Back to work today. Metrolink replacement on the bury line. First trip was a bit odd. Had one guy at Bury who was puzzled at why he could not use his first weekly pass on my bus. He was soon sent on his merry way no thanks to the metrolink staff in there pantomime uniforms. Come on. How can you take anyone seriously when they are dressed up like school crossing patrols? Then i had to remember the route. This was interesting as i route learned it in the daytime and right now it's still dark and everything looks different. There was then an announcement on the radio of a route change on corporation street due to roadworks so that puzzled me a little. And top that with very tight times it becomes a very challenging drive. Some of the turns need extra attention too as they seem a little tight. Just got one and a half trips on my first part which ment starting at Bury. Two full trips later. Easy money still though. Although i am expecting some interesting characters getting on today if the woodlands we did the other month is anything to go by. Off tomorrow and back in early monday on a split.
From what I saw yesterday there seemed to be quite alot of bunching going on, on Metrolink Replacement services with at least 3 buses running together some of the time, I did hear that the problem was that there was plenty of time from Manchester-Heaton Park but no time from Heaton Park-Bury which included doubling back at Prestwich
ReplyDeleteIt was a crazy day to be sure. The route was great timing was very poor. In the end most buses were running between 20 50 minutes late. I thought we had bad traffic on the 216s but the traffic around prestwich, bury and shudehill was shockingly bad. There was plenty of buses though and they often run in twos on the bury replacement at busy time to make sure no one gets left. Was fun though.
ReplyDeletePity Stations have to be done in the same order as the tram do, as I believe it would have made life much easier to do Whitefield,Besses, Prestwich then Heaton Park then it would have saved the doubling back drivers were having to do to call at Prestwich Station
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