Messages

I am sure I have read on this site that Wolverhampton will go to euro4 before the end of 2018 which makes it seem odd that they are moving compliant buses away.

4282 on the 11C this morning.

4279 on the 73 today.

I think I have been told when the Hybrids first came into service that the Alexander/Dennis Hybrids had a low maximum speed which would make for a long journey time to Dundee.

Regarding the location of stops for the QE, I sometimes take my wife there in a wheelchair and have used the X64 and 98. I will have no problem pushing the wheelchair to the new location but it will not be very pleasant if it is raining. However this is a new hospital and proper provision should have been made for buses. The best hospital for bus access seems to me to be University Hospital Coventry where the bus station is in the prime position and if traffic gets really difficult there are stewards to make sure the buses get priority. I don't expect to visit this hospital again now that the bendies are no more however.

The June transfers were as expected, but the July ones should be interesting, not due to the South Birmingham changes but more to the euro4 introduction in Solihull. At the AG open day I was told that this would be achieved by moving buses between garages and this seems to be the case as I haven't seen any more euro6 conversions and no new vehicles have been mentioned anywhere. The Sunny group will also have problems but they do seem to be keeping the same buses on the 71E/72.

With respect to the East Birmingham/North Solihull changes a lot of protests were made at the axing of the 59 route, but nothing has happened and no independents have come forward to run a replacement.

With Dundee having 6687-6700 in the Autumn, can the West Midlands expect 6601-6686?

With the 49 and 76 still running into Solihull, what will YW use for these routes as the euro4 requirement comes in on that date? AG will have the same problem on the 72 and 73.

Sunny group buses on the 72 yesterday were KV03ZFS, NA52AXN, NA52AWZ and 4299. No sign of  71E.

Social KV03ZFS was on the 72 last week. Has it transferred to Discount? SN51SXU was the phantom 11C on Friday, leaving the Yew Tree at 0915. The Social departure times are 0751 and 1019.

BN reported on 29th May that 4133 and 4134 have been withdrawn but they are not in the May changes. Are they withdrawn?

KV03ZFN left the Yew Tree yesterday at 0929 on the 11C carrying quite a good load of passengers. It was not shown on the timetable but a bus was shown on the electronic screen to leave at 0934.

It definitely stopped to pick up passengers but I didn't see if anyone got on as I was behind it. I will try to check it again next Friday. It was not shown on the timetable at the Yew Tree stop.

Discount have been using 03, NA52AWZ on the 72 all this week. RKT are using KXZ 4299 and ex Discount 08, NA 52 AXN which now has a piece of paper saying it is an RKT vehicle. Sunny have been using 103, but I think I saw 105 on Monday displaying route 72. This morning Discount 04, KV 03 ZFW left the Yew Tree at 0915 displaying 11C, but this is not shown on the timetables. It was running in the clockwise direction. Social are timetabled to have only one vehicle on the 11C.