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Post by Volvo on Feb 17, 2017 8:29:45 GMT
modern blinds that are more descriptive than where the bus finishes its journey would help. Lose vague place names like "Angel Road Superstores" I agree with this so much, main via points would be of help.
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Post by sid on Feb 17, 2017 9:28:37 GMT
I very much agree with that, the 476 seemed like a solution looking for a problem all along, just to provide a low floor option when the 73 was RML. Indeed. Another topic of discussion was since they are cutting the 73 at the southern end, then extending it back to Stamford Hill would be good idea. That way we can have our changeovers and meal reliefs at the garage, instead of this essex road nonsense which no one likes. The Essex Road changeovers always seemed a bit odd, I assume 38's changeover there as well?
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Post by Red Dragon on Feb 17, 2017 16:57:58 GMT
modern blinds that are more descriptive than where the bus finishes its journey would help. Lose vague place names like "Angel Road Superstores" I agree with this so much, main via points would be of help. If people don't even check the destination on the front before boarding (or the route in some cases ) then what are the chances that they would check via points
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Post by Volvo on Feb 17, 2017 17:32:18 GMT
Indeed. Another topic of discussion was since they are cutting the 73 at the southern end, then extending it back to Stamford Hill would be good idea. That way we can have our changeovers and meal reliefs at the garage, instead of this essex road nonsense which no one likes. The Essex Road changeovers always seemed a bit odd, I assume 38's changeover there as well? Yea they don't like it either, heard them saying they cant understand why for example the 38s that finish at the garage why they cant just finish there instead of having to travel by service bus back to the garage anyway especially if on a spread and you don't live near. Finishing @ Essex Road is annoying as you then have to get a bus all the way back to SF, if your lucky one of your followers may have a duty where they have to take the bus back to garage. Whats even worse than that is the duties where you have to go to Stokey, then come back to Essex Road to finish then go back again by service bus to the garage. So you sit @ stokey on stand for 15mins+ knowing you have to come back on yourself again.
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Post by Volvo on Feb 17, 2017 17:33:02 GMT
I agree with this so much, main via points would be of help. If people don't even check the destination on the front before boarding (or the route in some cases ) then what are the chances that they would check via points That is true, I guess.
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Post by sid on Feb 17, 2017 19:05:57 GMT
The Essex Road changeovers always seemed a bit odd, I assume 38's changeover there as well? Yea they don't like it either, heard them saying they cant understand why for example the 38s that finish at the garage why they cant just finish there instead of having to travel by service bus back to the garage anyway especially if on a spread and you don't live near. Finishing @ Essex Road is annoying as you then have to get a bus all the way back to SF, if your lucky one of your followers may have a duty where they have to take the bus back to garage. Whats even worse than that is the duties where you have to go to Stokey, then come back to Essex Road to finish then go back again by service bus to the garage. So you sit @ stokey on stand for 15mins+ knowing you have to come back on yourself again. Is Essex Road just an office and canteen? I would have thought operators would want to avoid mid route driver changeovers as far as possible?
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Post by Volvo on Feb 17, 2017 23:27:26 GMT
Is Essex Road just an office and canteen? I would have thought operators would want to avoid mid route driver changeovers as far as possible? Well its more like big room, with a few tables and chairs and sofas, tv, an office for managers/controllers, toilets, vending machines, sink, kettle and sign on/off machines.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 18, 2017 0:09:54 GMT
Is Essex Road just an office and canteen? I would have thought operators would want to avoid mid route driver changeovers as far as possible? Well its more like big room, with a few tables and chairs and sofas, tv, an office for managers/controllers, toilets, vending machines, sink, kettle and sign on/off machines. This is endemic cost cutting across the public sector. The same thing is happening in my work. No canteens, higher expectations at flexibility, being paid less and made to do more hours and work. For flexibility read having to work elsewhere from normal without being paid travelling time and being expected to get home or to work at silly hours of the morning whilst offering no car parking facilities.
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Post by vjaska on Feb 18, 2017 3:30:50 GMT
Is Essex Road just an office and canteen? I would have thought operators would want to avoid mid route driver changeovers as far as possible? Well its more like big room, with a few tables and chairs and sofas, tv, an office for managers/controllers, toilets, vending machines, sink, kettle and sign on/off machines. That's more than what we have lol - ours is just tables, chairs, a fridge, microwave & a kettle. The TV has never worked, I wouldn't touch the sink and if only we had vending machines
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Post by Volvo on Feb 18, 2017 9:24:20 GMT
This is endemic cost cutting across the public sector. The same thing is happening in my work. No canteens, higher expectations at flexibility, being paid less and made to do more hours and work. For flexibility read having to work elsewhere from normal without being paid travelling time and being expected to get home or to work at silly hours of the morning whilst offering no car parking facilities. Oh wow, that really doesn't sound good at all. The essex road set up is just for us 73 & the 38 drivers to have somewhere to go as the Essex Road/Mildmay Park area is soot. I mean you do have Dalston 10 minutes away but I find Dalston rather boring, its better chilling in the 'chill room' and having a chit chat with other drivers.
