Diamond Bus - Discussion

[j789]

I think NXWM should reintroduce the saver bus branding and use this on a new 10 route that ran between Quinton and the Town Hall. In this way an older vehicle could be used as it wouldnt be affected by the emission rules. Also, the time needed for the route would be less than 30 minutes each way throughout the day so a 30 minute frequency could be maintained by just using 1 vehicle.
If a flat fare of £1 was charged I am sure it would attract people along the Augustus road area as well as the Quinton areas not served by the 24. With justy 1 vehicle needed the overheads wpould be pretty low too.

[Tony]

I think NXWM should reintroduce the saver bus branding and use this on a new 10 route that ran between Quinton and the Town Hall. In this way an older vehicle could be used as it wouldnt be affected by the emission rules. Also, the time needed for the route would be less than 30 minutes each way throughout the day so a 30 minute frequency could be maintained by just using 1 vehicle.
If a flat fare of £1 was charged I am sure it would attract people along the Augustus road area as well as the Quinton areas not served by the 24. With justy 1 vehicle needed the overheads wpould be pretty low too.

Probably not a good idea. In the 1980s the regular clientelle on the 10 route would complain if a fleetline was allocated as they were 'old buses' only the newer Metrobuses were good enough for their bus, your maths about the number of buses is 100% out as well, As Blue Diamond currently know it takes two buses to run a 30 minute frequency on a 60 minute round trip

[j789]

Yes that was an unfortunate error!!! Even so, when I lived in the area I often caught the 10 as it was quicker than the 103. It was only about 10 years ago that Metros were still regularly used on it and yet it used to pick up people along the more affleunt parts of the route, especially in the peaks. I guess though the profit margins were never there compared to the 103. The 103/24 has been decreased in frequency too as used to be every 7/8 mins so I guess this area has seen a real downturn in bus usage over the last decade.

[Justin Tyme]

The trouble is that few people in the Augustus Road area use the bus.   I travelled on a lunchtime 10 journey one day shortly before NXWM withdrew.  I got on at Five Ways and we travelled non-stop to the Court Oak where I got off.  A lunchtime journey on the 647 in Midland days was also very quiet.

I couldn't blame Blue Diamond for running off-peak via Harborne instead - better chance of getting some passengers, but clearly not enough.

[Kevin]

Its one of those areas you feel should have a bus service because without it there would be just a massive hole with no bus route. But then you look at the area between Pershore Rd and Alcester Rd (Moor green lane etc...) a similar sized hole exists where all bus companies appear to have given up

[Bob]

With the imminent North Birmingham Bus Review, Blue Diamond could end up with a new network of subsidised routes that NXWM simply aren't interested in.  ::)

Like a bus from Birmingham to Cannock lol or any services to Cannock ( NXWM gave up the ghost in 2011 :-/)

[Stu]

Its one of those areas you feel should have a bus service because without it there would be just a massive hole with no bus route. But then you look at the area between Pershore Rd and Alcester Rd (Moor green lane etc...) a similar sized hole exists where all bus companies appear to have given up

Because passenger usage and surveys have determined there is not enough demand for services in those areas?

If the 10 was well-used, then Diamond wouldn't be withdrawing it. There's no point operating a commercial service if the takings don't pay for it.  ::)

[Justin Tyme]

Its one of those areas you feel should have a bus service because without it there would be just a massive hole with no bus route. But then you look at the area between Pershore Rd and Alcester Rd (Moor green lane etc...) a similar sized hole exists where all bus companies appear to have given up

Because passenger usage and surveys have determined there is not enough demand for services in those areas?

If the 10 was well-used, then Diamond wouldn't be withdrawing it. There's no point operating a commercial service if the takings don't pay for it.  ::)

That's right.   It's not so much that bus companies have given up - they have never served the Moor Green Lane area, and for a perfectly good reason.  It's another affluent part of Birmingham where there aren't enough potential passengers to justify even a subsidised bus service.

[Sh4318]

If I remember correctly, NXWM originally withdrew their 10 service because of low patronage

[Kevin]

Its one of those areas you feel should have a bus service because without it there would be just a massive hole with no bus route. But then you look at the area between Pershore Rd and Alcester Rd (Moor green lane etc...) a similar sized hole exists where all bus companies appear to have given up

Because passenger usage and surveys have determined there is not enough demand for services in those areas?

If the 10 was well-used, then Diamond wouldn't be withdrawing it. There's no point operating a commercial service if the takings don't pay for it.  ::)

That's right.   It's not so much that bus companies have given up - they have never served the Moor Green Lane area, and for a perfectly good reason.  It's another affluent part of Birmingham where there aren't enough potential passengers to justify even a subsidised bus service.

649/650 used to be circular services City - Kings Heath running through the Moor Green Lane area. But the point is bus companies have given up there a long time ago, so surprised the 10 is still running as it's a similar sort of area.

[Martin]

I got onto 20606 today on the 40 to go to Wednesbury and the engine cut out 3 time and the last time was on my way back from west brom going down the hill towards the tesco garage in stone cross and i nearly filled my trousers has it took nearly 30 seconds to start the engine again. . . Bloody Wessex Connect cast-off.  >:(

[Ash]

I got onto 20606 today on the 40 to go to Wednesbury and the engine cut out 3 time and the last time was on my way back from west brom going down the hill towards the tesco garage in stone cross and i nearly filled my trousers has it took nearly 30 seconds to start the engine again. . . Bloody Wessex Connect cast-off.  >:(

Looks like bad maintenance, the only bus to cut out on me was diamond's mcv 30613 when it cut out on the 404E and that was a new bus at the time, in respect shame they got rid of them as they were new buses but the quality of them was poor from the passengers point of view and heard the drivers didn't like driving them either. 

[Sh4318]

I saw a blue diamond ALX200 in Redditch today, not sure what route it was on... the 5*

[PM]

Rotala are too focused on vehicle age. For instance, these darts are newer than the R...YRP ones yet these buses were fantastic-reliable, no rattles, comfy and they go and replace them with vehicles like solos that are on paper better yet are worse for passengers-is rotala a business being run for an office with no knowledge of what is actually going on down on the ground??

[Ash]

Rotala are too focused on vehicle age. For instance, these darts are newer than the R...YRP ones yet these buses were fantastic-reliable, no rattles, comfy and they go and replace them with vehicles like solos that are on paper better yet are worse for passengers-is rotala a business being run for an office with no knowledge of what is actually going on down on the ground??

The problem with the R...YRP vehicles is that they don't have ramps for wheel chair access like newer buses do. Must admit the older darts are good in terms of comfort especially the refurbished ones such as V391SVV. The solo's aren't bad buses if used on the correct services which are an ideal allocation for them but putting them on the 4 and 301 two key services isn't brilliant. Good to see some of the 52 ex yourbus darts back with diamond there good buses with a good re trim apart from the poles inside where the purple is peeling off and showing the yellow/orange underneath.