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Post by eggmiester on Sept 16, 2019 4:06:38 GMT
What is being used for the EL1s frequency increase and how many buses is it being increased by? Ooooo when did this come about? I have just got back from a week long holiday so it might just be I’m not fully caught up. The EL1’s frequency is already very high, I’m assuming it’ll be increased to 12bph (every x5 minutes)? Any higher than that will put it into a very elite band of routes to have a x4 minute frequency or higher, which only the 18 and 38 achieve (not including routes which have it only at very select times of the day like the 29 and 73). The EL1 will be going to 11 bph which requires a PVR of + 2.
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Post by eggmiester on Sept 14, 2019 17:25:52 GMT
It will have an effect on AF, however the area road manager is aware and in discussion with the council and TFL to work out ways to minimise the impact of the works on AF’s operations.
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Post by eggmiester on Sept 13, 2019 8:12:53 GMT
343 Aldgate changeover to be scrapped next month and changed to Peckham Rye (Nigel Road), mostly to save hassle for drivers traveling to Aldgate for changeover. NX changeover will also remain as before. 12th October will be the date of the change.
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Post by eggmiester on Sept 10, 2019 23:59:55 GMT
Seems a wise move. I know many drivers weren't happy about the changeovers on the stand at Aldgate, mostly due to the hassle of getting the Overground then the District/H&C Line to Aldgate. It should be nice and easy for NX to get drivers down to Peckhan Rye.
Just had a thought. Could drivers for the Peckham Rye changeovers sign on at PM, if drivers are doing the same duties each day which require changeovers at Peckham Rye it makes sense to have some 343 drivers sign on at PM.
I thought Go Ahead was now remote sign ons, or is that only with some of the depots? Only the 1, 188, 178 and 291 have remote sign on or MGO arrangements in place at present. The 1 and 188 have an MGO (multi garage operation) arrangement at Waterloo (RA) whereas unless taking a bus from the depots (MG or Q) the drivers sign on at Waterloo. The 178 and 291 have a remote sign on at Woolwich Hub, a converted shop in Woolwich. Again like the MGO arrangement unless taking the bus is to or from the depot (MG) the drivers sign on at the Woolwich Hub.
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Post by eggmiester on Sept 8, 2019 9:02:00 GMT
A double decker MHV56 is on Route N214 tonight, has there ever been a decker on 214/N214, I have never seen one on it before. It was the camberwell night spare driver covering a duty and the driver only had a DD. Fortunately the company performed a DD route test not long ago and passed the route for double decks to use occasionally.
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Post by eggmiester on Aug 24, 2019 12:01:32 GMT
Fake news All the planning was in place for the start of operations in 2017. The only difference now is that the landlord wants to change their original plan but still not sure whether they plan to include the depot as part of the final permission If no permission as granted then DVSA would not have approved Its license as an operating centre.
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Post by eggmiester on Aug 22, 2019 9:03:05 GMT
RR have their own iBus room, controlling the majority of RR, NP and SI routes. Thought SI routes would be controlled from the RR Ibus room. RR’s Ibus room does not have the capacity to cover all of NP RR and SI’s routes so the 5, 15 and 115 are controlled from SW. SW also control the 57 from AL afaik Sutton control all of A, AF RA and AL’s other routes Bexley controls all of BX MG NX and PM’s routes as well as overseeing the 624 workings from Q Metrobus are still run as a separate agency on Ibus: MB control all their own routes except the 138 and 352 C control all their own routes plus MB’s 138 and 352
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Post by eggmiester on Aug 14, 2019 18:52:43 GMT
Just saw MBK1 departing MB on the back of a recovery lorry. Wonder where it's off to? Off to Mercedes / EvoBus as it has developed an electrical fault.
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Post by eggmiester on Aug 3, 2019 9:42:51 GMT
En39 on the 291 but it isnt the 658 crosslink times Might have been me driving that The BX 291 duty still runs on the holidays, it runs from approx 16:50 as BX660 through until just before 8pm as normal. However the route has not been performing as well as expected so this week just gone we experimented with a extra bus working from around 10am through until 6pm (later on in addition to the BX660 bus). This was run by myself on the 10am - 2pm slot and a fellow controller at BX doing 2-6pm using buses from BX. On Monday i took EN39. Only E and EN types are permitted on the 291.
