First Bus - Leicester

[Glenfieldmathk1]

The saffrons appear to be leaving now. Today just 3 remaining in service. I guess issues with electric singles have been ironed out. Although still 2 not been in use since June?
Still a lot of customers unhappy along the 13/14/18 routes that buses are too full / and are being left behind. Twitter team say it's being monitored.. but like one complainant was saying how can they monitor how many are being skipped past at bus stops? Wondering how the 54's getting on too..
It's not good really axing so many double deckers. Even potteries now has more double deckers. Which the old MD said Leicester was in a good position compared to pmt.. so why would they put more doubles there than in Leicester?

[47609FireFly]

The saffrons appear to be leaving now. Today just 3 remaining in service. I guess issues with electric singles have been ironed out. Although still 2 not been in use since June?
Still a lot of customers unhappy along the 13/14/18 routes that buses are too full / and are being left behind. Twitter team say it's being monitored.. but like one complainant was saying how can they monitor how many are being skipped past at bus stops? Wondering how the 54's getting on too..
It's not good really axing so many double deckers. Even potteries now has more double deckers. Which the old MD said Leicester was in a good position compared to pmt.. so why would they put more doubles there than in Leicester?

The big problem on both the 15 and 54 is headway. There isn't sufficient bus priority in Leicester to deliver a reliable and robust 7/8 minute headway without bunching occurring. This is exacerbated if you have a nonchalant driver with a tardy attitude to right time running. What you end up with is single-deck (1) in front being loaded to the gunnels - that increases unloading time and dwell time at stops is increased. Single-deck (2) behind has an easy ride and catches up the bus in front, increasing the gap with the bus behind. Single-deck (3) then gets a hammering and so on and so forth...

In addition, hands-on, frontline service delivery isn't there to deal with any problems and keep the service running reliably. This isn't a problem unique to First.

Customers are key to sorting this out through regularly communicating and complaining to the company.

On the face of it, there are fewer political strings attached to PMT than Leicester. In Stoke, passenger numbers on certain routes have grown and the company has reacted in a positive way, by bringing in other double-deck resources from elsewhere; the two, reasonably new, StreetDecks from York. Fair play to them that they've used something reasonably youthful rather than procuring life-expired / semi life-expired double-deckers. There was a fair deal of commitment to get the electric ball rolling in Leicester and maybe someone did act with a touch of haste (who knows) with opting to go for so many saloons - there's nothing to say that, in time, if the loadings do become regularly too much for single-decks, they can't go elsewhere in group and be replaced by electric deckers. Like I said at the start though, bus priority and front line delivery needs to improve exponentially. With Sunak's comment about not wanting a 'war on motorists', I cannot see Leicester ceasing to be a traffic ridden place, where car drivers believe they have carte blanche to ignore traffic regulation orders, any time soon.

[Glenfieldmathk1]

A Streetlite has returned and is back on 17 today. Not sure if it's a loan (at least until all electric singles are back out), or if permanent to help with overloading?

[SSmith09]

A Streetlite has returned and is back on 17 today. Not sure if it's a loan (at least until all electric singles are back out), or if permanent to help with overloading?

the seated capacity of streetlites is around the same as the electric single deckers but the electrics have a higher standing capacity owing to the flat floor.

Frequent14 E400 33700 has done some trips on the 88A today while 33733 has been on the 15.

63109 is understood to be here for amazon work, makes sense as 33718 has been off for a while.

[SSmith09]

63531 is now out in service on the 54

Registered as BK73 AMV 

[Glenfieldmathk1]

the seated capacity of streetlites is around the same as the electric single deckers but the electrics have a higher standing capacity owing to the flat floor.

Frequent14 E400 33700 has done some trips on the 88A today while 33733 has been on the 15.

63109 is understood to be here for amazon work, makes sense as 33718 has been off for a while.

