tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15928016Mon, 21 Dec 2009 03:05:12 +0000Reflecting the bus industry in a postmodern2.0 worldhttp://omnibuses.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (busing)Blogger1530125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15928016.post-1895469405047005075Sun, 20 Dec 2009 06:59:00 +00002009-12-20T06:59:00.198ZI trust that I can settle the controversy regarding the graph uploaded on 3rd December. You will recall that the graph depicted registrations for bus & coach chassis from 1975-2008. It excluded Gen1 minibuses, as these are regardec as commercials.The essence of the controversy was whether you should read the graph cumulatively, or not. In other words, the total number of vehicles could be viewed http://omnibuses.blogspot.com/2009/12/settling-controversy.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (busing)8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15928016.post-5859420483952647300Sat, 19 Dec 2009 06:59:00 +00002009-12-19T06:59:00.057ZThe painters and decorators are in, again. We take a look at this week’s web updates from Trent Barton, Stagecoachbus and, first, Transdev Yellow Buses.Just like its neighbours Wilts & Dorset and Bluestar, TYB has joined the Facebook so-called revolution. Nothing especially unusual about that these days, save that TYB’s pages have some rather nice content. Here you will find a handful of archive http://omnibuses.blogspot.com/2009/12/refurbs.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (busing)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15928016.post-7463477963314524315Fri, 18 Dec 2009 06:59:00 +00002009-12-18T06:59:00.060ZFor me, the most significant parts of Tuesday’s 85-page DfT “Smart and Integrated Ticketing Strategy” were on pages 34-37.First and foremost, though the government expects local transport authorities to lead on smartcards, from April 2010 it will incentivise operators to hasten their commitment to equipping buses by offering an *additional* eight per cent bus service operators grant (BSOG) for http://omnibuses.blogspot.com/2009/12/get-smart.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (busing)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15928016.post-6279688420319185185Thu, 17 Dec 2009 06:59:00 +00002009-12-17T06:59:00.175ZWhenever there’s a bus crash of any sort, my heart stops. Hearing it on the radio, the newsreaders always seem to go for effect. They announce the crash and the numbers injured but only seem to state the location in the second sentence. As I await a clue as to the bus operator, everything around me seems to slow to a stop. Where is it? Who’s injured? Is it one of mine? Then comes the sigh of http://omnibuses.blogspot.com/2009/12/rare-toppling.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (busing)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15928016.post-3376947123221295080Wed, 16 Dec 2009 06:59:00 +00002009-12-16T06:59:00.116ZThese days, travelling as a family on a rural or inter-urban bus just five or so miles can set you back about 20 quid. Commercial bus operators don’t make it attractive for families to travel together. For one thing, there’s no real incentive, because families rarely travel together now. Hmmm, I wonder why that might be.For family travel, there seem plenty of arguments to keep your car. Once you http://omnibuses.blogspot.com/2009/12/family-friendly-travel.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (busing)5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15928016.post-8058502573624466104Tue, 15 Dec 2009 06:59:00 +00002009-12-15T06:59:00.108ZGreen eco-drving systems are proliferating.This is the technology that “self-monitors” driver behaviour—their acceleration, speed, breaking, etc. A black box flashes a green, amber or red cab signal depending upon the driver’s style (or there are other, similar warnings, depending upon the system). This is very important if the driver is to be persuaded to consider emissions and fuel consumption.http://omnibuses.blogspot.com/2009/12/change-of-culture.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (busing)7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15928016.post-1873139522991502286Mon, 14 Dec 2009 06:59:00 +00002009-12-14T08:01:28.823ZSouthern Vectis is unique. It’s literally on an island and has to manage accordingly. At the helm is commercial & operations manager Marc Morgan Huws someone who, with his team, has ensured SVOC is something of a south coast success story. MMH initially started in politics & local government before moving to SVOC, Solent Blue Line, and then taking a development role with both. He returned to SVOChttp://omnibuses.blogspot.com/2009/12/omnibuses-meets-marc-morgan-huws.