Diamond West Midlands - Kidderminster

[Cedric]

There is currently a DVSA (VOSA) traffic enforcement van parked in Kidderminster depot.

wonder how long its been there

[Will]

non-DDA buses in service in Kidderminster today noted by me (see below) and I was told by a driver friend of mine today that Kiddy Garage currently has 22 vehicles in service this has somewhat dwindled from what it was when I worked at Diamond previously there was I think 32 vehicles in service

20252
20263
30637

I have noted that a lot of vehicles have vanished from KD I know it was reported previously this week that some Kiddy vehicles have been in service in Redditch so that explains them but others have gone missing as well to my knowledge: 30905, 30516, 30202, 20572  - tomorrow (20th Jan) is the cut off point for the 20-day cooling off period in which operatots could continue to use non-DDA buses in service so therefore after tomorrow Diamond (and other operators) statiscally will no longer be allowed to continue to use non DDA buses in service that's what I was led to understand anyway

[Tony]

non-DDA buses in service in Kidderminster today noted by me (see below) and I was told by a driver friend of mine today that Kiddy Garage currently has 22 vehicles in service this has somewhat  tomorrow (20th Jan) is the cut off point for the 20-day cooling off period in which operatots could continue to use non-DDA buses in service so therefore after tomorrow Diamond (and other operators) statiscally will no longer be allowed to continue to use non DDA buses in service that's what I was led to understand anyway

There is no such thing as a 20 day cooling off period

[Will]

There is no such thing as a 20 day cooling off period

To be honest with you @Tony I did think it was bullshit myself so you confirming that it is doesn't really surprise me

[Tony]

To be honest with you @Tony I did think it was bullshit myself so you confirming that it is doesn't really surprise me

Where this has come from is a special exclusion for museums and the like, where vehicles over 20 years old are allowed to be used in service for a limited number of days each year, Obviously this loophole allows normal operators to have a non-DDA vehicle as a spare to use on occasional days when a regular vehicle is off the road, providing the vehicle is over 20 years old.

It is any days during the calender year, so any 20 year old vehicles in the Diamond fleet wouldn't have been used every day for the last 20 days, so tmorrow is no more significant than any other day

[Cedric]

Kidderminster operational fleet 20/1/16
20032
20606
20607
20610
20716
20717
20718
20848
20851
20853
20854
30120
30121
30302
30303
30388*
30500
30704
30801
30802
30803
30804
30805
30806
30831
30905*
30922*
30930
30931
30932
30944
30946
30947
* unsure of  the three   30922 is shown as tividale   but  I have seen operating in Kidderminster  and 30388.and 30905 are none dda I think  taken from list on this site

[Niall]

30922 is shown as tividale   but  I have seen operating in Kidderminster 

30922 was on 4s yesterday, so it is at Tividale at the moment.

[winston]

@Cedric 30388 has been operating out of Redditch depot

[MW]

30388 is the one that keeps cutting out. Not sure if repaired. IT wasn't repaired the day I had it though. It was collected by the management and a replacement provided. An hour later it was back in service on another route, and broke down again. Had to be recovered in the end at a price of £350.

This one cut out many times on a 30mph road in service, and was told to remain in service. Turned out the head gasket was gone too on that day.

[Will]

30388 is the one that keeps cutting out. Not sure if repaired. IT wasn't repaired the day I had it though. It was collected by the management and a replacement provided. An hour later it was back in service on another route, and broke down again. Had to be recovered in the end at a price of £350.

This one cut out many times on a 30mph road in service, and was told to remain in service. Turned out the head gasket was gone too on that day.

That's brilliant typical Diamond! 😂

[Tomf1993]

30388 is the one that keeps cutting out. Not sure if repaired. IT wasn't repaired the day I had it though. It was collected by the management and a replacement provided. An hour later it was back in service on another route, and broke down again. Had to be recovered in the end at a price of £350.

This one cut out many times on a 30mph road in service, and was told to remain in service. Turned out the head gasket was gone too on that day.

Is they know what the issues are with the bloody buses, then get them fixed. If this was a TFL service every time their vehicle breaks down they will be fined for lost millage and so on

[MW]

Is they know what the issues are with the bloody buses, then get them fixed. If this was a TFL service every time their vehicle breaks down they will be fined for lost millage and so on

Every single bus has a walk around check done before it heads out into service, with any faults recorded on a sheet of paper. This paper stays with the vehicle all day and then gets returned to the traffic office, and then engineering should it have any faults. I'm sure you know this already.

The Diamond buses, the VCR sheets aren't big enough to record the faults. Seriously, no lie. It's an A5 sheet of paper. Anyway, the faults get put on by the drivers, so the company is well aware of all the faults, absolutely no doubt about that.

They don't want to spend the money on staff and maintenance ultimately. A manager there said to me, the longer the money is in Rotala's bank accounts, the more interest they build from it, which is interesting. But yeah, the general impression is they don't want to spend the money, because they've got no competition and they don't need to. If another operator set up in Redditch, then they'd probably sort themselves out, but there isn't enough trade really for another operator I suppose.

[Cedric]

20252.30203.30637 are all in service today at kidderminster

[Will]

30932 (VX54 MUP) back in service today (21/01) they finally put the new engine in!! Only took them 3 months

[StourportSam]

30932 (VX54 MUP) back in service today (21/01) they finally put the new engine in!! Only took them 3 months

Good news :)