So far it hasn't been used on Amazon Work. I mean, even when we had Streetlites it was rare for them to be used on Amazon duties as they don't like the motorway's. 
3 E400's in frequent fourteen are on Amazon shuttles and occasionally do run in normal service (around 10am for a few journeys.. mostly in 14A but occasionally on other routes, as you've identified).

With the arrival of the last Kite.. looks like all Saffrons are now out of use.

Whilst it's gone quiet on exactly what Electroliner Streetdecks are arriving (and when).. I notice Leicester buses website now says mid 2024! With apparently service 4 & 15 receiving them? Do we know if the extra 6 mentioned (From Leeds) are still coming or is it back to just 18?
Still seeing a lot of overcrowding on routes 13, 14 & 18!

[Fin W]

So far it hasn't been used on Amazon Work. I mean, even when we had Streetlites it was rare for them to be used on Amazon duties as they don't like the motorway's.
3 E400's in frequent fourteen are on Amazon shuttles and occasionally do run in normal service (around 10am for a few journeys.. mostly in 14A but occasionally on other routes, as you've identified).

With the arrival of the last Kite.. looks like all Saffrons are now out of use.

Whilst it's gone quiet on exactly what Electroliner Streetdecks are arriving (and when).. I notice Leicester buses website now says mid 2024! With apparently service 4 & 15 receiving them? Do we know if the extra 6 mentioned (From Leeds) are still coming or is it back to just 18?
Still seeing a lot of overcrowding on routes 13, 14 & 18!

Is the BHX3 still running? The B7RLEs could be on use on that still since it doesn't track

[Mayfield]

Just need to find out what's happened to 63523, not tracked since June 

[Glenfieldmathk1]

Is the BHX3 still running? The B7RLEs could be on use on that still since it doesn't track

There's at least 1 E400 on the BHX3. Not sure about the B7RLE's as not sure if duplicate is needed there. Maybe it is? As I know BHX5 is currently Duplicated?

[xmj-signal]

63522 is back in service in Leicester, although it doesn't appear to be tracking at the moment.

It was on 88A yesterday (Monday 30th) as I was making my way to visit someone in the Royal Infirmary, working the 1330 from City Centre to Saffron Crossroads.

It has been on 38/38A today (Tuesday 31st), viewed working the 1701 38A to Thurnby Lodge as I was returning from today's hospital visit.

It isn't tracking as a different vehicle - the journeys it would have worked have just not tracked at all.

[SSmith09]

63522 is back in service in Leicester, although it doesn't appear to be tracking at the moment.

It was on 88A yesterday (Monday 30th) as I was making my way to visit someone in the Royal Infirmary, working the 1330 from City Centre to Saffron Crossroads.

It has been on 38/38A today (Tuesday 31st), viewed working the 1701 38A to Thurnby Lodge as I was returning from today's hospital visit.

It isn't tracking as a different vehicle - the journeys it would have worked have just not tracked at all.

Most of the fleet have had a 4G signal box fitted to the back of the ticketers (they currently use 3G signal but that is being phased out in the coming years), maybe it has not had one fitted yet which is causing it not to track?

[Mayfield]

It's tracking this morning 

[Glenfieldmathk1]

A number of service changes have been registered for 7th Jan.
Whilst most look like timetable changes, looks like 16 & 17 have new city centre stops?

[SSmith09]

A number of service changes have been registered for 7th Jan.
Whilst most look like timetable changes, looks like 16 & 17 have new city centre stops?

According to the Leicester Buses website its just tweaks to improve reliability (see https://www.leicesterbuses.co.uk/service-changes) along with some arriva and Centrebus changes on the same weekend.

Shame the Sunday frequencies on the 88/88A aren't being improved as the buses are always full 😒

[Glenfieldmathk1]

According to the Leicester Buses website its just tweaks to improve reliability (see https://www.leicesterbuses.co.uk/service-changes) along with some arriva and Centrebus changes on the same weekend.

Shame the Sunday frequencies on the 88/88A aren't being improved as the buses are always full 😒

I still think Personally they should do an 88E all day on Sunday and have them every 30mins! (Maybe even 20 like pre-Covid!).