Hi-Ride

[MW]

@Tony - I personally think that the Hi Ride buses (Y337 FJN / S453 CVV) look fine. I think that a Hi Ride bus could attract passengers just as much (and maybe even more) as a National Express bus could. In my opinion the SQPS should focus on things that are going to benefit passengers more. These things in my opinion would be ensuring all buses give change / all buses issue return tickets / all buses charge fares based on distance rather than flat fares / introducing more bendy buses on busier routes instead of double deckers / etc.

Why do you keep banging on about change when it's been explained so many times to you?

[winston]

@Tony - I personally think that the Hi Ride buses (Y337 FJN / S453 CVV) look fine. I think that a Hi Ride bus could attract passengers just as much (and maybe even more) as a National Express bus could. In my opinion the SQPS should focus on things that are going to benefit passengers more. These things in my opinion would be ensuring all buses give change / all buses issue return tickets / all buses charge fares based on distance rather than flat fares / introducing more bendy buses on busier routes instead of double deckers / etc.

I fail to see how the points you mention would improve things:

- Operating buses in existing operators liveries didn't do Travel Express any good / Hi-ride have simply bodged the branding on Y337FJN
- There is only you that have an issue with cash vaults / operators not all giving change - which has been explained many times
- Bendies take up too much garage / road space, are expensive to operator due to high fuel consumption / replacing turntables is costly etc - doesn't the pile of ex London Citaro's lying around the UK & Malta confirm this???
- the flat fare system keeps things simple / speeds up boarding times

[Tony]

@Tony - I personally think that the Hi Ride buses (Y337 FJN / S453 CVV) look fine. I think that a Hi Ride bus could attract passengers just as much (and maybe even more) as a National Express bus could. In my opinion the SQPS should focus on things that are going to benefit passengers more. These things in my opinion would be ensuring all buses give change / all buses issue return tickets / all buses charge fares based on distance rather than flat fares / introducing more bendy buses on busier routes instead of double deckers / etc.

So you would prefer to increase the risk of staff assults (staff carrying change), make fraud easier & the price of a ticket more complicated for a prospective passenger to work out (complicated fare scales) and reduce the number of seats on buses already full (bendis for deckers). Reduce the number of bus stops and services in Birmingham City Centre (bendis need longer stops than deckers so would allow fewer buses (with fewer seats) to use Birmingham City Centre

If you really think this bus http://wmbusphotos.com/Hi-Ride/S453CVV.html is going to attract the bloke out of the BMW behind then you really are living in cloud cuckoo land

<If it was going to, Stagecoach would still be using it!>

[countryliner]

@Tony @Winston @MW - Well personally i think that all of these things that i have mentioned would have many more advantages than disadvantages and could really help to encourage more passengers. Most of the things that i have mentioned happen in many other cities and towns all over the UK where they work fine. Giving change and issuing return tickets and charging fares based on the distance travelled would make much more sense and i think would attract more passengers. Bendy Buses are far better than Double Deckers. They have a much larger capacity than Double Deckers and they can be ordered to many different specifications so if required they can be fitted with a larger amount of seats. Many people can not go upstairs on double deckers because they are elderly or have a disabillity and also many other people (including myself and other people as well) simply do not like going upstairs. Double deckers will also encourage a larger amount of anti social behavior and illegal activities. Bendy buses have a full low floor throughout and are bright and spacious. With the photo of S453 CVV - this bus looks fine (as does Y337 FJN) - i would happily travel on this bus (and have done so in the past). I think that this bus actually looks quite smart.

[winston]

@countryliner - those suggestions may work fine in other cities where passengers are used to them - things work differently in the WM with the exact fare system, which has been in place before since I was born.... to change things now would cause more confusion / problems than benefits it would bring - if it ain't broke / don't fix it and all that!

If Bendi's are so beneficial, why has First Group withdrawn a large proportion of the original Wright Eclipse Fusion and not ordered any new Bendi's since the 58 plate Citaro's on York Park & Ride? Cymru FTR's are even for sale at Ensign Bus as First Group don't have / can't find a use for them. Stagecoach & Arriva don't buy bendi's, Arriva operate a few ex London Citaro's only.

