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The 73 reg mellor on loan to diamond bus https://flic.kr/p/2pvQYER

That's not a Mellor

I think they're enforceable. I know somebody got fined by NX. Person refused to pay. Fine got doubled. The fine is now being paid with benefit deductions

What happens if you walk off?

Train & bus companies fine people having invalid tickets or no tickets at.  The fines which these louts get is laughable.  If you pay the fine within a certain amount of time then the fine gets reduced. This is a pathetic system.  The lout should have seven days to pay the fine. If not paid within seven days then the fine should get doubled. 
When are train/bus companies going to start issuing fines for louts caught smoking? Fines should also be issued  for feet on seats

Are they enforceable?

It could be done in house, the new PB garage has a chassis cleaning facility which could be used, but there's a place in Aldridge that has been doing all NX buses at refurb for many years and continues to do so.

Is that roughly every 5 years that buses are undersealed?

As Electrics and indeed hydrogen powered vehicles enter the fleet, when a garage is allocated them, will they concentrate on replacing all the diesels at that particular garage such as the deckers at coventry, or will they be spread about as and when garages are able to charge or fuel them. Also would this mean existing diesel fleet (older ones of certain age obviously will be withdrawn euro 6 or not) be replaced before their natural service life expires or will thy be sold on? 

Going off their commitment to be zero emission by 2030*, that means they intend to replace the last of the Diesels, which are 2019 models. They'd be 11 years old in 2030, compared with the oldest vehicles at the moment being 21 years old. So unless anything changes, the latest batch of Platinums have only got 6 years left.

*not 100% certain, but 2030 rings a bell.

Gave way to E200 coming into City off Bradford Street earlier. Driven by a certain someone... lol

The 19 has gone out to tender this afternoon.

This is what TfWM have sent out to bidders. (Removed at the request of TfWM)

The 19 has gone out to tender this afternoon.

I hear the BM coaches main man has pulled out of Solus already and its been passed on to a 'new' owner.

Looking at Companies House, the directors appointment has been terminated on 12th Jan, and a new director appointed on 5th Jan.

https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/04127256/filing-history

4477 WRIGHT BUS GEMINI VOLVO B7TL
Its been ages since i last drove a gemni , this bus was a complete pleasure to drive the whole drive train worked properly the doors were smooth, bare minimum of rattling around cab, lovely compliant suspension dealt with humps with ease, hard to believe its 21 years old, way better than any platinum rubbish, the interior is in good order too, imo it should be preserved its that good, i cant say what condition the chassis is in i have told by engineers they do rot.
It reminded of the metrobus'es,  some were just true'ly exceptional examples about.
I do hope i get to drive a few more 03 plate 44 Gemnis before they go.

Handful of the AG Geminis feel ancient now, compared to E400MMCs anyway. Suspension is the thing that definitely stands out in the Geminis. Far superior than any ADL.

The early Platinums (15 plate) are better than the later ones IMO. Later Platinums; there's too much faffing about at stops (opening & closing doors / stop start etc).

Details of the last bus promise are on the TfWM Bus Passengers Charter page here -

https://www.tfwm.org.uk/plan-your-journey/ways-to-travel/buses-in-the-west-midlands/west-midlands-bus-passenger-s-charter/west-midlands-bus-passenger-s-charter/

The promise appears under "Your bus journeys".

The promise is to reimburse reasonable costs for an equivalent journey so, as Stu indicates, I would assume that the starting point will be "could the journey be done using one or more other bus services?"

The subject will raise several questions, but I have other things to do with my spare time than think of a load of scenarios.  But one question - does another Combined Authority or similar offer a last bus of the day promise?

LandFlight offer this. Whether this is a requirement for TfWM contracts, I don't know. 

Last bus of the day promise : If the last bus of the day does not run or departs early causing you to be stranded, you will be reimbursed reasonable costs for an equivalent journey. Any claim must be made in writing within 28 days of the incident and include evidence of additional expenses incurred.

https://www.landflight.co.uk/bus-services/

Not on BC buses they don't. It's just a static display showing 23 Bartley Green for example.

Not sure what's to be gained from removing the 'via' information for passengers to be honest. The route number is still the same size, it was clear what route the bus was on and where it was going before they changed the displays.

The X2 is showing a larger final destination "Solihull" and then Railway Station on the right side. All static.

I'm probably not the only one who's thought this, but whatever possessed TfWM to give them contracts, apart from the lowest tender?

Surely their previous shenagigans should have counted against them?

tenders are awarded on a cost basis

I'm sure the 5 always use to have Geminis back before the south Birmingham change happened? What way did the 5 take before the changes?

Low bridge on Robin Hood Lane (A4040). The route is the same, however the signage was changed. It is now an offence to drive under that bridge unless you're 14ft3 or less. Geminis are 14ft5, although they do physically fit under that bridge. Plaxton Presidents (14ft6?) were also used on the 5, until it was realised that they were getting damaged under that bridge.

E400MMC are 14ft2, so they are legal to pass under the bridge.

Not a Chaserider tender but one of the drivers on my local tendered service said their company  have to run the tendered service even if it means taking a bus off a commercial route.

Because they get fined from the tendering authority if they don't run a journey!