Operational Improvements

[Liverpool Street]

Talk about the queue, I'm surprised NX haven't received complaints about this. 

Can't garages have an internal queuing system were they they queue within the garage before it becomes packed and then towards the late evening when most buses are in the garage and traffic on the road is low, they can queue back outside ? 

Issue drivers with tiny paper tickets with a number on like the old deli counter at Sainsburys

[MW]

Talk about the queue, I'm surprised NX haven't received complaints about this. 

Can't garages have an internal queuing system were they they queue within the garage before it becomes packed and then towards the late evening when most buses are in the garage and traffic on the road is low, they can queue back outside ?

No, not at AG anyway. The first buses get parked up outside behind the gates. Drivers have to move cars after 4PM on certain bits and then 6PM for the rest. Then the inside begins to get filled up. The pumps are as soon as you get into garage. The only solution would be to install another fuel pump lane. After filled up, they drive through the bus wash and then get parked up.

[B10L1473]

I thought Coventry's operation of the 900 (circa 1995-2000) was done without the assistance of AG garage? - and the same but roles reversed when Acocks Green took over the running of it later [whenever that was].

AG/WT did jointly operate the 192-194 group of services between Coventry & Solihull for quite a while though.

The 900 Garage history

Before 1995 Birmingham Central
September 1995 Coventry
October 1999 4 Boards to Acocks Green 3063 3085 3086 3087 transfer to Acocks Green
September 2000 all boards to Acocks Green
2933_2936 2956_2960 transfer to Acocks Green

3055 3063 2999 3001 transfer to Coventry
October. 2001 to Walsall Garage
MAY 2002 to Birmingham Central 5 boards 4 boards to Acocks Green
MAY 2003 TO Birmingham Central
New Dennis Trident 4425-4434 arrive June 2003

This that's all of it

[GeminiFan1991]

No, not at AG anyway. The first buses get parked up outside behind the gates. Drivers have to move cars after 4PM on certain bits and then 6PM for the rest. Then the inside begins to get filled up. The pumps are as soon as you get into garage. The only solution would be to install another fuel pump lane. After filled up, they drive through the bus wash and then get parked up.

They should just get drivers to park at the Lidl and ask engineers to bring them :D  :P

If you look at Google Maps of most of the garages, you'd notice they have substantial roofing (YW percentage wise probably parks most of their fleet inside) does anyone think NX could add Solar Panels to the roofs and and procure costs and energy although I'm thinking the initial cost is to high to warrant the purchase.

As for the 900, I'm all saying is If their are 900 boards which start and end in Coventry, wouldn't it be best to have CV run them ? They may require a bus or two if it saves miles worth of dead mileage which adds up over time, it'll probably make up for the training costs.

[winston]

If you look at Google Maps of most of the garages, you'd notice they have substantial roofing (YW percentage wise probably parks most of their fleet inside) does anyone think NX could add Solar Panels to the roofs and and procure costs and energy although I'm thinking the initial cost is to high to warrant the purchase.

@GeminiFan1991 - Fyi
http://www.nationalexpressgroup.com/our-way/environment-and-climate-change/sustainable-low-carbon-initiatives/site-energy-efficiency-measures/

[GeminiFan1991]

@GeminiFan1991 - Fyi
http://www.nationalexpressgroup.com/our-way/environment-and-climate-change/sustainable-low-carbon-initiatives/site-energy-efficiency-measures/

I stand corrected
Thank You Sir,

I guess it would be impractical to implement variations of solar panels on bus roofs as well.

[Tony]

They should just get drivers to park at the Lidl and ask engineers to bring them :D  :P

If you look at Google Maps of most of the garages, you'd notice they have substantial roofing (YW percentage wise probably parks most of their fleet inside) does anyone think NX could add Solar Panels to the roofs and and procure costs and energy although I'm thinking the initial cost is to high to warrant the purchase.

As for the 900, I'm all saying is If their are 900 boards which start and end in Coventry, wouldn't it be best to have CV run them ? They may require a bus or two if it saves miles worth of dead mileage which adds up over time, it'll probably make up for the training costs.

There are no boards that start and finish in Coventry as I stated above.

[John]

Couldn't that board be reworked so it ends in Birmingham ?

I remember being outside YW on  Sunday evening and bus waiting to be fueled were queuing up to the Shell Garage by the island just down the road which I found surprising for a Sunday when bus requirement is at it's least. I spoke to a YW driver and he mentioned during the week, buses can can queue as far down as Warstock Road. Isn't their a way this could be fixed ?

You should see some of our run-ins! Sometimes the queue can be back to the traffic lights on the Aldridge Road. 45 minutes is the longest I've waited to get to the pumps. Causes mayhem on Wellhead Lane, cars on the wrong side of the road and driving up the pavements. It's very dangerous, and lucky a Fire Engine or Ambulance doesn't need to use Wellhead Lane at the same time

[JoNi]

Re 900 in Coventry NX website shows current timetable dated as 29/5/16 which has 38 weekday arrivals in Coventry and 35 departures. Therefore there are three dead runs back to Birmingham. I appreciate this may well be rectified when 20 minute service is reinstated to Coventry.
Checking with someone who worked at Coventry at the time apparently when the route became worked by Acocks Green buses that were late turfed passengers off at Yardley and ran back to Acocks Green from there.

[GeminiFan1991]

You should see some of our run-ins! Sometimes the queue can be back to the traffic lights on the Aldridge Road. 45 minutes is the longest I've waited to get to the pumps. Causes mayhem on Wellhead Lane, cars on the wrong side of the road and driving up the pavements. It's very dangerous, and lucky a Fire Engine or Ambulance doesn't need to use Wellhead Lane at the same time

This highlights the issue I was trying to raise. I know PB has (Give or Take) around a 180 vehicles so it'll naturally back out to traffic but I would have thought with 3 pumps and lanes running to them spanning nearly the length of the garage, it wouldn't be that bad.

Does every garage have this problem ?