[Bryan]

@Tony @Winston @MW - Well personally i think that all of these things that i have mentioned would have many more advantages than disadvantages and could really help to encourage more passengers. Most of the things that i have mentioned happen in many other cities and towns all over the UK where they work fine. Giving change and issuing return tickets and charging fares based on the distance travelled would make much more sense and i think would attract more passengers. Bendy Buses are far better than Double Deckers. They have a much larger capacity than Double Deckers and they can be ordered to many different specifications so if required they can be fitted with a larger amount of seats. Many people can not go upstairs on double deckers because they are elderly or have a disabillity and also many other people (including myself and other people as well) simply do not like going upstairs. Double deckers will also encourage a larger amount of anti social behavior and illegal activities. Bendy buses have a full low floor throughout and are bright and spacious. With the photo of S453 CVV - this bus looks fine (as does Y337 FJN) - i would happily travel on this bus (and have done so in the past). I think that this bus actually looks quite smart.

I'm sorry countryliner but I am very tired of these very numerous comments / very boring questions, of very which are constructive. I suspect I may get banned from the forum because of this but people reply to your questions but you don't listen!

[countryliner]

@Winston - Yes i see your point. However if these things work in other similar sized cities in the UK then i am sure that it would work in the West Midlands. With the bendy buses - Arriva / First / Go Ahead / Stagecoach all operated them in London - and Arriva also have six in Leicester and one at East Midlands Airport (they used to have some in Liverpool as well) but Stagecoach has never operated them outside of London. I think that the reason that Bendy Buses are so unpopular in the UK is Boris Johnson. If Boris Johnson had never become mayor then i am sure that we would still have bendy buses in London and all over the UK and they would still be very popular. I think that it was all of the lies and nonsense that Boris Johnson made up that is the real reason that they are so unpopular. If you look at other countries all over the world - such as Germany / Poland / Russia / etc - bendy buses are very popular and are the main type of bus in all of their cities and towns. I think that more bus operators all across the UK should really consider buying more bendy buses.

@Bryan - I am just simply stating my opinions and views which everyone on this forum is entitled to do. I do actually always listen to other members replies as well and take their views and opinions in to consideration but i am just stating my opinions and views as well.

[Tony]

@Winston - Yes i see your point. However if these things work in other similar sized cities in the UK then i am sure that it would work in the West Midlands. With the bendy buses - Arriva / First / Go Ahead / Stagecoach all operated them in London - and Arriva also have six in Leicester and one at East Midlands Airport (they used to have some in Liverpool as well) but Stagecoach has never operated them outside of London. I think that the reason that Bendy Buses are so unpopular in the UK is Boris Johnson. If Boris Johnson had never become mayor then i am sure that we would still have bendy buses in London and all over the UK and they would still be very popular. I think that it was all of the lies and nonsense that Boris Johnson made up that is the real reason that they are so unpopular. If you look at other countries all over the world - such as Germany / Poland / Russia / etc - bendy buses are very popular and are the main type of bus in all of their cities and towns. I think that more bus operators all across the UK should really consider buying more bendy buses.

@Bryan - I am just simply stating my opinions and views which everyone on this forum is entitled to do. I do actually always listen to other members replies as well and take their views and opinions in to consideration but i am just stating my opinions and views as well.

No, Bendi buses are unpopular because they are less reliable, less seats, less fuel efficient than a double deckers. They have their place on routes with lots of passengers travelling very short distances like the London Red Arrow network, but there are no similar routes in Birmingham.