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Post by Volvo on Feb 18, 2017 9:26:18 GMT
That's more than what we have lol - ours is just tables, chairs, a fridge, microwave & a kettle. The TV has never worked, I wouldn't touch the sink and if only we had vending machines that is terrible, allow it.
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Post by sid on Feb 18, 2017 21:55:14 GMT
This is endemic cost cutting across the public sector. The same thing is happening in my work. No canteens, higher expectations at flexibility, being paid less and made to do more hours and work. For flexibility read having to work elsewhere from normal without being paid travelling time and being expected to get home or to work at silly hours of the morning whilst offering no car parking facilities. Oh wow, that really doesn't sound good at all. The essex road set up is just for us 73 & the 38 drivers to have somewhere to go as the Essex Road/Mildmay Park area is soot. I mean you do have Dalston 10 minutes away but I find Dalston rather boring, its better chilling in the 'chill room' and having a chit chat with other drivers. Forgive me if it's a silly question but why can't schedules be done so that drivers go back to CT and SF respectively for their breaks. I've heard of mess rooms being provided elsewhere for routes that are remote from the garage, like when Metrobus had the 54.
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Post by snoggle on Feb 19, 2017 0:18:47 GMT
Oh wow, that really doesn't sound good at all. The essex road set up is just for us 73 & the 38 drivers to have somewhere to go as the Essex Road/Mildmay Park area is soot. I mean you do have Dalston 10 minutes away but I find Dalston rather boring, its better chilling in the 'chill room' and having a chit chat with other drivers. Forgive me if it's a silly question but why can't schedules be done so that drivers go back to CT and SF respectively for their breaks. I've heard of mess rooms being provided elsewhere for routes that are remote from the garage, like when Metrobus had the 54. My guess is that journey times are now so long that end to end run times no longer support efficient scheduling that aligns with drivers hours agreements. Furthermore it may well be cheaper for Arriva to carry the cost of an intermediate crew change point than the extra cost of sub optimal crew schedules which require relief further along a route or, in the case of SF, off the end of the route. Given the very high resource levels (vehicles and drivers) on routes like the 38 and 73 I suspect the need for really efficient schedules is very high in order to put in viable tender bids. As I say that's a guess as I am not a scheduler by training and it's a mix of science, maths and art to get the right blend of resource, cost and efficiency in a bus schedule. I suspect the ever increasing trip times due to roadworks, low speed limits etc is playing utter havoc with some routes that were previously very efficiently scheduled and now are a pain in the posterior to schedule. I'd also not be shocked if relative scheduling efficiency is an increasing factor in some contract losses / gains. I am sure those with far more schedules experience than me will comment as appropriate.
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Post by Volvo on Feb 19, 2017 10:06:11 GMT
Oh wow, that really doesn't sound good at all. The essex road set up is just for us 73 & the 38 drivers to have somewhere to go as the Essex Road/Mildmay Park area is soot. I mean you do have Dalston 10 minutes away but I find Dalston rather boring, its better chilling in the 'chill room' and having a chit chat with other drivers. Forgive me if it's a silly question but why can't schedules be done so that drivers go back to CT and SF respectively for their breaks. I've heard of mess rooms being provided elsewhere for routes that are remote from the garage, like when Metrobus had the 54. I know nothing about scheduling or as to the reason why sorry.
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Post by VPL630 on Feb 25, 2017 18:41:24 GMT
This is endemic cost cutting across the public sector. The same thing is happening in my work. No canteens, higher expectations at flexibility, being paid less and made to do more hours and work. For flexibility read having to work elsewhere from normal without being paid travelling time and being expected to get home or to work at silly hours of the morning whilst offering no car parking facilities. Oh wow, that really doesn't sound good at all. The essex road set up is just for us 73 & the 38 drivers to have somewhere to go as the Essex Road/Mildmay Park area is soot. I mean you do have Dalston 10 minutes away but I find Dalston rather boring, its better chilling in the 'chill room' and having a chit chat with other drivers. But Pepper and Spice at Burder road is the place to be
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