuses on the 176 as a passenger were outstanding. I think what happened was when LondonLinks Walworth Garage was closed, the service transferred to Cowie South London at N, which led to a mix of old style LT Olympians and the horrible Kentish Bus ones where as an average height man, the legroom was next to non existent! Having worked at N I can tell you that the Volvos were shifted out not long after the WL closure as the more 'senior' drivers at N found them to be "too fast" compared to their standard fare of Limpalongs - thus the ex-Kentish Bus things taking over instead. I also used the EL/Volvos as a passenger on the 176 and they were OK-ish, but the standard Citybus (ex Boro'line methinks) was far better. That's right I did. This was in 1996. When I joined the company I expected the VCs to be a really nice and fast drive but in many ways they unfortunately were not. I had heard a school bus has toppled over on a roundabout after a driver went too fast. This resulted in all the VCs being governed down. Only VC30 had any decent turn of speed. They were so slow that a routemaster could beat them off the lights. The roundabout in question was Tibbets Corner, Putney Heath and the bus was VC39. VC28 still had 'proper power' plus the torque break occurred during 2nd gear (like most NVs) whereas the other VCs did so in 1st...like the ZF boxed B7TLs. I knew and worked with the guy who turned that bus over after he'd been 'busted down' to conductor at RA! Moz
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Post by sid on Feb 12, 2015 2:04:02 GMT
I've just heard a recording of that short discussion. Oh dear. Yes, I heard it on the ITV News this afternoon and it was sickening and irrelevant to the topic. Might I ask what was said?
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Post by vjaska on Feb 12, 2015 2:39:40 GMT
Yes, I heard it on the ITV News this afternoon and it was sickening and irrelevant to the topic. Might I ask what was said? Yeah, no problem. Basically, Nick Ferrari asked Stephen Hendley (hope his name is correct) did the tube driver who was sacked for being over the limit fail an alcohol test and Stephen Hendley started asking Nick about beating his wife. Mr Ferrari replied I'm divorced and so Mr Hendley carried on asking the same question except this time subtistuting 'wife' for 'ex wife'. In the end, Mr Ferrari ended the interview.
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Post by Steve80 on Feb 12, 2015 5:45:17 GMT
Attachment DeletedMy impression from this article is that some companies have spoke out to Unite saying that TFL are still charging fines for the companies for not running a complete service on strike day yet at the same time, TFL are telling the same companies not to get into talks with Unite? Is this the issue as to why Unite have suspended the strike or am I reading this wrongly?
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