Diamond Bus - Unusual Workings

[Ash]

I agree existing service should be improved but I never understand why key services like the 301 are never ensured permanently that they have full sized single deckers. I wonder where the 2 leather centro's that are spare were being used as there were none covering on the 002 and not one on the 4/4H/4M or 301.

[winston]

Glad to hear that but in the current climate, I think we should be improving existing services.

Ash, nice idea, but unlikely to happen with cash strapped authorities etc

Peter123, I agree existing services need to be improved to increase patronage; also any increased profit made on the core services could be ploughed back in to growing the business by introducing either new services or variants of existing service, similar in principle to the 4, 4H & 4M group of routes. If bus operators/Centro ever wants to return the number of bus passenger's journeys they need to offer alternative / higher quality / more frequent / faster & convenient services to have any chance of competing with the car

[Ash]

These would be my suggestions to increase patronage for diamond services.

Re-introduce the 4 between Walsall and West Bromwich every 15 minutes on a Sunday (was successful before the change as the 404E) with may be a 4H every half an hour to Halesowen to provide a sunday link.

Operate the 002 on Sunday's every 15 minutes, Merry Hill is just as if not as busy as any weekday or Saturday and offer a Sunday special £2.50 day return for 6 weeks to see if the service takes off.

To save money is the 16 making profit? as most of the buses I see are empty and mostly using solo's now.

A sunday 401E service as there is no bus on the Tame Bridge Estate on a Sunday and Walsall is always busy with shoppers on a sunday and could offer a 20 minute frequency using just 2 buses.

[PM]

These would be my suggestions to increase patronage for diamond services.

Re-introduce the 4 between Walsall and West Bromwich every 15 minutes on a Sunday (was successful before the change as the 404E) with may be a 4H every half an hour to Halesowen to provide a sunday link.

Operate the 002 on Sunday's every 15 minutes, Merry Hill is just as if not as busy as any weekday or Saturday and offer a Sunday special £2.50 day return for 6 weeks to see if the service takes off.

To save money is the 16 making profit? as most of the buses I see are empty and mostly using solo's now.

A sunday 401E service as there is no bus on the Tame Bridge Estate on a Sunday and Walsall is always busy with shoppers on a sunday and could offer a 20 minute frequency using just 2 buses.

Is the 401e a busy route? I dont know just asking

The 16 could easily be improved-bcc have been operating for 29 years now so they should give it a try and try to improve the sevice.

Shut long acre

BRANDING

More deckers for redditch

Get all buses through paint shop, get old logos off and put DIAMOND logos on and stick to it

Increase proportion of longer buses in fleet

[winston]

These would be my suggestions to increase patronage for diamond services.

Re-introduce the 4 between Walsall and West Bromwich every 15 minutes on a Sunday (was successful before the change as the 404E) with may be a 4H every half an hour to Halesowen to provide a sunday link.

Operate the 002 on Sunday's every 15 minutes, Merry Hill is just as if not as busy as any weekday or Saturday and offer a Sunday special £2.50 day return for 6 weeks to see if the service takes off.

To save money is the 16 making profit? as most of the buses I see are empty and mostly using solo's now.

A sunday 401E service as there is no bus on the Tame Bridge Estate on a Sunday and Walsall is always busy with shoppers on a sunday and could offer a 20 minute frequency using just 2 buses.

Ash, good calls on both the 4H & long overdue on the 002. When Diamond first tried a Sunday service on the 002 & 004 they weren't very frequent/reliable which is always going put intending passengers

Maybe Diamond would be better to cut the 16 frequency & re-deploy the resources to combat Greenbus on the 50

[Ash]

The 401E is well used but only see's mpd's and solo's on it now it used to have centro's along side the 404E and had return branding for both the 401/4E. It see's steady loadings but is a very short service so must make a bit of money through £2.50 returns and quick turn arounds.

[winston]

These would be my suggestions to increase patronage for diamond services.

Re-introduce the 4 between Walsall and West Bromwich every 15 minutes on a Sunday (was successful before the change as the 404E) with may be a 4H every half an hour to Halesowen to provide a sunday link.

Operate the 002 on Sunday's every 15 minutes, Merry Hill is just as if not as busy as any weekday or Saturday and offer a Sunday special £2.50 day return for 6 weeks to see if the service takes off.

To save money is the 16 making profit? as most of the buses I see are empty and mostly using solo's now.

A sunday 401E service as there is no bus on the Tame Bridge Estate on a Sunday and Walsall is always busy with shoppers on a sunday and could offer a 20 minute frequency using just 2 buses.

