Diamond Bus - Discussion

[MW]

The ex Preston Solos haven't stayed long!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gcbp/8233031363

Tony

This makes me want to see Rotala go bust. Why did they bother repainting it into Black Diamond colours if they didn't intend to keep it?!

[Isle of Stroma]

The ex Preston Solos haven't stayed long!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gcbp/8233031363

Tony

This makes me want to see Rotala go bust. Why did they bother repainting it into Black Diamond colours if they didn't intend to keep it?!

Meanwhile, someone else is wittering about Red Diamonds at Tividale etc. Damned if they do, dole queue swelled if they don't.....

[jc]

A white S plater dart is in Redditch, or at least was yesterday!

[Ash]

A white S plater dart is in Redditch, or at least was yesterday!

A would think its s405jua havent saw it on any black diamond services for a while so explains why.

[Ash]

Is the black part of the fleetname being dropped on the new arrivals into the fleet. So far from the recent darts into the fleet they have all been repainted black but just had diamond put on them instead of black diamondm the recent adverts for red diamond even though cartoon have just diamond on them to instead of red diamond.

Here is an example:

http://wmbusphotos.com/diamondpages/20206.html

[Ash]

Theres an old debranded wessex connect 51 reg dart on the 4 today looks a bit scruffy especially with the fleet names taken off, not sure if this is a recent transfer or just going to be used on loan and returned back down south.

[Ash]

Does anyone know when the the remaining ex your bus darts will enter service as only 30849 seems to have been put into service.

[tank90]

Noticed two Red Mini Darts in the Redditch Garage with VOR in the windscreen parked infront of two Volvos, didnt quiet catch the numbers or regs but the fleet numbers where in black and no 30 or 20.

[PM]

I cant believe whittles have bought one of the crusaders-r409ffc

[Ash]

I only seem to see R405FFC left of that batch at diamond, havent saw T445EBD for a long time either.

[jc]

Noticed two Red Mini Darts in the Redditch Garage with VOR in the windscreen parked infront of two Volvos, didnt quiet catch the numbers or regs but the fleet numbers where in black and no 30 or 20.

520 and 547 were VOR last week so ... should be them.

[Ash]

As new buses seem to be going to wessex connect and preston bus recently is there any investment in the pipeline for rotala's diamond bus operations. Could it mean any decent buses transferring from Preston bus or Wessex red to improve what diamond currently has.
Are the 16/17/50 very busy these days dont use the services much myself but wouldnt know but at the moment the 16 and 50 uses some of the newest and arguably best buses diamond has in its fleet which would be welcomed elsewhere to replace some of the red and white darts still in service.

[PM]

As new buses seem to be going to wessex connect and preston bus recently is there any investment in the pipeline for rotala's diamond bus operations. Could it mean any decent buses transferring from Preston bus or Wessex red to improve what diamond currently has.
Are the 16/17/50 very busy these days dont use the services much myself but wouldnt know but at the moment the 16 and 50 uses some of the newest and arguably best buses diamond has in its fleet which would be welcomed elsewhere to replace some of the red and white darts still in service.

I go on the 50 quite a lot and yes the buses do seem to be fairly busy, especially the yellow nifty centros. There are noticable dips when its a blue diamond solo or something like that. But less busy now that green bus are on the route. Also, on the 16, the buses are new-and awful-and they are nowhere near as busy as they used to be. Most times just 1/2 people on it and I saw a GRS dart rammed yesterday. The 17 has always been a bit of a dead duck anyway so no different to how it always used to be. The 56 does well but theres really no point in them running the 10H route-not at all well used. The 50 and 16 would be busier if the 16 had branding like it used to, if they competed more aggressively and advertised day returns. Same on the 50 really-ensure 801 is repaired and put into the nifty livery and advertise the day returns on the displays on the front and with a strip at the top of the windscreen, possibly on the bus both inside and out to really raise awareness.

[Ash]

As new buses seem to be going to wessex connect and preston bus recently is there any investment in the pipeline for rotala's diamond bus operations. Could it mean any decent buses transferring from Preston bus or Wessex red to improve what diamond currently has.
Are the 16/17/50 very busy these days dont use the services much myself but wouldnt know but at the moment the 16 and 50 uses some of the newest and arguably best buses diamond has in its fleet which would be welcomed elsewhere to replace some of the red and white darts still in service.

I go on the 50 quite a lot and yes the buses do seem to be fairly busy, especially the yellow nifty centros. There are noticable dips when its a blue diamond solo or something like that. But less busy now that green bus are on the route. Also, on the 16, the buses are new-and awful-and they are nowhere near as busy as they used to be. Most times just 1/2 people on it and I saw a GRS dart rammed yesterday. The 17 has always been a bit of a dead duck anyway so no different to how it always used to be. The 56 does well but theres really no point in them running the 10H route-not at all well used. The 50 and 16 would be busier if the 16 had branding like it used to, if they competed more aggressively and advertised day returns. Same on the 50 really-ensure 801 is repaired and put into the nifty livery and advertise the day returns on the displays on the front and with a strip at the top of the windscreen, possibly on the bus both inside and out to really raise awareness.

An alternative could be take the hybrids off the 16 and the darts/solo's off the 17 and put all these buses along with the centros on the 50 and offer 5/6 minute frequency. Similar to what black diamond does on the 4 offering a 6 minute frequency even though NXWM operates every 6 minutes its likely every other bus on the 4 is a black diamond are sometimes 2:1 to a NXWM bus depending on the times of the 4H and 4M.

[PM]

As new buses seem to be going to wessex connect and preston bus recently is there any investment in the pipeline for rotala's diamond bus operations. Could it mean any decent buses transferring from Preston bus or Wessex red to improve what diamond currently has.
Are the 16/17/50 very busy these days dont use the services much myself but wouldnt know but at the moment the 16 and 50 uses some of the newest and arguably best buses diamond has in its fleet which would be welcomed elsewhere to replace some of the red and white darts still in service.

I go on the 50 quite a lot and yes the buses do seem to be fairly busy, especially the yellow nifty centros. There are noticable dips when its a blue diamond solo or something like that. But less busy now that green bus are on the route. Also, on the 16, the buses are new-and awful-and they are nowhere near as busy as they used to be. Most times just 1/2 people on it and I saw a GRS dart rammed yesterday. The 17 has always been a bit of a dead duck anyway so no different to how it always used to be. The 56 does well but theres really no point in them running the 10H route-not at all well used. The 50 and 16 would be busier if the 16 had branding like it used to, if they competed more aggressively and advertised day returns. Same on the 50 really-ensure 801 is repaired and put into the nifty livery and advertise the day returns on the displays on the front and with a strip at the top of the windscreen, possibly on the bus both inside and out to really raise awareness.

An alternative could be take the hybrids off the 16 and the darts/solo's off the 17 and put all these buses along with the centros on the 50 and offer 5/6 minute frequency. Similar to what black diamond does on the 4 offering a 6 minute frequency even though NXWM operates every 6 minutes its likely every other bus on the 4 is a black diamond are sometimes 2:1 to a NXWM bus depending on the times of the 4H and 4M.

I think they need to fight back on the 50 definitely though not with solos-possibly with more MAN centros and hybrids. Slash the fares, advertise returns, weeklies etc and theyd do far better. Plus train the drivers not to just sit behind NXWM buses.