Hill Top Garage

[Discodave]

How are they going to expand in the West Mids with a fleet of crap like that? Seriously

How indeed with 10 year old Darts? Against 15 year old B6s, Spectras, Exels and B10s, 14 year old Mercs and B7 deckers, 13 year old Darts, 12 year old Tridents, 11 year old B7 ATLs etc etc etc and then there's the Diamond fleet.....

At least NXWM are renewing most of there fleet and Wolverhampton will have one of the youngest avarage age fleets once the hybrids arrive some of the tridents are going to YW.

[Bob]

Also the interiors of nxwm's 16 yr old B10Ls at Walsall are 100% better quality than Arriva Cannock's 03 reg Darts & sb120/route 1 sb200! Yep itll go same as Chase! Plus the fact that Midland have got hardly any routes worth running, if they had they wouldnt have a fleet made up almost entirely of 29 seaters!

[hartshill busman 724210]

The money from their contracts for the routes operating out of Hill top is no where near enough to warrant the outlay on new buses.Tendering for 5yr contracts  for three year prices was never sustainable, even without the costs of new buses to pay for.

[winston]

The money from their contracts for the routes operating out of Hill top is no where near enough to warrant the outlay on new buses.Tendering for 5yr contracts  for three year prices was never sustainable, even without the costs of new buses to pay for.

But everyone knew that Arriva had gone in at unrealistic prices to win the first package of tendered routes off Diamond

[Bob]

How are they going to expand in the West Mids with a fleet of crap like that? Seriously

How indeed with 10 year old Darts? Against 15 year old B6s, Spectras, Exels and B10s, 14 year old Mercs and B7 deckers, 13 year old Darts, 12 year old Tridents, 11 year old B7 ALXs etc etc etc and then there's the Diamond fleet.....

12 year old Darts, actually. And charging extortionate fares for the privelege of travelling on them! Over 3 pounds one way for journeys to wolverhampton /stafford/ etc from cannock and nearly 3 pounds to walsall. 6 pounds for a daysaver compared to a max 2 pound fare and a 3.90 daysaver on nxwm. Also many of their older buses have had a decent refurb compared with arriva's, ( try even finding a refurbed bus in cannock!)

[andy]

How are they going to expand in the West Mids with a fleet of crap like that? Seriously

How indeed with 10 year old Darts? Against 15 year old B6s, Spectras, Exels and B10s, 14 year old Mercs and B7 deckers, 13 year old Darts, 12 year old Tridents, 11 year old B7 ALXs etc etc etc and then there's the Diamond fleet.....

12 year old Darts, actually. And charging extortionate fares for the privelege of travelling on them! Over 3 pounds one way for journeys to wolverhampton /stafford/ etc from cannock and nearly 3 pounds to walsall. 6 pounds for a daysaver compared to a max 2 pound fare and a 3.90 daysaver on nxwm. Also many of their older buses have had a decent refurb compared with arriva's, ( try even finding a refurbed bus in cannock!)

I'm not defending Arriva's fare structure or some of it's neglected vehicles, I am just trying to challenge this myth that NX are some benchmark to aspire to when they are just as bad, if not worse in much of what they do. You keep talking about refurbished B6's having better interiors yet they were refurbished 5 years ago and are just as disgusting and past it as anything you will find in Cannock. And don't forget NX's fare structure is largely due to high occupancy and the revenue from concessionary schemes subsididing it and it's travel card scheme. The fare structures were incomparable in Midland Red and WMPTE days aswell, it is a historical anomaly and not a new one.

The buses they use on my local routes from Sutton into Birmingham are only 5 years old but are a total disgrace both internally and externally, they are literally swept (if they're lucky) and sent straight back day after day after day. And that's before I get onto the President's on the 11, I saw a post earlier saying they had been vastly improved recently. Really? You should take a look at 4078 when you get a chance, and that is just one example.

