Wednesfield Garage

[Westy]

Wonder if the new rocket pool service will be a success? Or will it fail like all their other efforts in the west midlands

They don't seem to be doing too bad. I did see a half full MPD this afternoon however there was a Banga Solo just infront. I still think having a combined 7-8 minute frequency on the 530 is quite excessive (15 minutes each).

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Shame they are withdrawing from the 334.

It could have been another Walsall to Wolverhampton route albeit changing at Bilston.

[PM]

What are their MPDs half full with though? Are we talking cash payers or OAPs or Centro card holders, or even Travelcard holders paying the supplement which they offer?

[Bob]

And a half full crappy mpd is only about 15 passengers  lol. That said as pants as they are arrivas darts must look like luxury compared to banga

[PM]

And a half full crappy mpd is only about 15 passengers  lol. That said as pants as they are arrivas darts must look like luxury compared to banga

They're really smart though the Arriva darts but I don't think Banga are bad at all... The buses are becoming low-floor and gaining a pretty distinctive and smart livery with a logo.

[Bob]

The darts might look ok but theyre still 13 yr old plus knackered buses with a re trim that werent designed for anything more than and arent really up to anything other than local circulars

[PM]

The darts might look ok but theyre still 13 yr old plus knackered buses with a re trim that werent designed for anything more than and arent really up to anything other than local circulars

Come on! Most have had more than a retrim-new floor, new/repainted handrails-many of them look pretty new inside. When Arriva do refurbish, they tend to do it to a very high standard, especially on ex London vehicles. The issue is, certainly in the North East, they simply don't refurbish vehicles enough-why are there still Lowlanders and ALX400's that have never had any refurb in their entire lives when there are 3/4 year old buses being Sapphired that are having a massive amount of work done?

Saying that, they're really improving things across the board.

Darts seem to be able to last more than 13 years tbf... I'd think 16/17 would be the expected life of a bus, with a refurb, potentially more.

[Trident 4609]

What are their MPDs half full with though? Are we talking cash payers or OAPs or Centro card holders, or even Travelcard holders paying the supplement which they offer?

Didn't seem to be any pensioners aboard the one i saw this afternoon. As i said there is a 7-8 minute frewuency on the route now which is definetley not needed.

[Ashley]

The darts might look ok but theyre still 13 yr old plus knackered buses with a re trim that werent designed for anything more than and arent really up to anything other than local circulars

Come on! Most have had more than a retrim-new floor, new/repainted handrails-many of them look pretty new inside. When Arriva do refurbish, they tend to do it to a very high standard, especially on ex London vehicles. The issue is, certainly in the North East, they simply don't refurbish vehicles enough-why are there still Lowlanders and ALX400's that have never had any refurb in their entire lives when there are 3/4 year old buses being Sapphired that are having a massive amount of work done?

Saying that, they're really improving things across the board.

Darts seem to be able to last more than 13 years tbf... I'd think 16/17 would be the expected life of a bus, with a refurb, potentially more.

That's it! Just carry on slagging Arriva off. Also nathan stop talking to me like im a child. I thought what i saw was something worth mentioning

Ashley, can you please highlight where Nathan spoke to you like a child? Because I can't see anything, otherwise I think you owe him an apology for your outburst!

If your not happy with something that has been posted, report it & it will be dealt with by the moderators if deemed neccessary, Winston

[PM]

I thought I was pretty complimentary about Arriva-their Midlands op is improving in quality...

[Trident 4609]

I thought I was pretty complimentary about Arriva-their Midlands op is improving in quality...

Tbh i don't see any problem with the Arriva darts. There are one or two that sound dodgy but they look better than WN's Mercs, B6's and Spectra's which are a few years older...


And i say fair play to Arriva for competing commercially. They haven't been operating on the daytime service for long and there were about 13-15 passengers (Alighting) and there was a Banga bus just infront and you have to bear in mind Banga have been the only operator on there for some years so you have to give it chance :)

[Bob]

Cannocks darts, apart from one 03 plate have NEVER been refurbished,  and are minging and threadbare, the same goes for ALL of the route 1 buses, and some of the volvo alx300 volvos, nx are refurbishing 07/57 plate enviros and even newer omnilinks...also has anyone ever seen cadet BU03 HRK? Its interior is so bad its far worse than any nx bus ive ever seen. So, improvement across the board, not too sure about that. And yea while they continue to be crap ill carry on slating cheers :)

[PM]

Cannocks darts, apart from one 03 plate have NEVER been refurbished,  and are minging and threadbare, the same goes for ALL of the route 1 buses, and some of the volvo alx300 volvos, nx are refurbishing 07/57 plate enviros and even newer omnilinks...also has anyone ever seen cadet BU03 HRK? Its interior is so bad its far worse than any nx bus ive ever seen. So, improvement across the board, not too sure about that. And yea while they continue to be crap ill carry on slating cheers :)

Bob you'd love Arriva North East-in the past week, I've been on two interurban services. One was run, on the fast A66 by a S...KHN dart and another was run by a euro2 MPD this time on the motorway :P

Arriva North East have a pretty smart fleet-fair few pulsars and new deckers just a few prestiges really that let them down.

[winston]

The darts might look ok but theyre still 13 yr old plus knackered buses with a re trim that werent designed for anything more than and arent really up to anything other than local circulars

Only 13 years old??? First Kernow were still using P & R-reg Dart SLF's which are 17/18 years old around Helston/Penzance today

[Bob]

Cannocks darts, apart from one 03 plate have NEVER been refurbished,  and are minging and threadbare, the same goes for ALL of the route 1 buses, and some of the volvo alx300 volvos, nx are refurbishing 07/57 plate enviros and even newer omnilinks...also has anyone ever seen cadet BU03 HRK? Its interior is so bad its far worse than any nx bus ive ever seen. So, improvement across the board, not too sure about that. And yea while they continue to be crap ill carry on slating cheers :)

Bob you'd love Arriva North East-in the past week, I've been on two interurban services. One was run, on the fast A66 by a S...KHN dart and another was run by a euro2 MPD this time on the motorway :P

Cannock ran an mpd on the X31 once lol can you imagine?  Mind you on the m6 it probably wouldn't have to do more than about 10mph. I wonder if the X31 had gone down the a34 would it still be running today lol




Arriva North East have a pretty smart fleet-fair few pulsars and new deckers just a few prestiges really that let them down.

[PM]

Cannocks darts, apart from one 03 plate have NEVER been refurbished,  and are minging and threadbare, the same goes for ALL of the route 1 buses, and some of the volvo alx300 volvos, nx are refurbishing 07/57 plate enviros and even newer omnilinks...also has anyone ever seen cadet BU03 HRK? Its interior is so bad its far worse than any nx bus ive ever seen. So, improvement across the board, not too sure about that. And yea while they continue to be crap ill carry on slating cheers :)

Bob you'd love Arriva North East-in the past week, I've been on two interurban services. One was run, on the fast A66 by a S...KHN dart and another was run by a euro2 MPD this time on the motorway :P

Cannock ran an mpd on the X31 once lol can you imagine?  Mind you on the m6 it probably wouldn't have to do more than about 10mph. I wonder if the X31 had gone down the a34 would it still be running today lol




Arriva North East have a pretty smart fleet-fair few pulsars and new deckers just a few prestiges really that let them down.

You'd be surprised Bob-both the darts absolutely flew, as do the pulsar 2's which are Sapphire spec.