Diamond West Midlands - Tividale

[MW]

I'm guessing that there'll be no restrictions on the 11? If I was an independant, I'd look into joining forces with other indepedants and take on the Outer Circle.

[winston]

Reduce nx competition- small independent won't be able to operate with such high spec vehicles.

Diamond are upgrading / increasing their proportion of Euro 5 buses without buying new, they provide the most competition for NX.

[Tony]

Reduce nx competition- small independent won't be able to operate with such high spec vehicles.

So just kill people then?

[Trident 4194]

So just kill people then?

Other ways of reducing deaths you know.

[Tony]

Other ways of reducing deaths you know.

So you saying it's ok to kill people with poor air quality if you reduce another way people die?

And just so someone can use an unmodified ancient bus?

[BK63 YWP]

After Brexit do you think the uk government will continue with Euro 7 or introduce a UK version?

[Alex]

So you saying it's ok to kill people with poor air quality if you reduce another way people die?

And just so someone can use an unmodified ancient bus?

Thing is, it can't even be close to possible that most of the emissions that cause said pollution come from buses alone.

This is what p*sses me off about these LEZs, they aren't that. Ancient, and I mean, ancient, cars and taxis can still be used, yet the second an unmodified bus enters the city, god help that operator!
If that was me in the position of the mayor, the first thing I'd be  working on, to tackle the air pollution, is either reducing the number of cars in the city, or reducing the number of polluting cars, make cars and taxis (possibly lorries as well)  abide to the same Euro 4/5/6 standard that buses have to.

But hey, that's one way to lose public support... because they'll only support you as long as they get the benefits, but not lose anything at all.  ::). Same people who claim "we pay taxes, therefore we can have a 1995 Ford Focus which speed out half it's exhaust every time I pull away, because that doesnt affect air quality at all..." probably, as well...

Also, to a previous point, the ex GHA Solos were likely bought for simply being compliant, rather than having a high spec interior.

[Lukeee]

(possibly lorries as well)  abide to the same Euro 4/5/6 standard that buses have to.

But hey, that's one way to lose public support... because they'll only support you as long as they get the benefits, but not lose anything at all.  ::). Same people who claim "we pay taxes, therefore we can have a 1995 Ford Focus which speed out half it's exhaust every time I pull away, because that doesnt affect air quality at all..." probably, as well...

Lorries do have Euro 4/5/6 engines and you can't buy a 1995 ford focus, ford still produced the escort then

[Tony]

But hey, that's one way to lose public support... because they'll only support you as long as they get the benefits, but not lose anything at all.  ::). Same people who claim "we pay taxes, therefore we can have a 1995 Ford Focus which speed out half it's exhaust every time I pull away, because that doesnt affect air quality at all..." probably, as well...

You're right about Public support, but you have it the wrong way around. You look anytime the Birmingham Mail or Express & Star publish a story about poor air quality and you get loads of comments  underneath about 'Dirty Smelly Buses' Because there are still old buses on the road black smoking the public see one and lump all buses into the same category.

To get public support buses need to be clean, then people will start picking on the other vehicles

[Trident 4194]

You're right about Public support, but you have it the wrong way around. You look anytime the Birmingham Mail or Express & Star publish a story about poor air quality and you get loads of comments  underneath about 'Dirty Smelly Buses' Because there are still old buses on the road black smoking the public see one and lump all buses into the same category.

To get public support buses need to be clean, then people will start picking on the other vehicles

Car drivers most likely will never convert to a bus. There slower, less direct, and usually involve walking, all of which car drivers envy. Bus passengers also don't care about what Euro engine the bus has got as long as it gets from A to B. Whilst the buses may be clean emissions looking at the interiors of buses says otherwise. Always cans rolling around, never going to expect a increase in passengers. Trains on the other hand are usually different.

[Straightlines]

I think you will find all operators are committed to it. With additional areas getting AQPS rules, Solihull is next, there won't be anywhere for people to use polluting buses soon

Maybe, but still doesn't stop knackered old vehicles being used, and they come from the 'dominant operator' !

[winston]

Car drivers most likely will never convert to a bus. There slower, less direct, and usually involve walking, all of which car drivers envy. Bus passengers also don't care about what Euro engine the bus has got as long as it gets from A to B. Whilst the buses may be clean emissions looking at the interiors of buses says otherwise. Always cans rolling around, never going to expect a increase in passengers. Trains on the other hand are usually different.

Most will always stick to the car as 1st choice, it's the most convenient option, some may be tempted to switch if things improve. As part of QPS scheme, if Birmingham City Council really want to change things, as well as improving public transport by raising standards / new investment / making it more convenient via bus operators, BCC will also need to be radical & make it difficult for cars/vans/lorries to enter the City Centre / hike parking charges, create park & ride sites / re-intestate bus lanes or have bus only roads. That's something which BCC have consistently failed to do, the opposite in fact in terms of bus services, these have been pushed further out of the City Centre by the Metro which currently only benefits only a milted number of people.

[Tony]

Car drivers most likely will never convert to a bus. There slower, less direct, and usually involve walking, all of which car drivers envy. Bus passengers also don't care about what Euro engine the bus has got as long as it gets from A to B. Whilst the buses may be clean emissions looking at the interiors of buses says otherwise. Always cans rolling around, never going to expect a increase in passengers. Trains on the other hand are usually different.

Can you talk in reality please.

There slower, less direct, and usually involve walking, all of which car drivers envy

Car drivers envy walking?

Always cans rolling around, never going to expect a increase in passengers. Trains on the other hand are usually different.

Have a look at the state of the trains operating between Birmingham-Walsall-Rugeley on a Saturday afternoon
I'm sure @Bob will confirm that you can be ankle deep in cans, bottles and general rubbish

[Bob]

Pretty dirty any time of the week Tony...carpets and carriages also never a good idea unless theyre kept meticulously clean...as WMT learnt rapidly with the timesavers

[Kevin]

Pretty much all the arguments presented there as to why car drivers won't switch to buses boil down to the general public that they'd have to share buses with