[Bob]

Its not just the disgusting interiors,( although seriously come and see Cannocks 03 plate trio of SB120s they are an utter and i mean utter disgrace they are worse than any NXWM bus even Walsall's Y reg Metrobuses were 100 times better in side), Cannocks buses are badly maintained and break down all the time. They have four 52 plate SB200 branded for the Cannock to Walsall service, again the interiors are bad but all four of these buses sound absolutely knackered, as do most of the Darts, they either rattle bang and squeak or have shrieking brakes. Arriva in Tamworth, Derby and Leicester are very good, and although Telford has older vehicles they are at least maintained & refurbished. In Cannock they are terrible, and evidently dont care about the operation, its wrong also that they now have a complete monopoly, as they can now operate as crap a service as they like. In Midland Red North days the service in my opinion was better, i never recall seeing buses in such a bad condition as now, even their Nationals were well maintained

[s-m-991]

A lot of bad comments about Arriva. I maybe the only one here who actually would say a good word about them. For the hell of it, me and my mate did a daysaver and went to Wrexham and we had a good experience. Firstly went on the one and 560 and the drivers were friendly compared to NX. So all day I would use Arriva, and im glad Bentley (Walsall) gets to see them again. (9).

[arrivaaston]

Bit off topic boys..... S-m-91 ow w.e it is (appologies) yes Arriva do have some decent buses but as Bob said its hard to find 1 in Cannock!! The decent buses are all used in Telford, Shrewsbury, Oswestry, Tamowrth, Derby, Leicester...... Stafford have hand downs, Cannock just operate a load of shit!! And it seems Wednesfield will do the same if these enviros are heading upto Leicester, what will they be used on? Bit small for a big city Leicester and Bob I agree, 12 year old darts from London won't make much of and inpact in the West Mids but as Discodave said a passenger waiting to board is not gona pay any interest aslong as its a bus........ So it does like Wednesfield will become another Cannock

[Discodave]

A lot of bad comments about Arriva. I maybe the only one here who actually would say a good word about them. For the hell of it, me and my mate did a daysaver and went to Wrexham and we had a good experience. Firstly went on the one and 560 and the drivers were friendly compared to NX. So all day I would use Arriva, and im glad Bentley (Walsall) gets to see them again. (9).

Only problem is the 560 carries fresh air most of the day when it can be bothered to run as being worked with the 70 if its late off that and into Bloxwich on the 560 the 560 get missed at least 5-6 a day ruuning dead back to Wolverhampton shift it to Wednesfield at least it would run and alter the times as I have said before to make it run between the 89 of NXWM 15 mins apart.

[Discodave]

A lot of bad comments about Arriva. I maybe the only one here who actually would say a good word about them. For the hell of it, me and my mate did a daysaver and went to Wrexham and we had a good experience. Firstly went on the one and 560 and the drivers were friendly compared to NX. So all day I would use Arriva, and im glad Bentley (Walsall) gets to see them again. (9).

The thing is its only Arriva for obivious reasons still will have the same Midland staff and drivers the buses though some a little better the same as in Cannock crap.  Plus also Wrexham have a better fleet being Arriva Wales and they actually invest in their fleet they may have darts etc but are a lot better maintained I travelled on the 12 service from Rhyl to Llandudno and it was fantastic Sb200 buses at the time and did not screech whine or sound knackered.  Cannock and Stafford are the scrap yards.

[arrivaaston]

Surely the 560 could do Wolverhampton - Bloxwich then interwork with the 19 service, its a fail working them with 68/70, if 560 runs late it makes the 68/70 run late and I've been on 560 a few times and everytime there's only been about 3/4 others on it

[Discodave]

Surely the 560 could do Wolverhampton - Bloxwich then interwork with the 19 service, its a fail working them with 68/70, if 560 runs late it makes the 68/70 run late and I've been on 560 a few times and everytime there's only been about 3/4 others on it

You would get the same problem with the Lichfield Road into Bloxwich at Peaks as well so one or the other would be missed. Tbh interworking may save money but if one route goes tits up all of it does Sundays are about the best days for interworking services.  NXWM do some in the week but mainly a lot of their services interwork on Sundays or lates. (any depot)

[arrivaaston]

Knowing arriva, it wouldn't suprise me if they got rid of the 19 and tried to fit it in with the 1 or 2

[Discodave]

Knowing arriva, it wouldn't suprise me if they got rid of the 19 and tried to fit it in with the 1 or 2

too true with Arrivas logic