Claribels

[Matt.N0056]

Claribels out on the 71E today!

[2206]

Claribels out on the 71E today!

They are also on the 55 and 94 today.

[Gareth]

The 55 looked fully Pulsar operated today. Strange seeing the bright blue on the 55's.

[countryliner]

Does anyone on this forum know if YJ13 HJC / YJ13 HJD / YJ13 HJE are DDA compliant. I know that they do not have to be as they never get used on registered public bus services. However i am just wondering if they are as they appear to have been ordered to a very different specification to most other Optare Versa buses. Thank you.

[BK63 YWP]

They must be as they are only nearly 3 years old. I would assume that it would a standard of all buses built after the DDA Compliance was brought in.

This web page and attachment will probably answer most your questions of which vehicles are and aren't compliant.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/bus-coach-accessibility-faq

I wouldn't think Claribels would purchase these buses so close to 1st Jan 2016 if they were not compliant. I could understand you questioning older vehicles but these are 13 regs and i would think they would be built to dda regs

[countryliner]

@Chris - Thanks for the info and the link to the document. Much appreciated. I know that these are quite new 13 registered vehicles but i was just not sure because they are not ever used on any registered public services and because they appear to have a very different specification and design and layout to most other Optare Versa buses.

[646]

@Chris - Thanks for the info and the link to the document. Much appreciated. I know that these are quite new 13 registered vehicles but i was just not sure because they are not ever used on any registered public services and because they appear to have a very different specification and design and layout to most other Optare Versa buses.

Apart from significant batches delivered to Belle Vue, Goodwins and First Manchester on YJ12 and YJ14 plates to the exact same school spec, albeit with 57 seats?

[countryliner]

@646 - Thanks for the info. I see that www.buslistsontheweb.co.uk lists these three buses (YJ13 HJC / YJ13 HJD / YJ13 HJE) as having 48 seats. However i do not see how you can fit 48 seats in to a 12.1m Optare Versa and still be DDA compliant.

[Tony]

@646 - Thanks for the info. I see that www.buslistsontheweb.co.uk lists these three buses (YJ13 HJC / YJ13 HJD / YJ13 HJE) as having 48 seats. However i do not see how you can fit 48 seats in to a 12.1m Optare Versa and still be DDA compliant.

Well you can buy DDA compliant 60 seater E300s so doesn't look too difficult

[RS]

Well you can buy DDA compliant 60 seater E300s so doesn't look too difficult

Well Surley there cant be much legroom in that @Tony

[countryliner]

@Tony @RS - Ok. Thanks for the info. I never realised that it is possible to fit this many seats in to a bus and still be DDA compliant. Yes i imagine that with that many seats there would probably only be a very small amount of legroom. I do not know why any bus operator would want a bus with such a large amount of seats - with less seats the bus would be more spacious and there would be much more room to stand - which would then increase the overall capacity of the bus.

[Tony]

@Tony @RS - Ok. Thanks for the info. I never realised that it is possible to fit this many seats in to a bus and still be DDA compliant. Yes i imagine that with that many seats there would probably only be a very small amount of legroom. I do not know why any bus operator would want a bus with such a large amount of seats - with less seats the bus would be more spacious and there would be much more room to stand - which would then increase the overall capacity of the bus.

For the same reason as Claribels wants 48 seats in it's Optares! Fairly obvious. They are for school work, you get all the Children in seats and with seat belts.

If that isn't obvious, no wonder you have so much trouble with working out most of your other fantasies don't work

[winston]

@Tony @RS - Ok. Thanks for the info. I never realised that it is possible to fit this many seats in to a bus and still be DDA compliant. Yes i imagine that with that many seats there would probably only be a very small amount of legroom. I do not know why any bus operator would want a bus with such a large amount of seats - with less seats the bus would be more spacious and there would be much more room to stand - which would then increase the overall capacity of the bus.

As they are school buses & children have smaller legs / need less legroom, it's not an issue!

[countryliner]

@Tony @Winston - Thanks for the info. I do see what you mean. However if the buses had a normal seating layout with less seats then it would enable more school children to stand and therefore the bus would have a larger overall capacity. For example with the current arrangements some schools might have to use two buses but if the bus had less seats and more room for the school children to stand then the capacity would be increased and the school would be able to use just one bus. Also i have never understood why some buses have seatbelts. I know that they are fitted to coaches but surely they are definetly not neccesary to use on a bus. The majority of buses in the UK do not have seatbelts and everyone manages fine.

[Steveminor]

It's the law  if you are operating either a closed door contract or private hire for school children the vehicle MUST be fitted with seat belts whether it's a coach minibus single decker or double decker bus