Messages

I think First should stay in Worcester but ditch everything except the 30 and 35, and keep all school-time journeys  and contracts ( = PROFITABLE ). It would then be up to the county and city councils to cough-up a huge amount to subsidise whatever else they think is needed, - giving the work to any operator ( - like Diamond) that can find the drivers and mechanics, and somewhere to park and maintain the vehicles.

Ridership of these subsidised services will not grow, because of frequent delays of 45 minutes due to constant traffic jams and the ongoing,  appalling road "management" by those who are responsible (and PAID by us).

First should refuse to budge from their city centre depot until an equally suitable site is provided and is suitable for the electric and hydrogen buses of the near-future.

IF First sell Worcester, to Diamond (say) it won't be long before they (Diamond) realise they've "bought a pup"  !!

Thanks Simon.

Hi Simon.
The 302 was on your list of doomed services,  --  are you now going to continue with it, or has it gone to another operator, - or is it completely dead, please ??

Thanks.

Diamond have updated their website to show the Stratford area changes.  Basically, most Stratford and the Leamington services are withdrawn from 24 July, including the services they ran before the Johnsons takeover (15, 27, 229/S).  The Solihull - Stratford section of the X20 will be withdrawn from 14 August: -

https://www.diamondbuses.com/news/diamond-midlands-review/

The only ex-Johnsons services left will then be the 87/88, the X20 between Solihull and Coventry, and the NFU services in Stratford (N1/N2).

.....  and the 149 / 149S appears (to me) to have survived with Diamond.

DD12 it was one of the 14 plate Gemini's as I was waiting for the 303 from Worcester to take me to work. The reason it wasn't tracking was because it didn't have a ticket machine fitted to it.

Thanks Martin !

Can anyone tell me what vehicles ran the 149/ 149S today please (Friday 24/6/22) as the bustimes.org tracker is not showing any ??

And did the last scheduled return journey actually run please ??

Depot for Commonwealth games services

Thanks Tony  !! 

Could anybody explain or elborate what this means please ??

Interesting to see that the most modern Enviro 200s (68 reg and newer) along with the two Enviro 400 MMCs are not on the list as included in the deal.

Did I read somewhere that 2 StreetDecks were coming down from up-north, and have they been allocated yet ??

ie - could they be for Redditch to replace the 2 Johnsons E400mmcs ?

Thanks for the info, gentlemen.

seen several johnsons vehicles  around my home this last couple of weeks,  there is a school around  the corner so they may have been some school trips. I see in  the  n&p dated 12/11/21  whittles  have had there vehicle  allocatio  put to 17.

Can anyone tell me how many vehicles Whittles were allowed previously, please ?

Fleetname Catteralls of Southam.

Thanks Andrew !

I have not noticed "Portrest, Southam before; - which operating company is this please ?

I took my first ride on one of the two MetroDeckers recently  --  UPSTAIRS  --   and it was the most tastefully finished bus interior I've seen in over 50 years !! , - high quality, very fashionable seats with integrated (neat) car-style seat belts, and traditional /"retro" flooring, - nice colours !! -

I didn't like the two tables ( - one each side, behind the staircase), because it means having two lots of rear-facing seats,  --  --  when I ride upstairs I want to look at the various views ahead, and don't want eye-contact with passengers in front of me ( - facing the wrong way!).

Also, I was lucky to be able to sit at the front, because further back the high-backed seats made it seem claustrophobic  ("sardine-can job") - although that is probably true of many double-decker coaches (?)
  --  but FOUR skylights in the roof helped to alleviate that feeling.

- nice new "shoe-shop" smell upstairs, too !!
:) 

First's management will need to be convinced that Worcestershire County council is actually capable of forming the new partnership with operators that is required by new government legislation and funding.

The City council continues to redevelop areas without adequate roads, and that includes booting-out the central bus depot which is currently in the best place.

If I won £175 million on Euromillions, I could quite fancy buying my local bus company (First Midland Red), but unless I got cast-iron guarantees from the two councils, I wouldn't offer even £1 for it !!