Catch of the day last night on the 216s. This county card was looking a bit odd so i asked for a closer look. A quick snatch and i noticed it ran out in APRIL! The punter swiftly got off after i took it off her. Good result coz these things arn't cheap. In today too nice and easy trip to glossop twice followed by a round trip on a 231. Not done a sunday for a while so hoping for a nice peacefull drive today. Bike has been delayed, it should have been with the supplies friday but not turned up yet so will be making a few angry calls on monday. Bit gutted but hoping this week sometime still. Had a look at 19081 this morning. I know a couple of people commented on the state of the interior. I have checked and it is due to be done this week however due to the comments made it will be done tomorrow morning. So should be sparkling again soon. Very rare they get that bad so shouldn't see too many like that.
is 20938 only used as a Taxi bus now or can it be used for PSV use
ReplyDeleteThe stamp on that county card is very faint, I'd be suspicious about the designer of that card. Did she just leg it or is a fine imposed?
ReplyDeleteI'm guessing 19081 is that ex-bullocks now magic bus...is that being converted into a stagecoach bus now or something?
william
ReplyDeletedo you mean 16189 not sure on that
saw firstbus 61350 yestaday in washed down yellow livery was used with greater manchester police now recorded as a trainer again
Is that it, I have no idea. I meant the bus with today's reference, my previous comment was only a guess.
ReplyDeleteI have seen the bullocks bus though (16189 as its noted) knocking about on the 236/7 on a regular basis know, so that's why I ask.
Huh, a resurrected trainer vehicle...bound to be on the 346 or something sooner or later lol Shocker of the week was seeing a Volvo Olympian on the 409, know that is weird considering seeing one of the new double deckers as a 'taxi'.
16189 is the Bullocks Olympian. I have heard that it will be painted as while the kids are off school for there summer break, but as ive said before, whats the point in painting it. Its only used for schools and peak 236/7's.
ReplyDeleteI was told that Volvo B10M 20938 is now 'offically' used as a taxi bus but im sure if they were short it could be used for the odd 216.
I haven't seen the little corrie bus for a while.
As for passes, the problem is some drivers just dont bother checking them and thats why these idiots keep trying there luck.
William i dont think drivers can issue fines. They just confiscate the passes and either kick them off the bus or make em pay like everyone else.
William, nothing shocks me about First anymore. Ive seen it all lol.
ReplyDeleteNo fines, that's a shame but I know the odd GMOTE inspector does it. I've seen it done on the 350 once, making a load of chav's at the back pay full fare (extra £2.60p lol) and they flipped lol I don't know why the driver charged the 70p fare in the first place without a pass but this was 2 years ago lol
ReplyDeleteI had seen an Optare Prisma on the 350 7 days ago, after I thought they were withdrawn...might see one of those T-reg bendy's soon on it lol
The inspectors have the power to issue £20 fines for fare dodging or make them pay the correct fare.
ReplyDeleteThere having a big crackdown in Oldham this month apparently which is good.
As for First and the 350, well you think you've seen it all and then they do something else to shock you lol.
It will be interesting to see how Worst, sorry i mean First react to the S48 tommorow. Im seeing Floaters knocking about everywhere lol.
It'll be war with this one. The S50 is only partial competition with the 350, whereas the S48 is in full competition with the 348...crash helmets at the ready lol
ReplyDeleteI really hate fare dodgers, mainly because a fair chunk of any day-saver, system 1 etc goes to covering fare dodgers free rides...sooner a smart card system is brought in the better. It may not stop all of them but it would drop there numbers easily.
I saw the corrie bus last Thursday parked up in Ashton bus stn Dukinfield are short of drivers saw Manchester based 60373 on the 350 last Friday
ReplyDeletesome times Dukinfield cover on the 409 if Oldham are short when they where under PMT they covered the route when First manchester drivers where on strike years back
S48 are charging same as the S50 I think they could be fined if they put floaters on without giving notice
60334 is going to be a trainer at Oldham with 61354 going to Bransley scarp yards
should have said firstbus putting floaters on
ReplyDeletethe T bendy buses are stored withdrawn at Bolton
ReplyDeleteI think speedwell S48/50 services will come of the better of the 2 services to firstbus as they have better buses charge lower fares friendly drivers really friendly lady on the S50 on saturday driving one of the white buses glad firstbus did not get the weekday 353/54 services went on the 354 yestaday when first do do it and the bus 40313 was nosiey and rattley
ReplyDeleteis 15384 still stored at Ashton and what has happened to 15385
ReplyDeleteMic i was under the impression a bus operator could put 'floaters' on frequent services to maintain reliability.
