What area of the centro operating area has the worst buses

[nitromatt1]

I agree, easily South Birmingham. I'd also say Walsall has the best.

Walsall certainly sees a good variety of buses but like I said I wouldn't change the buses I have in my area (Dudley) at the moment

[ilovetea4370]

Walsall has a great variety, plus most of the fleet is newish so bodes well for the company's reputation there! Dudley doesn't have it too bad either for variety.

[bwsau cymru]

Coventry suffers as a result of receiving batches of new buses then nothing for five years, rather than sustained investment of 10 buses per annum,
Route branding results in new vehicles not being used to best effect for all of the cities bus users during evenings and Sundays when policy results in these buses standing spare.

Comments are made regarding average vehicle age for a whole garage allocation rather than aligning it to the number of vehicles in service at specific times of the day. Evening and Sunday services ought to be operated by vehicles under five years old if investment across the whole fleet was fair and consistent.

I personally feel that the oldest buses in the depot should be put out at night as if they get vandalised or trashed at least its not happening to flagship or newer buses. However I know this wouldn't happen as its not practical!

[JoNi]

Bus Users and drivers in Coventry always enjoyed the most modern buses in the days when Metrobuses were the newest vehicles as they were preferable to plastic seated Fleetlines which the drivers seemed to prefer as well. 

There seems to be a perception that buses are vandalised late at night but in my experience most vandalism is done by schoolchildren (e.g. scratching windows).
I have travelled on night buses many times all over London and never encountered vandals, passengers are mainly shift workers or intoxicated individuals who spend most of their journeys asleep.

[Lukeee]

Birmingham gets my vote as they are still many routes ran by 10 year old buses, i know this is the case in a lot of places but Birmingham is the second city and there are many busy routes which could do with some investment, i.e the 97 now that it runs 24hr and many of the main corridors (Bristol Rd and Soho Rd spring to mind).

[John]

Birmingham gets my vote as they are still many routes ran by 10 year old buses, i know this is the case in a lot of places but Birmingham is the second city and there are many busy routes which could do with some investment, i.e the 97 now that it runs 24hr and many of the main corridors (Bristol Rd and Soho Rd spring to mind).

I would say East Birmingham, for example Chelmsley Wood only has the Acocks Green B7RLEs, on the 71 and 72, and the OmniLinks on the 55, other than those most other buses are 10 years old and over, and some are showing their age. They are badly vandalised, with the ex-Central B7TLs on the 94, some which you can not even see through some of the upstairs windows with etching. The Central Tridents on the 14 and 90 are just as bad, apart from the recently refurbished ones.

[Kevin]

I personally feel that the oldest buses in the depot should be put out at night as if they get vandalised or trashed at least its not happening to flagship or newer buses. However I know this wouldn't happen as its not practical!

You say that... I have noticed recently most of the late evening 51s are tridents

[bwsau cymru]

I personally feel that the oldest buses in the depot should be put out at night as if they get vandalised or trashed at least its not happening to flagship or newer buses. However I know this wouldn't happen as its not practical!

You say that... I have noticed recently most of the late evening 51s are tridents

I just would try and give it a go of I ran a bis company of protecting buses. Routes like the x51 needs to have very good buses to keep attracting the type of people using the route. I do agree school children do damage buses a lot but tue most severe damage I have seen was to 4125 at night on the 51 where it was completely wrecked. But its no just pysical damage that occurs at night as you get people drinking booze and smoking all of which leaves a smell the bus that lingers!