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I wonder if these are intended to replace the 50/51/52xxx Mercedes-Benz midibuses?

sconehead85

First need 300 double deckers to go fully LF.  They are jiggered if they sell their London operation as this is what has stopped First from being in deeper doo-doo than they are now regarding fleet modernisation.  Bristol/West Country need a huge injection to clear out step Darts, but once the step Darts and Lances are cleared out they've got to turn to replacing the vast fleet of pre-2000 LF single decks that are still running.

sconehead85

CRP-  Transdev ARE presiding over a shambles, because they are only leasing new buses and sending mid-life buses back, leaving them with a polarised fleet, either new/nearly new or very old.
They wil have to revert to buying new buses to specifically replace older vehicles if they are to meet the DDA deadlines.  New buses could displace the next oldest to take over the school work.
Mid-life buses should be bought off lease until the fleet is DDA compliant.  And dont forget the Leyland Olympians were themselves "mid-life" in 1995!

BACK TO FIRST - First needs to purchase about 30 used LF dds so as to replace the non-Volvo Olympian fleet.

sconehead85

tank90-  I think you mean the average age of the fleets you mention is too HIGH, rather than low.

First must NOT get rid of its London fleet as it needs to cascade to solve the problem of an ageing fleet, and LEASING will only bring about the shambles that Transdev is in now, whereby mid-life buses get sent back and has sixty step entry vehicles to replace before 2017.

First as I have said elsewhere hangs on to elderly buses when they should be replacing them- they could easily be down to just Volvo Olympians as step buses but look  at Potteries Newcastle fleet.
There are over fifty step Darts in the West Country.

First has improved but theyve got to get their skates on if they are to reach the DDA deadlines.

sconehead85

Is 3468 a staff bus nowadays? If it is its technically withdrawn from normal service.  Any news on 4798, 4800 upwards? These may be going to Wardle to replace the last step double decks.

sconehead85

Id like to know the fleetnumbers!  I wish they'd buy 30 or so LF deckers to displace Volvo Olympians, which in turn would clear out the last Leyland Olympians, Volvo Citybuses and Dennis Arrows!

sconehead85

arrivadays- Blimey you're correct!  55-reg as well!  I forget MB still make the Vario but they are largely coaches these days.

sconehead85

arrivadays- Yes thanks- I was unsure whether any of the minibuses were step entry, but as with the coaches they are not used on regular bus routes.

sconehead85

Thanks, Tony.  I think 4545-7 must only be used as school buses and thus only out of the depot at these times.

4800-5 must surely however be for Wardle as this off -shoot have the only step double decks and the main Arriva Midlands dd fleet is all LF now.  Any recent sightings of the single deckers would be welcome.

sconehead85

Any recent news of G753/5/7/8/62 XRE and Volvo Citybus 38125?  This MUST surely be their last school year of service. I simply dont believe First cannot find six Volvo Olympian replacements.

sconehead85

A request, folks.  Is the step entrance fleet still 2038 (Arriva TGM's last step Dennis Dart) and Scanias 3415-7/9/68/89/91, tri-axle Leyland Olympians 4545-7  and Volvo Olympians 4650/2/87/92?- mostly with Wardle.

The reason I ask is the fleet news indicate more ex London LFs (4800-5) have arrived and the only dds left to replace are the Wardle based steps. All bar one step dd would be replaced by these arrivals.  Furthermore two of the triaxles 4545-7 have a white background on the fleet list- what's the significance?

Outside of the Midlands former 3490/3 (Scania sd)  and Scania dds H804 RWJ, M162 GRY and M834 SDA are still with TGM Stansted, although there is no recent evidence of the single decks.

Late news is that Arriva NE is to withdraw their last Scania and DAF step-entry dds on 24th March, leaving only the above.  The ten remaining Volvo Olympians with Arriva NE are also of Arriva Midlands origin from the 46xx series.

sconehead85

Dream on folks.  Small operators are going down like flies  -its either Arriva, NXWM or Rotala.

I have to remind you again about Premiere in a BIG CITY.

sconehead85

Andy- Reply #6-  Because they're ARRIVA. Thats self explanatory!
In my home city of Liverpool they run step entry buses on QBC routes. In 2013 (but not for much longer I must add).


sconehead85

Facts have to be faced - either Arriva monopoly or NXWM monopoly.  No point in two bald men fighting over a comb, which is what I liken bus wars to.

sconehead85

bob-I have mentioned this as well- Arriva purchased and acquired a VAST number of Dennis Dart SLF/MPDs in the run up to 2000, and would need to order 500 single decks alone just to remove those not from the Transbus era. I see no sign of such an order.  Arriva TGM still have some work to do replacing step-entry double decks and the dozen or so s/e single decks as well.

Until such an order materialises, Arriva are stuck.

sconehead85