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NX takes over Lucketts Coaches
https://www.route-one.net/news/lucketts-travel-group-purchased-by-national-express/

Usually the 040 which runs between Bristol and London. Some journeys run beyond Bristol to serve Weston-super-Mare.

One recently made it out onto the 200 service Bristol - Reading - Heathrow - Gatwick, thankfully with low passenger numbers so the luggage wasn't a nightmare to load. I thought the driver was having a laugh when he pulled in to the station with it on the destination!

They sometimes end up allocated to the 401/403 services if they're short on vehicles and they've been out on the 330 a few times. I've also known the 201 and 202 services to be covered by them after breakdowns. But indeed as everyone has pointed out, the 040 service is the mainstay of these!

Levante III BU18OTE appears to have expired in Lichfield Bus Station, bonnet up when I passed a few minutes ago.

It was a waste of time me mopping its soiled floor this morning then ::)

That's interesting.

The 339 towards Grimsby has a 25-35 min break in Bristol, a 40 min break in Birmingham, and a 45 min break in Leicester, so I don't see the logic for that in the 339's case.

The Northern half of the 330 and the Southern half of the 339 have driver interworking.
The driver that comes down from Nottingham on the 330 will take over the 339 service from Sedgemoor Services down to Westward Ho! (the 339 is shunted between Bristol and Sedgemoor by the driver arriving into Bristol at 14:30 on the 040 service). The 339 will then be driven up to Bristol from Westward Ho! the next morning where the coach and drivers change, the old 339 will go to the depot, get "turned round" then will come back down to the station to take up the Northern half of the 330 service again.

The Northern 339 driver would for example then be able to have a 15 in Bristol, a 30 in Birmingham and a 45 in Leicester.

What are drivers legal hours before requiring a break? Also how long does this break have to be?

4.5 hours max driving time and then a 45 minute uninterrupted break has to be recorded on the tacho. There is scope for this to be split into a 15 and 30 (has to be in this order). The driver can take it as a passenger onboard, hence some services being dual-crewed.

For example, as the 333 service (Blackpool to Bournemouth) currently works, the coach is shunted to Sandbach services where the main drivers then take over, they drive the service to Birmingham then have a 15 min recorded break, then proceed on to Bristol where they then have the remaining 30 minutes. This then clears the clock and gives them a full 4.5 hours to make Bournemouth.
Drivers can only drive for 9 hours in a day, but this can be extended to 10 hours no more than twice in a week.

Idling does not count towards the 4.5 hours, something I used to wrongly assume did count.

Drivers are still able to drive company cars and vans outside of the above
An example of this is the 302 Bristol to Northampton service. The coach comes off the 200 service from Gatwick then goes to the yard to be cleaned, toilet dropped, fuelled etc.
The service is incredibly tight for driving time and with the already racked up driving time from the yard, is impossible to complete. So it's worked like this:
- 302 driver takes the coach to Bristol Coach Station
- 302 driver then drives a company van to Bath Bus Station and waits there
- Driver who arrives off the 339 from Grimsby has a 45 break
- Ex-339 driver then shunts the 302 coach in service between Bristol and Bath
- 302 driver takes on 302 coach for the rest of the journey
- 339 driver goes direct to the yard with the company van

I hope this helps!

As far as I know it will be the 41/42/43/44/45 corridor which passes Lawrence Hill on their way to and from the centre of Bristol. There might be other routes too.....

48/48A/49 are also supposed to be getting them, along with the above mentioned m3 (which are apparently first according to the First Newsletter). Other routes mentioned but as far as I'm aware not confirmed, are the 6/7 and 17. I would assume all of these together would get it close to 77

A few branded buses straying onto other routes today

Volvo B7 ALX 32099 KP 51 WDE Bath Uni bus on route 37
Volvo B7 ALX 32255 LT 52 WWA route 6 / 7 branded on route 2
Alexander Enviro 400 33952 SN 65 ZCA route 1 operating route 3
Volvo B9 Gemini 37321 WX 57 HKB route 2 operating route 44

Also Alexander Scania 36815 YM 17 FKL operating route 42

And 6/7 branded LT52WVZ made it out onto the afternoon 177 service!