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (busing)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15928016.post-4026101508628333050Sun, 13 Dec 2009 06:59:00 +00002009-12-13T14:22:39.544ZWhen comments come in late in the day, well after the original post, readers will be forgiven for missing them. Occasionally, where there is a particular benefit or something of interest, I like to draw readers’ attention to these late arrivals.So it is that I would point out the post of 14 August 2009 entitled “Bumpy Ride for Monkey’s Hump”, in which we reported the demise of Dorset independent http://omnibuses.blogspot.com/2009/12/comes-with-health-warning.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (busing)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15928016.post-7775329768976564438Sat, 12 Dec 2009 06:59:00 +00002009-12-12T06:59:00.101ZHow the driver of the East Lancs bodied Scania managed to deroof his double deck in Leicester yesterday without causing anything more than minor injuries is quite astounding. Even so, it made the national news. Then again, deroofings rarely result in tragedy. Had there been passengers killed or seriously injured, matters in the media would’ve been far more acute.The operator is believed to be a http://omnibuses.blogspot.com/2009/12/simply-driver-error.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (busing)5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15928016.post-5980504970327594681Fri, 11 Dec 2009 07:00:00 +00002009-12-11T07:00:03.651ZThank you to those who’ve engaged following yesterday’s post on reversing. See the comments, here. First Group’s Leon Daniels picks up the debate about reversing with passengers aboard. Worth a look.http://omnibuses.blogspot.com/2009/12/thank-you-to-those-whove-engaged.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (busing)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15928016.post-1883612048143800837Fri, 11 Dec 2009 06:59:00 +00002009-12-11T06:59:00.266Z... as it surely must. For, no matter the party winning May’s general election, the public investment good times seem over.Some may feel that they’ve never begun but that would be an injustice. There’s been an unprecedented spending spree around the country on stops, shelters, raised kerbs, real time bus information and bus stations. Then there’s Traveline. There’s been Kickstart, urban bus http://omnibuses.blogspot.com/2009/12/when-axe-falls.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (busing)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15928016.post-5688944811875277574Thu, 10 Dec 2009 07:00:00 +00002009-12-10T07:00:06.532ZThe Christmas Trivia Quiz appears to have gone down well. Thanks again to all who suggested answers. Someone, somewhere made a guess for every question and most were correct. After clicking here, scroll down to reveal the answers.http://omnibuses.blogspot.com/2009/12/christmas-trivia-quiz-appears-to-have.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (busing)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15928016.post-7986985958339090296Thu, 10 Dec 2009 06:59:00 +00002009-12-10T06:59:00.443Z“I ran into a driver the other day…” probably isn’t the best start to an article on the reversing of coaches. It was in A recent edition of Coach & Bus Week.I don’t drive buses or coaches very often so perhaps that’s why, when the need to reverse arises, I always feel slightly uncomfortable. It’s one thing when you can take a full visual sweep of the area. But anything can happen in a moment’s http://omnibuses.blogspot.com/2009/12/backing-up.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (busing)16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15928016.post-203163011548946247Wed, 09 Dec 2009 06:59:00 +00002009-12-09T06:59:00.557ZSt Helens (or should that be St Helen’s?) is a fascinating place within Merseyside, yet local accents suggest Lancashire, not Liverpool. And then there are those interesting local bus termini that add character, some of which illustrate this post, the most notable on the front of a bus being Clockface. Then there is the possibly confusingly crosses St Helens 33, from Sutton Heath to Sutton http://omnibuses.blogspot.com/2009/12/adding-fruity-bit-of-fun.