When they were 'in fashion' 20-15 years ago they attracted passengers through novelty value, but come and ask passengers on the 900 or 957 route in Birmingham and ask them whether they prefer a 70 seat double deck or a 60 seat Bendi and the answer will not be the bendi, they already don't like standing

[winston]

@Winston - Yes i see your point. However if these things work in other similar sized cities in the UK then i am sure that it would work in the West Midlands. With the bendy buses - Arriva / First / Go Ahead / Stagecoach all operated them in London - and Arriva also have six in Leicester and one at East Midlands Airport (they used to have some in Liverpool as well) but Stagecoach has never operated them outside of London. I think that the reason that Bendy Buses are so unpopular in the UK is Boris Johnson. If Boris Johnson had never become mayor then i am sure that we would still have bendy buses in London and all over the UK and they would still be very popular. I think that it was all of the lies and nonsense that Boris Johnson made up that is the real reason that they are so unpopular. If you look at other countries all over the world - such as Germany / Poland / Russia / etc - bendy buses are very popular and are the main type of bus in all of their cities and towns. I think that more bus operators all across the UK should really consider buying more bendy buses.

@Bryan - I am just simply stating my opinions and views which everyone on this forum is entitled to do. I do actually always listen to other members replies as well and take their views and opinions in to consideration but i am just stating my opinions and views as well.

Arriva / First / Go-Ahead & Stagecoach all operated bendi's in London as that is what Tfl dictated / the tender spec's called for, not by choice - therefore, I don't see what you're getting at. Stagecoach & Arriva have never bought bendi buses for their provincial operations even in large cities. The Arriva ones at Leicester were ex London and moved there the same time as Arriva dispatched a load to Malta & Go-Ahead moved some to North East / subsequently Brighton & Konnect Bus have a few, I suspect these were owned rather the leased.

Bendi buses may be popular in Europe, but they're not here, people like a seat and don't like to stand for any length of time.

Bendi's are useful on Park & Ride / Airport transfers & odd busy short distance routes - in the main double deckers are the preferred people mover in the UK & I don't see this changing 

No more UK operators will consider buying bendi buses (especially new) for bus operation other than stated above, the dealers can't even shift the ex London Citaro's which are going for peanuts.... they have remained stored throughout the UK

[countryliner]

@Tony @Winston - Bendy Buses can be very useful though especially on busy routes with high numbers of passengers and can be suited to both short and long distance routes. I am sure that there will actually be quite a few passengers who would prefer to have Bendy Buses instead of Double Deckers because of the many advantages that i have listed in my previous posts. Some normal Single Deck and Double Deck buses can be just as unreliable (or even more unreliable) as some Bendy Buses can be. Also i must say that i am surprised that hardly any bus operators have bought these ex London Bendy Buses especially as they are being sold for very cheap prices and are fully DDA compliant. I personally hope that more Bendy Buses get used in the UK in the future.

[winston]

@Tony @Winston - Bendy Buses can be very useful though especially on busy routes with high numbers of passengers and can be suited to both short and long distance routes. I am sure that there will actually be quite a few passengers who would prefer to have Bendy Buses instead of Double Deckers because of the many advantages that i have listed in my previous posts. Some normal Single Deck and Double Deck buses can be just as unreliable (or even more unreliable) as some Bendy Buses can be. Also i must say that i am surprised that hardly any bus operators have bought these ex London Bendy Buses especially as they are being sold for very cheap prices and are fully DDA compliant. I personally hope that more Bendy Buses get used in the UK in the future.

You've hit the nail on the head there! Hardly any bus operators have bought any of the surplus ex London bendi's as they simply don't want them & don't see the passenger growth being generated by using them that you do! This is when they are practically been given away / when demand for fleet replacement is higher due to new DDA rules coming in to force on single deckers & within less than 12 months double deckers.  The evidence of large quantities of surplus ex London bendi's unwanted / sat around doing nothing or being scrapped speaks volumes.....

Bendi's are no good for long distance bus operation due to their poor fuel consumption largely due to weight - unless manufacturers are prepared to build a light weight / fuel efficient bendi for the UK market which matches current buying policies bendi's have a limited future in the UK (mainly restricted to airport transfer & park & ride )

[Steveminor]

You've hit the nail square on the head @Winston bendy buses have a higher fuel consumption & higher maintenance cost per mile per head capacity than any other vehicle on the market. In fact it's cheaper to run 2 Darts with higher capacity than one articulated bus. Would they work in birmingham simple answer NO believe it or not sunny travel were offered 2 bendy mercs virtually free so we looked into the costings to run them & it just didn't stack up. Nxwm have tried several times & it just hasn't worked out.
Re giving change well I'm glad nxwm don't give change as it puts more passengers on our buses although if we had the amounts of money going through our buses as nxwm have through there's then we would run a vault system it's simply too dangerous in this city for the drivers.