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Post by eggmiester on Jul 27, 2019 9:58:52 GMT
Does anyone know what running numbers the 208 will use from tomorrow? From what I’ve seen so far it seems to have taken over the running numbers previously used by route 284 which are MB201-216 That will be correct.
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Post by eggmiester on Jul 24, 2019 23:16:26 GMT
And probably the 378’s now too! I still don't think it's been officially confirmed that Go Ahead will run the 378 although I would expect it to be the most likely case The 378 is tied into the 209 contract so will operate from AF with vehicles from the 209 batch. Due to the difference in pvr’s i believe 2 additional existing vehicles will also need to be used.
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Post by eggmiester on Jul 24, 2019 23:12:06 GMT
Will the BX 291s continue during the School Holdiays? Yes it will as it has its own separate duty and own running number of BX660. On Schooldays its changes its run number from 658 to 660 for the 291 leg of its duty.
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Post by eggmiester on Jul 16, 2019 10:45:49 GMT
So probably wrong term to use but, my buddy who is on 343 says the route is now 'murdered' ever since the extension to Aldgate. Frequency is inconsistent due to traffic other side of Tower Bridge, route is usually overcrowded unlike before, says one of the best NX routes basically crap right now and the controllers are making them run 20 minutes late to try and even out the service, which majority drivers are now starting to ignore and report controllers for abuse of power or whatever lmao. I find the above comment rather irritating to be honest. As one of the route 343’s regular control and management team I find your ‘buddy’s’ comments mostly far from true. Granted that since the route has been extended It has suffered a lot more issues as it mow passes over Tower Bridge which can have as many as 10 planned lifts a day each lift creating a delay up to 12 minutes each way. In addition to this TFL in their infinite wisdom have started Cycle Superhighway works in Tooley Street which can occasionally add to the delays. As for dealing with delays controllers need to factor in certain variables. The 343 is unique as it has 2 driver change over points at NX and at Aldgate so controllers need to be mindful of where the bus changes over, if its a Relief trip etc etc. The 343 schedule is quite generous in sections, buses can go from almost 15 minutes late at one end to virtually on time at the other and buses have a scheduled recovery time of up to 30 minutes per rounder (usually split 20/10, 20 at Aldgate and 10 at NX) so theres scope in the schedule to allow for late running and to absorb delays on the service. Granted some buses will run late, controllers are required to run an acceptable level of service when faced with disruption which will require some buses to run late (as you say, to even out the service). That is what controllers are paid to do and unfortunately is inevitable in such situations. Things should improve a bit over the next few weeks however, as we have had several curtailment options now agreed with TFL, Like Brockley, London Bridge and City Hall so this will help a lot more in times of disruption as these were previously unavailable since the changes. As for controllers abusing power... I find such comments rather offensive to myself and other members of my team. I have asked a senior manager to look into this comment as we haven’t had any reports from drivers... so currently such comment is unfounded.
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Post by eggmiester on Jun 24, 2019 14:56:55 GMT
Metrobus is operated as a separate ibus agency within GAL because with the size of the GAL fleet the Go-ahead agency would be over capacity id MB and C were added. Lets not forget ibus is 11 years old this year and although its been modified numerous times over the years the system still has operational limits. Keeping Metrobus separate helps keep the main Go Ahead system under capacity and somewhat operating smoothly. However it does prove a slight headache when transferring vehicles between operations. MB has 1 screen that does some BX routes. C also monitor some MB routes do you know the reason? MB no longer control BX routes it switched back last year in time for the 51’s arrival at MB.
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Post by eggmiester on Jun 22, 2019 23:10:33 GMT
Why does Metrobus use a different iBus ID / system / whatever? You'd think that in the 6 years they've been part of Go-Ahead London the systems would've been integrated. Metrobus is operated as a separate ibus agency within GAL because with the size of the GAL fleet the Go-ahead agency would be over capacity id MB and C were added. Lets not forget ibus is 11 years old this year and although its been modified numerous times over the years the system still has operational limits. Keeping Metrobus separate helps keep the main Go Ahead system under capacity and somewhat operating smoothly. However it does prove a slight headache when transferring vehicles between operations.
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