Messages

@Tony

We now have some great heritage livery buses at WN, PN, WA, AG, CV, are there plans for the remaining garages to get one like we had in the 90s?

Just saw the photo of newly repainted 4651 in BCT livery.

Will every garage get a heritage bus like in the 90s?

Bristol road services are suffering. Seen 4629 and a 550* hybrid both running NIS together. Also saw a first b7rle running NIS towards Birmingham turning off the Bristol road.

Temporary  way traffic lights on Bristol Rd by Sir Harrys Rd.

On a stretch of the road thats been begging to be widened for years, a bus lane would have been great there, even a left only filter lane at Priory Rd from city, but no, what do we get? - a cycle lane.
Instead of improving thousands of peoples journeys every day, a hand full of cyclists will benefit instead.

That's why they need a frequency increase!!! Anytime I try and get a 51 in the city it's like torture fighting my way onto a rammed bus.

Exactly. You've just proved my point.
Since the 52 was withdrawn and replaced with The Perry Beeches personal taxi (aka 952), the rammed 33s and 51s are common.

Yes, one bus, which will take double the time the 952 currently takes. I can see most if not all get off on Walsall Road and change onto the 51/X51.

Oh yeah, sorry I forgot you never did the old 52 did you? The 952 helps the 51 out on the Walsall Road anyway, like I already said...

Swings and roundabouts. The 952 most certainly does NOT help out the 51 AND 33 through t e busy sections of the route - Birchfield and Aston up to Barton Arms.

I wonder which garage will get 7000?

It's still having a direct service to Birmingham.

Having been a driver on the 952 for the past 4 weeks, I can say first hand, it hardly picks anyone up. The company has target figures for passenger numbers and the 952 is nowhere near its. The 9:30 rush isn't even that bad on the 952. You pick a few up on Walsall Road but even then, they have the 51 or at Perry Avenue and Beeches Road the X51.  If Perry Beeches was as busy as you attempt  to make it out to be NX wouldnt need to try and keep the service alive. They've tried that many  different variations and still see the same results. Writing is on the wall.

Thankyou.

I've seen it go from 52 to 952, back to 52 and back again to 952. Enough is enough.
It benefits the few (Perry Beeches), while the many (Perry Barr, Birchfield, Six Ways) have had no improvements to their 33 and 51.
As Dom mentioned, the X51 is nearby.

When the 952 goes I hope the 33 and 51 have a more frequent frequency!!
Oh and the 907 gets sorted...
[/quote]

When the 52 was replaced by the 952, the 33 and 51saw no improvements.  It's about time their frequency was upgraded.

I started aged 20 in 1997. I actually looked about 16 and lots of passengers used to say "Are you old enough to drive this bus?" It used to get on my nerves, but as the years rolled on I would wish they would still ask!
In 1997 there wasnt as many younger drivers as now, at BC there was still a lot of the 'old guard', plenty of drivers that had previously been at Selly Oak, Cotteridge and Quinton, some had been bus drivers since the late 50s and 60s.
A lot has to do with the maturity of the person and although Ive never met Dom, he comes across as being quite mature and level headed.
The training NX does now is thorough and has improved a lot since I started. Cpc courses refresh all drivers and try to eliminate bad habits.
Drive cam and traffilog also monitors bad driving and speed. In my early years I would drive like Lewis Hamilton running back dead to garage - not any more.

My prediction, Platinums for Pershore Rd, Pershore Rd Enviros for 97s.

So, seeing as that 7 months have passed since these changes were implemented, will NX be reviewing them at all? They must have an idea about what has worked, hasn't worked, needs tweaking etc.

Apart from a slight change to the 61 I haven't heard about anything else?

63s need frequency improving. The 63 always seems very busy compared to the 61.

Hartshornes :- 2097; 2166; 4488; 4493; 4693; 5505; 5509
RWT, Lye:- 1852; 4503; 4643
Carlyle:- 802; 1871; 2083; 2136; 4719; 4746; 5502; 6810
Trailways:- 4463; 4346
PCS, Wootton bassett:- 5409
Graysons: 2067

BY:- 1902; 4777
YW:- 4624; 4490
WN:- 869
WB:- 6845
BC:- 6895; 6896

Loans for service
PB: 4277; 4656
BC: 6130

Still to transfer
AG: 4512; 4516; 4517; 4519; 4521; 4526; 4528; 4530 (4678 staying short term)
PN: 6114; 6119; 6714; 6716
YW: 6130; 6134; 6138

Whats up with 5505? Seems such a long time away.

I find that although smoking still exists on the buses, it seems a lot less than say 10 years ago.

I would like a real blitz on fare dodgers, my own opionion is the revenue team could do with being enlarged.
As well as groups of revenue inspectors waiting at key gateway stops, I'd love to see a group of 2 boarding a bus, checking tickets, get off and cross over the road and do the same again and again. Travelling to the outer suburbs too.
As @2900 said, the scale of fraud is large and I feel the highest managers are unaware of the scale and losses that the company are loosing.

Another thing with OAPs is that when they scan, the company is guaranteed money, unlike some other passengers...

4148 - First time I've drove this for a good while.
Hardly any rattles, smooth, fairly good acceleration, warm heaters. Hard to fault. Soon to be withdrawn, but a lot more life in it yet in my opinion.