If you had the chance to modify or add any service, what would you do?

[Steveminor]

Cost is only a minor consideration.  The main consideration is how well you're going to be able to keep them on the road. For example a few years back sunny travel could have had the two csepal neoplasia free of charge, now that sounds like a brilliant deal & there wasn't much mileage on either bus & they looked good. We'd have loved to have them but the simple fact was where would we get the parts for them & how easy would they be to maintain. Simple answer was the adl product I.E darts would cost more but with a ready supply of parts suppliers they would be easier & cheaper to keep on the road. Volvo especially when it comes to a smaller operator is much harder to deal with & get parts for & scania well forget it.
Enthusiast liking certain types of bus & operational choosing a type of bus don't go hand in hand I'm afraid.  I'd love sunny to have a fleet of volvos but is that the best move, no.
I would think nxwm would have a similar decision process & concluded the adl product is best & they have experience from all manufacturers so they're best placed to make those decisions.  Any wonder why nx don't have any optare products any more.

[Liberator9]

I prefer Scanias and Volvos to ADLs - they just seem better quality. Certainly Volvos - know some excellent 2007 Geminis that ride far better than some newer E400s. Glad NX don't buy Optares - my experience of them has been fairly poor - SRs at Diamond have had constant issues.

[iansdavies]

the 59 bus from birmingham towards kingshurst especially between kitts green and shard end

[iansdavies]

id certainly reconsider bringing in a 55E to operate the route between kingshurst and shard end then via the 55 and 55A route , then redirect the 59 to the meadway from lea hall station via cooks lane  to bacons end then to  chelmsley wood via chester road to the interchange then operate aound dunster road terminating at coleshill heath road along the chelmsley road .

[Steveminor]

A 55, 55A & 55E . Think that might be a little overkill for that corridor.

[monkeyjoe]

Not sure I understand the logic to the 55e suggestion at all.

[iansdavies]

 the 55 used to terminate at  the mountford , it was extended to chelmsley in 1983 ,wmpte withdrew the 93 and tried to replace it with a 26 , a 54 was put in its place running at 15 minute intervals . the 59 in my mind was a badly thought out bus route where on wh buses solely operated . so you have 58 bc 60 bc 957 bc operated .since when had kingshurst been  bc operated ,a 55e every 30 minutes could cover the 59 route towards morrisons then via the 55 and 55a .

[monkeyjoe]

I mean if the on the 55 corridor they are getting a better service that extends to the C. Wood and the 59 seems to be holding it's own. What is the benefit to anybody.

[iansdavies]

true mate i suppose its progress  :) do you know anything about bus rotas monkey joe .

[iansdavies]

steveminor do you know anything about bus rotas .

[iansdavies]

trident any ideas how bus rotas work mate.

[Steveminor]

You talking about rotas or scheduling.
Every operator does their rotas & scheduling differently.

[monkeyjoe]

Nah wanted to do a Transport Management degree at Aston, but ended up doing a crappy business degree in the end.

[Cheese]

Nah wanted to do a Transport Management degree at Aston, but ended up doing a crappy business degree in the end.

Good degree the Aston University Transport Management was, graduated in 2003 from Aston on that course. Taught me a lot!

[monkeyjoe]

Gutted thinking back actually turned it down and MAS at Aston instead, just think i could be running my own East Brum network by now lol