First West of England

[Roy]

According to the Bristol Evening Post, First are receiving 110 gas buses for the Bristol area within the next 18 months thanks to a Government grant for 153 buses.
http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/28-million-110-new-gas-389635

The breakdown of the other 43 are shown in this Brighton Evening Argus article.
http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/15498319.Three_new_electric_buses_after___500_000_government_grant/

[Dylanbusboy45]

3 of the new Scania/MMCs are currently at Graysons Thermals near Birmingham Airport they are YM17FKO/YM17FKN/YT67XJV

https://www.flickr.com/photos/128470593@N05/36217421403/in/datetaken/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/128470593@N05/36217420483/in/datetaken/

[JoNi]

Sampling the delights of Bristol using day ticket where you place the ticket QR code through the assault screen on to the validator face up without placing your finger on it at the same time and wait for the green lights to flash.
The first I knew of this was when the driver of the second bus banged on the assault screen! Would have have been nice to have been warned!
Ticket on phone is cheaper but also has to be placed tbrough the assault screen onto reader. Great fun with students!

https://www.flickr.com/gp/92409298@N06/HaHyhW

[Ally]

Sampling the delights of Bristol using day ticket where you place the ticket QR code through the assault screen on to the validator face up without placing your finger on it at the same time and wait for the green lights to flash.
The first I knew of this was when the driver of the second bus banged on the assault screen! Would have have been nice to have been warned!
Ticket on phone is cheaper but also has to be placed tbrough the assault screen onto reader. Great fun with students!

https://www.flickr.com/gp/92409298@N06/HaHyhW

The positive is I can use my Warwickshire issued pass on their machines now, at last, I was fed up with explaining multiple times a day to the drivers as to why my pass wasn't scanning through!
Each bus seems to have them in slightly different places, I've had B9TLs where you can reach it easily and then some where you have to reach quite far to do so

[Ally]

The 3/4 and 5 seemed to have a bit of a swap around today as a 5 branded Dart made its way out to Cribbs Causeway on the 3 whilst B7TL 32011 was spotted in Downend on the 5.

[John]

Any idea where the former Bristol Airport B7RLEs are due to go. Seen in this very attractive yellow livery

https://scontent.fbhx1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/29790627_1835569833144320_7212323550143505234_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=606f884f1f98845c8084d690ca1f8147&oe=5B6BD885

[P419 EJW]

Any idea where the former Bristol Airport B7RLEs are due to go. Seen in this very attractive yellow livery

https://scontent.fbhx1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/29790627_1835569833144320_7212323550143505234_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=606f884f1f98845c8084d690ca1f8147&oe=5B6BD885

They'll be in Bath for the Westbury routes. 69500-69511. A comment in First group on Facebook suggests they will enter service on 29th April. 65724/5/6 will also be in the same livery and will be based at Westbury. The 63xxx Streetlites will return to Bath.

[Dylanbusboy45]

They'll be in Bath for the Westbury routes. 69500-69511. A comment in First group on Facebook suggests they will enter service on 29th April. 65724/5/6 will also be in the same livery and will be based at Westbury. The 63xxx Streetlites will return to Bath.

The first few have already entered service on Rail Replacements but are working out of Weston depot for now. Saw a pic of one on Flickr

[Roy]

According to Steve White's excellent website (http://www.swhite.org.uk/steve/03.htm), services 265, 267 and 271/272 will be relaunched as services D1, D2 and D3 when these buss are introduced.

[Roy]

The first Metrobus route launches on 29 May with free travel until 9 June using Scania/E400MMC 36801-36807. 

https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/date-finally-set-launch-first-1418832

[Roy]

It has been announced today that operation of the second of the Bristol Metrobus lines has been awarded to CT Plus under contract to First West of England using 21 new biogas buses.

https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/longest-metrobus-route-m1-run-1433442

[winston]

Yet more delays for the first Bristol Metrobus route:

https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/three-years-after-metrobus-m2-1462952

[Roy]

The first Bristol Metrobus route (m3) started yesterday.  Travel is free until 9 June.  I tried it out today but wasn't very impressed as it suffered the same levels of traffic congestion as normal routes.  In fact, the ride back from Emersons Green on a normal 49 bus was as quick as the journey out on the m3.

[Ally]

The tracking on them is horrendous too, I travelled from just after Staple Hill to Emersons Green on the 49, the m3 said it was 17 minutes away, by the time I arrived at Emersons Green it had apparently reversed back down the M32 as it was showing as 21 minutes away with another one being 23 minutes away. 10 minutes later 2 turned up together. I had exactly the same problem yesterday too! "The future of transport" is looking very bleak!
Think I'll stick to walking to the 19/19A and catching that to work!
I won't hold any hope of getting earlier/later/Sunday journeys beyond the City-UWE Frenchay section when the new timetable comes in in September either.

The first Bristol Metrobus route (m3) started yesterday.  Travel is free until 9 June.  I tried it out today but wasn't very impressed as it suffered the same levels of traffic congestion as normal routes.  In fact, the ride back from Emersons Green on a normal 49 bus was as quick as the journey out on the m3.

[Roy]

First West of England have resurrected the Badgerline name and livery (including the cartoon badger) for its Weston town services.

http://www.swhite.org.uk/steve/08.htm