Birmingham Central Garage

[Tony]

Green meets Green in Birmingham Central

@Tony; Like @nxwmbusfan1999 - I agree, it's a nice shot...

By any chance, would 6111 be at BC for type training, for when they get their MMCs?

No, it was there because I needed somewhere to park it.

Sarcasm? ??? (I can't always tell.) :-\

It's not sarcasm, it's fact!

I took the shadow cabinet from New Street to the ICC in it at 09:15. I took them back from the ICC to New Street at 13:15. In between I needed somewhere to park it BC was the closest place. No sarcasm

[CL]

Green meets Green in Birmingham Central

@Tony; Like @nxwmbusfan1999 - I agree, it's a nice shot...

By any chance, would 6111 be at BC for type training, for when they get their MMCs?

No, it was there because I needed somewhere to park it.

Sarcasm? ??? (I can't always tell.) :-\

It's not sarcasm, it's fact!

I took the shadow cabinet from New Street to the ICC in it at 09:15. I took them back from the ICC to New Street at 13:15. In between I needed somewhere to park it BC was the closest place. No sarcasm

Okay then. Thanks for clearing that up, I was confused for a moment or two then. :)

[Stuharris 6360]

@Tony, why did you have to use a brand new bus, couldn't you have taken a Trident?

[Tony]

@Tony, why did you have to use a brand new bus, couldn't you have taken a Trident?

And I was being accused of sarcasm!

On the basis that this isn't sarcasm (?)

I am picking up people like Michael Dugher, Shadow secretary of state for transport, who recently described the UK Bus industry as broken. Ed Balls, shadow chancellor who may be pulling the purse strings on the nation's finances in a couple of months, do you really think National Express are going to pick them up in anything other than the best they have?

[Stuharris 6360]

@Tony, why did you have to use a brand new bus, couldn't you have taken a Trident?

And I was being accused of sarcasm!

On the basis that this isn't sarcasm (?)

I am picking up people like Michael Dugher, Shadow secretary of state for transport, who recently described the UK Bus industry as broken. Ed Balls, shadow chancellor who may be pulling the purse strings on the nation's finances in a couple of months, do you really think National Express are going to pick them up in anything other than the best they have?

But surely if you had picked them up in a Trident or Spectra, it might have shown that public money needs to be invested in public transport, i know NE have pledged millions in investment over the next few years, but surely some oublic money would help out to!!!

[Tony]

@Tony, why did you have to use a brand new bus, couldn't you have taken a Trident?

And I was being accused of sarcasm!

On the basis that this isn't sarcasm (?)

I am picking up people like Michael Dugher, Shadow secretary of state for transport, who recently described the UK Bus industry as broken. Ed Balls, shadow chancellor who may be pulling the purse strings on the nation's finances in a couple of months, do you really think National Express are going to pick them up in anything other than the best they have?

But surely if you had picked them up in a Trident or Spectra, it might have shown that public money needs to be invested in public transport, i know NE have pledged millions in investment over the next few years, but surely some oublic money would help out to!!!

NOOOOOOOOOO. That proves labour's point that Franchising is needed

[Liberator9]

I really doubt Ed Balls & co. would be pleased to see a 2002/2003 Trident come rolling up - NX used the opportunity to demonstrate how good their fleet investment is - it's like if you have guests over for dinner. You use the best cutlery usually - not the worst. We don't want politicians having ideas of franchising the bus system.

[Stuharris 6360]

No, but also why should politicians spend nothing on Public Transport and say nothing, until something goes wrong, then they start moaning. Like the Bearwood councillor who keeps moaning about the buses used, if he is so desperate for the 11 to have new buses, why don't the council contribute, it's only fair!

[Tony]

No, but also why should politicians spend nothing on Public Transport and say nothing, until something goes wrong, then they start moaning. Like the Bearwood councillor who keeps moaning about the buses used, if he is so desperate for the 11 to have new buses, why don't the council contribute, it's only fair!

I don't know any politician that says nothing!
It's what Michael Dugher said that's the worry
I want my taxes spent on things that cannot be provided commercially by companies, not things that can

[Stuharris 6360]

Obviously not an argument i am going to win.

[the trainbasher]

But the odds of Balls and Co getting a majority, let alone out of a hung parliament situation, is as likely as NXWM running the 002...

Plus didn't Scotland have nationalisation threatened and a "donation" occurred to one party who ended up getting elected made that idea go away.

[PM]

No, but also why should politicians spend nothing on Public Transport and say nothing, until something goes wrong, then they start moaning. Like the Bearwood councillor who keeps moaning about the buses used, if he is so desperate for the 11 to have new buses, why don't the council contribute, it's only fair!

I don't know any politician that says nothing!
It's what Michael Dugher said that's the worry
I want my taxes spent on things that cannot be provided commercially by companies, not things that can

As is often the case, I couldn't agree more.

As for the UK bus industry being "broken," some areas are experiencing more growth than ever before (Arriva North East) and generally there's sensible consolidation going on. Generally, reduced funding has actually improved services in some areas as operators want and need to grow services that actually serve the public better as opposed to simply looking good on paper.

Cutbacks have actually also chopped dead wood out of networks which is needed for growth to occur. GNE took a huge amount of mileage out of the network in 2006 and it's all been replaced and growth has been phenomenal and has occurred on corridors people want to actually travel on.

The answer to public transport isn't money, money, money I don't believe-it's let bus people get on with their jobs as opposed to simply interfering and shouting angrily from the sidelines.

Perhaps a better question to ask is why bus use in Wales is falling in direct contrast to England. Perhaps it's because BSOG and concessionary reimbursement rates were badly handled leaving operators in the lurch... Perhaps it's also because the "Welsh Assembly" has been funding services like the Cardiff Airport flyer requiring huge amounts of public subsidy.

[Liverpool Street]

...I am really upset they used a branded MMC...

Waaaaaaaaaaa booooo

[Tara4352]

4634

[CL]

Like mentioned in the Noteworthy Workings thread:

4953 is still on the 24! The rear ad looks devine when the bus is 'patrolling' up Harborne Road, very fitting with the scenery, yet, I find it odd that WB loaned it's bus to BC. Then again, recent loans have been quite wild...