The first of the Gas buses are supposedly due in December, according to a newsletter by James Freeman on the wall in the Marlborough Street offices, complete with a mock up of one in the m3 livery, with the tagline "this is the diagram to show how the metrobus m3 livery will be applied to the first buses, expected to be delivered in December".
The m3 will also temporarily be outstationed at the BCT Bedminster Depot until the gas refuelling station at Lawrence Hill is completed.

I'm guessing the platinum service Tony mentions is to assist NX Coach on the Glastonbury festival shuttle service from Bristol ?  ;)

That would be correct, I'm looking forward to taking part! It'll be a little funny seeing bus division vehicles where I live after having moved here a couple of years back!

Talking of Bristol , how are the new metro buses being received

I live close to the m3 route and I find it a much faster way of getting back from work and I find them comfier than the 48/49 Enviros thanks to them not having e-leather seats and being fitted with air con. They really do suffer on the inbound morning rush hour journeys though when the ringroad is a car park. The m3x is brilliant too, an even faster journey home! I just wish they would switch the m3 and m3x times round so that I have an m3x as soon as I finish work rather than the standard m3.

The m3 should be getting Gas Buses in the near future, as per the m1. You really notice the power difference in those on the steep hill as you head up to UWE Frenchay, the Gas ones are barely fazed by it whereas everything else slows right down on it.

Looking at places like the zoo for instance. (And also a Wetherspoons as well!)

Staying at a Premier Inn near the Bearpit, I believe.

You're well situated for the Bus Station at that hotel, however, keep your belongings tightly within grip as the Bearpit and surrounding areas can be a nasty place.
The 8 to Clifton will take you up to the Zoo and also right by the suspension bridge, it stops just over the other side of the Bearpit from the hotel (by Debenhams).
There's a few local spoons dotted around including by the harbour and by Temple Meads station.
If you're thinking of dashing out to places like Bath, Yate, Clevedon & Weston-super-Mare, you'll need a "West of England" ticket, or if you're keeping it local then just the standard Bristol zone will do.
If you download the First app on your phone, you can grab the tickets cheaper. Both variants are valid on all Metrobus services.
The 3 service is a good mix of residential suburban, industrial, shopping & rural views. I would suggest a little loop getting the m1 to Cribbs Causeway from the Centre then returning on the 3. Should be able to get some good photos from Cribbs too.
With a West of England ticket, you can even pop out across the bridge to Newport on the Severn Express service.
You can also use First tickets on the X9 and 349 that Abus operate, so if you fancy some Spectras or Citaros, jump on one of those out the Bus Station.

Timetables and maps can be found at:
https://www.firstgroup.com/bristol-bath-and-west/routes-and-maps/route-maps

Driver of a First Bristol B9TL decided he'd rather be workin' at the car wash...
https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/first-bus-crash-emersons-green-2923334.amp

My assumption is that he got mixed up between the 48 & 49 routes (49 turns off just before here) and he was trying to spin around to get back, but chose the worst possible place to do so.

Edwards (Nat Ex) Boa Vista BU18OTB was involved in a smash on the M32 earlier today. A Bristol City Council pick-up style van cut the coach up in a bus lane, damaging the front exterior and interior of the coach.

Another rare one today as 32289 has just departed on the X7 towards Clevedon

Another rare Boa Vista working today, as Edwards Bristol BV66WPL has made it across the drink and into Wales partially covering on the Edwards Wales 202 service which failed at Heathrow earlier on. It commenced from Bristol and is definitely going as far as Cardiff. I'm not 100% sure on whether or not it will continue on to Swansea or if Edwards will input another vehicle to continue on from there, as the driver was told to take it to Cardiff.