First Bus - Leicester

[Fin W]

Could just be one of a few generic spares with mainlines branding similar to how the orbital buses have 4 branded for the service with 2 in greenlines livery?

Basically just having less buses in full route branding to give flexibility with avaliable buses

wouldn't the spare ones be painted in the current First Leicester livery?

[LazyGuy222]

Well according to this the 22 won't be operated by First come the 16th April: https://www.vehicle-operator-licensing.service.gov.uk/search/find-registered-local-bus-services/details/608152/

A shame, as First has ran the route very well. We will have a much worse service with Centrebus running it with (allegedly) single deckers. 

In other news the 38 and 38A will be starting from Haymarket Bus Station as of the same date, and will run at an every 5 minute frequency combined with Arriva's new service 37. 

[SSmith09]

Well according to this the 22 won't be operated by First come the 16th April: https://www.vehicle-operator-licensing.service.gov.uk/search/find-registered-local-bus-services/details/608152/

A shame, as First has ran the route very well. We will have a much worse service with Centrebus running it with (allegedly) single deckers.

In other news the 38 and 38A will be starting from Haymarket Bus Station as of the same date, and will run at an every 5 minute frequency combined with Arriva's new service 37.

Centrebus have de-registered the 54A too

Lots of changes hopefully for the better

[Glenfieldmathk1]

Well according to this the 22 won't be operated by First come the 16th April: https://www.vehicle-operator-licensing.service.gov.uk/search/find-registered-local-bus-services/details/608152/

A shame, as First has ran the route very well. We will have a much worse service with Centrebus running it with (allegedly) single deckers.

In other news the 38 and 38A will be starting from Haymarket Bus Station as of the same date, and will run at an every 5 minute frequency combined with Arriva's new service 37.

Personally I think you'll be better off with Centrebus. I posted about this before.. but from a source in Centrebus it's going to be single deckers, every 10mins.. (plus keeping the 22A Birstall side every 30mins). I think actually though, all Leicester buses will be singles (except Arriva).
As it's a smaller company that will want the service to work as they are loosing their 54, I think it will be great.
38/38A from Haymarket will also be great.
Plus first 54 only will simplify the routes too.

[Glenfieldmathk1]

Personally I think you'll be better off with Centrebus. I posted about this before.. but from a source in Centrebus it's going to be single deckers, every 10mins.. (plus keeping the 22A Birstall side every 30mins). I think actually though, all Leicester buses will be singles (except Arriva).
As it's a smaller company that will want the service to work as they are loosing their 54, I think it will be great.
38/38A from Haymarket will also be great.
Plus first 54 only will simplify the routes too.

Although first haven't logged a change for the 54? Maybe waiting for Abbey Park Road to open?

[SSmith09]

Although first haven't logged a change for the 54? Maybe waiting for Abbey Park Road to open?

AFAIK Abbey Park Road should re-open by the end of this month

Might just be delayed in showing up although on bustimes.org (not the most reliable) a service 15 has appeared (City Centre to Goodwood) from 16th april

A few other alterations to First services are showing on bustimes too 🙄🙄

[Glenfieldmathk1]

AFAIK Abbey Park Road should re-open by the end of this month

Might just be delayed in showing up although on bustimes.org (not the most reliable) a service 15 has appeared (City Centre to Goodwood) from 16th april

A few other alterations to First services are showing on bustimes too 🙄🙄

Hello
Yes noticed this this morning.. 15 looks to be a split from the 54.. just Goodwood side and 54 on bustimes had also been updated once again showing Abbey Park Road (I guess this will run city to Beaumont Leys)?
Noticed 13, 14, 14A & 18 plus the 74 now SMBS.
Also 13 & 74 could potentially be interworking (maybe at weekend as both same frequency - instead of the 16?) as both have the same 2 stops listed?

[SSmith09]

Hello
Yes noticed this this morning.. 15 looks to be a split from the 54.. just Goodwood side and 54 on bustimes had also been updated once again showing Abbey Park Road (I guess this will run city to Beaumont Leys)?
Noticed 13, 14, 14A & 18 plus the 74 now SMBS.
Also 13 & 74 could potentially be interworking (maybe at weekend as both same frequency - instead of the 16?) as both have the same 2 stops listed?

First have yet to announce the changes but fingers crossed the reliability of the 14's improves as they can just run from the stand directly onto Burleys Way (when they go that way)

[47609FireFly]

Well according to this the 22 won't be operated by First come the 16th April: https://www.vehicle-operator-licensing.service.gov.uk/search/find-registered-local-bus-services/details/608152/

A shame, as First has ran the route very well. We will have a much worse service with Centrebus running it with (allegedly) single deckers.