But can we please now go back on thread.

[Bryan]

@Tony @Winston @MW - Well personally i think that all of these things that i have mentioned would have many more advantages than disadvantages and could really help to encourage more passengers. Most of the things that i have mentioned happen in many other cities and towns all over the UK where they work fine. Giving change and issuing return tickets and charging fares based on the distance travelled would make much more sense and i think would attract more passengers. Bendy Buses are far better than Double Deckers. They have a much larger capacity than Double Deckers and they can be ordered to many different specifications so if required they can be fitted with a larger amount of seats. Many people can not go upstairs on double deckers because they are elderly or have a disabillity and also many other people (including myself and other people as well) simply do not like going upstairs. Double deckers will also encourage a larger amount of anti social behavior and illegal activities. Bendy buses have a full low floor throughout and are bright and spacious. With the photo of S453 CVV - this bus looks fine (as does Y337 FJN) - i would happily travel on this bus (and have done so in the past). I think that this bus actually looks quite smart.

I'm sorry countryliner but I am very tired of these very numerous comments / very boring questions, of very which are  not constructive. I suspect I may get banned from the forum because of this but people reply to your questions but you don't listen!

@Tony @Winston @MW - Well personally i think that all of these things that i have mentioned would have many more advantages than disadvantages and could really help to encourage more passengers. Most of the things that i have mentioned happen in many other cities and towns all over the UK where they work fine. Giving change and issuing return tickets and charging fares based on the distance travelled would make much more sense and i think would attract more passengers. Bendy Buses are far better than Double Deckers. They have a much larger capacity than Double Deckers and they can be ordered to many different specifications so if required they can be fitted with a larger amount of seats. Many people can not go upstairs on double deckers because they are elderly or have a disabillity and also many other people (including myself and other people as well) simply do not like going upstairs. Double deckers will also encourage a larger amount of anti social behavior and illegal activities. Bendy buses have a full low floor throughout and are bright and spacious. With the photo of S453 CVV - this bus looks fine (as does Y337 FJN) - i would happily travel on this bus (and have done so in the past). I think that this bus actually looks quite smart.

Good for you, but please join the real world, the majority of the the UK do not like Bendi buses. Seating capacity is reduced for travelers and they are more expensive for operators to run!

This has all been said before many times on this forum by you and if I see again the mention by you of giving change with operators I will scream and submit a complaint!

[countryliner]

@Steveminor @Winston - Yes i do see what you mean. However i definetly think that bendy buses were really suited to all of the routes that they ran on in London. They are definetly far more suitable than the awful Borismaster buses that replaced them (which in my opinion are the worst type of bus that has ever been built). If Boris Johnson had never become the mayor then bendy buses would still be in service in London and we would not have this problem of having huge numbers of bendy buses sitting in storage yards all over the UK. It is a shame and i hope that more bus operators will find uses for them soon. With the exact fare policy - at least it will encourage many passengers to use the small independent change giving operators instead - but it is certainly not good for National Express passengers.

@Bryan - I actually think that there are many people (including myself) who really like bendy buses. Also if you do not like my posts you do not have to read or reply to them. I am just stating my views and opinions. You can make a complaint about me if you want to but as far as i am aware i have not broken any of the forum rules.

This thread does seem to be going very off topic though so i think that it would indeed be a very good idea if we just go back to discussing and talking about Hi Ride.

[2206]

Yes i do see what you mean. With the exact fare policy - at least it will encourage many passengers to use the small independent change giving operators instead - but it is certainly not good for National Express passengers.

How is the exact fare policy not good for NX passengers when it has worked fine for years and passengers are used to it?