ReplyDeleteStagecoach did it last August just before Speedwell first launched the S50, claiming it was due to the traffic in Droylsden, but they soon got rid of the floaters once the S50 had been cut back to Hey Farm - Ashton.
First often put 'Floaters' on the 17 where there battleing it out with JPT and they often put the odd extra bus on the 350 as well.
I remember the First strike and i think the reason PMT ended up working the 409 is because Stott's had hinted that they would run it around there school services, once every half hour i think, so to stop this happening PMT decided they would run it every 20 mins i think. Good times lol.
First seem it to have to battle it out everywhere, I wonder if stagecoach have the same problem today...I remember Dennis's but that's it.
ReplyDeleteSince Stott's have built a far amount of reputation, it's only a matter of time until they go on the assault along with JPT, Speedwell and others...My best bet is another shot at Oldham to Manc services, especially with no rail links for a couple of years they might go for it
William Stott's have already assaulted First big style in the 90's. Stott's have 6 frequent services in Oldham including the 398 which was a copycat of the 409 linking Ashton and Oldham. First tried hard to battle it out with Stott's but there low fares made them a winner with the passengers and threw in the towel paying Stott's to withdraw all there services.
ReplyDeleteStagecoach have had assaults. The biggy being UK North. Dennis's, Mayne's and Bullocks have all run against Stagecoach in there time but dont forget Stagecoach has a different way of dealing with comptition, there army of blue Magic Buses.
Result (regarding 19081), they have listened to comments on a blog! I suppose that should be gleaming now, or very shortly.
ReplyDeleteCompetition is a funny thing, some operators win better than others. The big groups have the obvious advantage, the little ones have to fight tooth and nail and accept smaller margins, but over the years the biggies have remained strong. Who knows what might happen in the future though?
never seen these floaters waiting at Mossley stn to get bus to Hey farm today been there 10 mins and the S50 came not one firstbus P502 OUG was on the route today aswell
ReplyDeleteI think stotts should take firstbus on again it would be good for travellers a lot of people use the S50 more then the 350 and with these 2 white buses on
I remember magic buses on the 216 one been C255 FRJ which started life at Oldham then went to Glossop and then on
could the big group loose services like firstbus etc I seem to remember stagecoach lost the 239 to speedwell
ReplyDeleteI dont know what was going on today with First but noticed two Solo's on the 350, one was right behind Speedwell's Excel. I also noticed a fair few S48's running empty into Ashton, sad really to see these buses empty but i suppose slowly passenger numbers will increase.
ReplyDeleteI saw a solo on the 348 aswell the 350 use to run double deck to Oldham but they have stopped that and run darts on now in its place seen double decks on Ashton local services
ReplyDeleteS50 started empty at the start and looked what happened give it time the S48 will get travellers I did see the S48 full some weeks back
Oh i know that Mic, its just a shame as alot of the 348's i saw today were pretty full. I think First are throwing what ever they have got on the 348/350. I noticed an Olympian on the 350 at weekend.
ReplyDeleteI was up in Glossop this morning and managed to see 3 of Speedwell's double deckers. Nice looking buses, and i bet they would give First a fright on the 350 lol.
they should put the double decks on people are not daft they will save money where they can and with speedwell having cheaper fares firstbus charge the earth remember years ago when Yorkshire rider ran the 365 with double deck gold rider coaches the price from Greenfield stn to Huddersfield was 90p now look at the fares
ReplyDeleteFelix
do you get to the closed glossop depot to see if any buses are still stored there I know 15383 is there and so was/is 20882
Mic sadly nasty Stagecoach have covered the gaps in the doors at Glossop so you can no longer peak through and see whats inside, however last time i was there 15383 was there - in full Mayne's livery, along with 4 Volvo B10M's.
ReplyDeleteThe problem with Speedwell's deckers is there not low floor which could put the oap's off so they are better off using the low floor single deckers.
if they covered the gaps why did they not move the buses aswell I bet 15383 will not start after all the time just stood there
ReplyDelete