In other news the 38 and 38A will be starting from Haymarket Bus Station as of the same date, and will run at an every 5 minute frequency combined with Arriva's new service 37.

You are joking, aren't you? Have you not witnessed the daily, poor service delivery in vehicles running together, vehicles regularly running not in service and a general inability to deliver the timetable?

The one good thing about First, until the recent change of MD, was that they provided the best presented vehicles, both in internally and externally, by a long way. That's slipped since the departure of NE and vehicle allocation has also gone awry too. Shame.

[47609FireFly]

First have yet to announce the changes but fingers crossed the reliability of the 14's improves as they can just run from the stand directly onto Burleys Way (when they go that way)

Yes, which is great operationally. And yes, running on time to provide reliability is a huge part of growing consumer confidence in a service, which helps to increase patronage. However, it is not the only factor. Where do passengers really want to go? Do they want to be turfed off at St. Margaret's or would they like to go further? Now they have the option to alight at either but it sounds like in the future they will not have that choice. If I was 85, suffering from arthritis and wanted to get some shopping at Wilko's, I would probably be a bit miffed at the trek from St. Margaret's to get there. It's a bit like the dross written on Arriva's information about their April 16th service change, where folk from Sturdee Road, in Eyres Monsell, can walk to Lutterworth Road for routes 84 & 85. 

[LazyGuy222]

You are joking, aren't you? Have you not witnessed the daily, poor service delivery in vehicles running together, vehicles regularly running not in service and a general inability to deliver the timetable?

The one good thing about First, until the recent change of MD, was that they provided the best presented vehicles, both in internally and externally, by a long way. That's slipped since the departure of NE and vehicle allocation has also gone awry too. Shame.

I've used the route every single day for the past two years, so no, I'm not joking. 

It isn't daily in the slightest, and they deliver the timetables a whole lot better than Centrebus manage to do. I see Centrebus skipping journeys far more regularly than First does. In the two years I've used the 22 everyday, First have only cancelled my regular bus into town once. 
Fair enough, the route quite often runs late (especially in the afternoon/evening peak), but from my experience, that's down to congestion on roads such as Spencefield Lane, through Evington village and, most prominently, Evington Road. If the council actually enforced parking restrictions on all of these roads better, I think you'll find the route operating significantly better.

The buses are presented fine, there is nothing wrong with them, and nothing has changed presentation wise since NE left. Alright, yes, the allocations have messed up a bit, but most people really don't care what their bus looks like as long as it turns up.

We will see what happens when Centrebus take the route over, I'm not expecting any improvements though. 

[Franco]

You are joking, aren't you? Have you not witnessed the daily, poor service delivery in vehicles running together, vehicles regularly running not in service and a general inability to deliver the timetable?

The one good thing about First, until the recent change of MD, was that they provided the best presented vehicles, both in internally and externally, by a long way. That's slipped since the departure of NE and vehicle allocation has also gone awry too. Shame.

I use this route everyday and find first bus run it very well to a high standard with nice clean double deckers .  On any high frequency route buses can sometimes run together due to delays etc. As  I use this service daily I feel first deliver to their timetable really well. I've not experienced buses running not in service except for when buses are full at school times and cannot take any more passengers. I do feel the service isn't as good as it used to be since First changed the timetable to coordinate with centrebus duplicate service 22, which means waiting 20 mins for a firstbus 22 service at certain times when centrebus operate their duplicate 22 service. Allocation is always good with 4 branded streetdecks running , one has recently been off the road and if others are off the road it is always operated with unbranded streetdecks. Sometimes streetlites do operate but this is due to vehicle availability as the depot doesn't  keep a lot of spares anymore and firstbus  always make sure the service operates. 

[Glenfieldmathk1]

The First GBKite electric single decker (63501) has arrived at Abbey Lane.
It's Green.

[SSmith09]

35171 has returned to service after a few months off the road

Long term off roaders are now just 35172 off since October 2022 and 33696 which sustained damage from an accident on Charnor Road at the end of January.

[Glenfieldmathk1]

2nd day in a row that a 22 branded double decker has been on the peak 13 morning running today.
A sign of the future perhaps? Maybe they'll be rebranded?

On another note.. timetables are now on the website under forthcoming.. interesting there's not that much changed with the times.. just bus stop movements. Plus of course the split up 54/15 and removal of 22.

I guess they'll explain changes in a few days.