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I've had a mad brain wave.

ADL only have an exclusive deal with NX West Midlands I'm guessing that excludes NX Coventry and Dundee?

If so who is to say an order for Street decks doesn't get made from NXC or D and they get swapped with the same amount of E400 MMC's which would then mean NXWM get other makes to garages in WM or have I been on some American high stuff feed to me by my employer again.

Potentially just because it seems bizarre to me, as to me they're meant for solihull routes

Granted, but from what I have learnt living in Redditch for the last 20 odd years (26) that nothing is quite as it seems. Route branding means nothing, meant nothing to Midland Red West or First and now Diamond. Also the amount of bad press about the 57 58 route sweetening the good old folk of Woodrow Matchborough Winyates and Churchill will hopefully make them want to travel on the new buses they will be getting, the Streetlite Maxi hybrids.

Signature Merc (30019 I think) on Redditch 57 today
Hybrid Versa on Redditch 51

Not that unusual as it would have been 6 months ago but since they have arrived at Redditch they have made it on to all if not most of the routes.

Aye that be true I forgot the former RH E300 that Diamond didn't want..................

But yes that would be one of the first ones unless any in Scotland had been painted before hand.

Think this would make it the first E300 in the new livery if so.

Do you mean the dipped front livery??
As the 67665 and 67699 are both at Worcester in the 2012 livery.

Exactly, yet another good example.

The only recent example I can think of where something did better in public ownership compared with private ownership was the ECML, but if public ownership is that good, why have they since returned that franchise to the private sector!

Politics in a word. East Coast was doing very well as it was, its slipped a little but not as bad as it has been. But the DfT should have been able to bid for the franchise as well, but would still have lost due to not being able to fleece the tax payer (in which i include the rail user) twice. Once with fares and second the silly amounts of money Stagecoach Virgin First and the others pay for a franchise.

There's no such thing as type training at Rotala

Lol there is, its called theres your bus go drive it........... it isn't right but they are lax on some of the practise of training drivers on buses and the different types at a depot.

Indeed :-) What do you make of the TFL tender system and the operators bidding for routes?

Maybe ask Tony this in a private message as Redditch has nothing to do with London unless our MP is sitting in London! This is a Diamond feed and needs to stay that way with all due respect.
The Major problem with Diamond in Redditch is they are the big only fish in the pond and because of that they have become lax, the model of not having a large fleet based in Redditch means if you have a number of break downs and defects they have to be patched up and used, problem is the sticking plaster becomes permanent and due to other buses breaking down they don't get round to doing proper repairs. This is no lie I have watched and heard the Church Road team and drivers, One took up a bus that was over heating, the back was opened up and the pressure washer was used to cool the engine down and left to sit for a short while the sent back out due to no other buses being available.
How ever, if top brass visit the depots then it wouldn't happen same with any business if you aren't following the rules and break them when you have top brass in you do it by the book so you don't loose your job. And that is what Diamond RH are like. Which hurts the good folk of Redditch who want to get from a to b safely and near enough on time.

There are still a few exFirst drivers left at Kiddy.

The amount of ex First driver across the two garages are very very low. A lot have left, granted there are a few tho.

They would, Simon told us that, but First's valuation was higher than Rotala's so Rotala chose not to take them

Yes and the cost of what Rotala bought over stretched them. As I have said before they bought FMR RH & KR they always had the best buses the Volvos they used to be looked after well.

It would explain why NX Stagecoach and Johnsons did not want to put a bid in as First didn't want to budge on how much the 5 Alx 400 5/6 Darts VX54/05 and the 10 or more E300s. Diamond have bitten off well more than they can chew and it now shows and in a way its sad.

Not all the RH/KR drivers went across those that did stay either stayed for a few weeks and moved to WR or Whittle Johnsons Stagecoach. Drivers don't stay to long in Redditch or Kiddy

one question  all these firms that people  would like to move in  to Worcestershire
they had a chance to buy the operations when first put them up for sale there must
have been some big reason that they did not then buy them then?

something just been on BBC H&W News   about diamond,  and WCC
it seamed like they  where talking about the same thing that is in link
posted by  Mw  yesterday 

and people who are on facebook   take a look at this page
First Bus in Bristol are Completely and Utterly Useless
a facebook group

Yes but First wouldn't sell the fleet that should have been at both Redditch and Kidderminster. First wanted shot of the 10 Presidents the non DDA darts and the Lances and only 3 E300s and not the 5 Alx 400s, 3 darts that went to WR and HR now in the potteries and the rest of the E300s from Redditch. if a company had wanted to buy these the price would have gone up sharply, Rotala were the only ones prepared to buy at the price they got. If they hadn't Whittle maybe still around and First might be still in Redditch.

Yes but there are ways of getting customers back on buses with stuff like free wifi, comfy seating and power points but again this would cost a lots of money. But I still really do think First Bus did the wrong thing selling Redditch they didn't give it enough time to turn it around and left the people of Redditch and Kidderminster with a rotting away bus service which is slowly dying. Today the service in the 2 areas is much like a rotting tree and even more so since Whittle Bus went and I am beginning to wonder if it can be saved at all has the rot gone to deep?? :( :'(

I know it is hard to understand my sympathy but if you lived in Kidderminster or Redditch area you would understand why...

I don't give a flying trout if the bus has wifi power points, I just want to get to work on time and not need to get a taxi! I want to be able to get to the hospital or town at the time or near to the time on the timetable. I can't, to get to my place of work (ASDA Redditch) I get a taxi £3.60 ago where I could get a day ticket for £1.90 but be late and get the sack. I can't turn up an hour before just to be on time for work.

Nobody in Redditch wants the latest fad on a bus they want one that turns up that understands english knows where its going has the right number displayed on time doesn't speed doesn't break down and doesn't fall apart or catch fire. Its not to much to ask, yes Midland Red West/First had there problems they at least kept the network simple and didn't keep changing every 6 months just to try something. 47 48 is the worst thing that has happened in Redditch the 55 and 56 where better as you could go the other way round and get to where you wanted at a reasonable time. And having routes interworked that are long distance isn't working, 62 67 64 70 47 48 55 should not be interworked. 67 should be stand alone as should the 47 48  55 the 70 and 64 should be interworking 62 stand alone.

[sister company yourbus]

There's a Diamond Centro in a garage in Bulwell, Nottinghamshire. Not far from sister company yourbus, didn't catch the fleet number though. Can anyone shed lighting this?

You are barking up the wrong tree there matey. The only connection between Diamond and Yourbus is the Dunn family, no other connection. They are not sister companies, but you are right it would be interesting to know why a Diamond Centro is there but which one as Diamond have three types VDL Volvo and MAN, so shedding light would be good.

Maybe the 3 from RH will move up there in the future to concentrate the type up there? Obviously Signature would need some new buses first for that to happen

Maybe thats what the Streetlite Maxi are for to release the Three Mercs to go up North and to make a service down here Signature using a few of the Operates, maybe X3 as it seems to have a few RH drivers driving it from time to time during the week........

And what about the millions of cars ?? I doubt it would make an noticeable benefit

Granted, but a bus thats idling pollutes a lot in a traffic jam. I know Cars and VW cars pollute a lot as well but surly bus builders should look at how they can build one that does the same and fit it as standard along with what they do now.



ps maybe this convo needs moving to a thread of its own so we don't fill the this thread with it.