Is the 401e a busy route? I dont know just asking

The 16 could easily be improved-bcc have been operating for 29 years now so they should give it a try and try to improve the sevice.

Shut long acre

BRANDING

More deckers for redditch

Get all buses through paint shop, get old logos off and put DIAMOND logos on and stick to it

Increase proportion of longer buses in fleet

And the biggest things of all, put up a fight / don't get complacent and sit back / don't give in then eventually withdraw from routes

[Ash]

I use the 4 alot and most of the drivers off both the NXWM and diamond greet each other as it's the same drivers most days for the same services so generally the two companies over take each other but never really race each other to get to the stops first.

[nitromatt1]

13-plate B7RLE 30940 was parked up in Wolverhampton Bus Station at 8pm this evening, saying out of service though.

[Ash]

30940 was on the 4 all day today, one of the 4's used to do the 256 from Wolverhampton at about that time not sure if diamond even operate the evening 256 now.

[nitromatt1]

30940 was on the 4 all day today, one of the 4's used to do the 256 from Wolverhampton at about that time not sure if diamond even operate the evening 256 now.

No it's NX I think. Perhaps it was replacing a breakdown on a Wolverhampton route after coming off the 4?

[winston]

30940 was on the 4 all day today, one of the 4's used to do the 256 from Wolverhampton at about that time not sure if diamond even operate the evening 256 now.

No it's NX I think. Perhaps it was replacing a breakdown on a Wolverhampton route after coming off the 4?

Yeah NX do the 256, could it have been for the 255?

[tank90]

These would be my suggestions to increase patronage for diamond services.

Re-introduce the 4 between Walsall and West Bromwich every 15 minutes on a Sunday (was successful before the change as the 404E) with may be a 4H every half an hour to Halesowen to provide a sunday link.

Operate the 002 on Sunday's every 15 minutes, Merry Hill is just as if not as busy as any weekday or Saturday and offer a Sunday special £2.50 day return for 6 weeks to see if the service takes off.

To save money is the 16 making profit? as most of the buses I see are empty and mostly using solo's now.

A sunday 401E service as there is no bus on the Tame Bridge Estate on a Sunday and Walsall is always busy with shoppers on a sunday and could offer a 20 minute frequency using just 2 buses.

Is the 401e a busy route? I dont know just asking

The 16 could easily be improved-bcc have been operating for 29 years now so they should give it a try and try to improve the sevice.

Shut long acre

BRANDING

More deckers for redditch

Get all buses through paint shop, get old logos off and put DIAMOND logos on and stick to it

Increase proportion of longer buses in fleet

As for More Deckers here in Redditch, how about looking at the Diamond Network and seeing which routes can have them as in there aren't any low bridges and look at those that need them. Redditch could in all tense and purposes could have Bendi buses for 57/58 as the route has no tight corners excluding the bus station and turning into Plymouth Road from Bromsgrove/Station Rd.

As for the Brand, personally the Signature colours should be changed for the rest of the fleet and I think Red and Black with the swishes being Black as the Red and Black Diamond brands are the strongest out of the 4 Diamond brands (Red Black Blue and White/Barbie) also if Wessex and Preston can have fancy liveries why can't the West Mids?

Also the R reg Darts from first there was nothing wrong with them apart from one thing. No ramp, so I would cut a ramp out of a old little Dart or a 20 seater solo to put into these r reg darts to extend there working life.

If the 6 Yourbus Mercs are still for sale buy them paint them white and swap them with buses at Heathrow to bring up to the Midlands.

As for week past holders buy a bulk with Rotala and not Diamond Preston Wessex as it would be cheaper.

And finally the White Volvo bus(es) for the National Grid Contract, I'd look into seeing if the ex National Express Coaches could be used instead and if yes paint the Volvo bus(es) into fleet colours and put them on the 4, and put the Coaches onto the work.

[Ash]

The first diamond 255 is at 20:45 from Wolverhampton so may be but seems along wait it could have been for the 26A.

[nitromatt1]

30940 was on the 4 all day today, one of the 4's used to do the 256 from Wolverhampton at about that time not sure if diamond even operate the evening 256 now.

No it's NX I think. Perhaps it was replacing a breakdown on a Wolverhampton route after coming off the 4?

Yeah NX do the 256, could it have been for the 255?

That's what I thought, but it would have a long wait as the first Diamond 255 doesn't depart Wolverhampton until 20:45