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (busing)5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15928016.post-302775068688099495Tue, 08 Dec 2009 06:59:00 +00002009-12-08T06:59:00.411ZIt’s official. Research by consultancy Réseaulutions shows that towns & cities with monopoly bus services perform better than networks subject to competition. OFT, put that in your pipe and smoke it!Réseaulutions has undertaken a comparison of urban bus systems in 131 centres in England. Its findings are available on the web, for the OFT to see.This, then, is an important study that aims to http://omnibuses.blogspot.com/2009/12/benchmarked.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (busing)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15928016.post-8940617129426785445Mon, 07 Dec 2009 06:59:00 +00002009-12-07T07:19:54.651ZOne of the industry’s leading and most experienced grandees and First UK Bus director, Leon Daniels shares some views on Barbie, Blue Birds, bendies (including ftr), brands, bus wars, backwaters… and biscuits. Leon also keeps a blog. See also previous Omnibuses interviews, here and hereOB: Your Barbie livery remains unpopular among the enthusiast community. How accepted do you feel is this liveryhttp://omnibuses.blogspot.com/2009/12/omnibuses-meets-leon-daniels.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (busing)20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15928016.post-2179344890660899138Sun, 06 Dec 2009 06:59:00 +00002009-12-10T07:05:04.802ZClick here for the answers and then scroll downWhether you feel you wish to print this off for the office or garage Christmas party is up to you. See how many of these 20 questions you can answer. Readers are welcome to offer their suggestions via the Comments facility. Unless all are guessed correctly, we will give answers in a couple of days. Send an email if you wish us to reveal sooner. Whichhttp://omnibuses.blogspot.com/2009/12/christmas-trivia-quiz.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (busing)22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15928016.post-2974364312198504876Sat, 05 Dec 2009 06:59:00 +00002009-12-05T08:42:22.307ZWe’re used to inflation (except we have very little now). When we talk of inflation, we mean someone putting up the cost of living. But there’s inflation elsewhere. What about academic inflation? You need a degree to do a job once given to an A-level student. GCSE grades have been rising for years. And professional inflation? Dentists are no longer plain mister, but doctor.And bus operators http://omnibuses.blogspot.com/2009/12/inflation_05.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (busing)5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15928016.post-1249053149382787979Fri, 04 Dec 2009 06:59:00 +00002009-12-05T08:42:13.828ZWhat do we know about the government’s Green Bus Fund winning bids, announced yesterday? Well, let’s start with what we don’t know. Though ADL, Optare, Volvo, Wrightbus and MCV are all suppliers, we don’t know specifically which manufacturers will benefit most, though we do know the DfT claims the fund will secure 1,000 manufacturing jobs (and just when the industry needs it most).We also don’t http://omnibuses.blogspot.com/2009/12/new-new-bus-grant-announced.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (busing)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15928016.post-8638992103818195999Thu, 03 Dec 2009 06:59:00 +00002009-12-05T08:41:42.861ZA very interesting graph appeared in a recent edition of routeONE magazine. It shows bus sales over the period 1975-2008. Although the Gen1 minibus is missing, it nevertheless offers quite an incite into our industry and how manufacturing output mirrors on-the-ground operations (quite logically, of course). We do what routeONE did not—take a canter through the years. The period 1975 to 1977 saw ahttp://omnibuses.blogspot.com/2009/12/it-says-it-all.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (busing)10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15928016.post-6615830670268103899Wed, 02 Dec 2009 06:59:00 +00002009-12-05T08:41:31.333ZOutlasting the NBC created at the same time but now a very different organisation, one-post-only contributor Gerry Marshden (sic) writes an off-beat (excuse the pun) account of Merseytravel, the Merseyside PTE, and sends some celebratory pictures, too Rain did not stop play on the celebratory day. MPTE inherited this former Liverpool AEC Regent V/MCW upon formation till withdrawal in 1976. Buses http://omnibuses.blogspot.com/2009/12/pte-at-40.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (busing)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15928016.post-6832732536449509169Tue, 01 Dec 2009 06:59:00 +00002009-12-05T08:41:10.239ZWe reported yesterday evening at 1912 that Plymouth Citybus has new owners—Go Ahead. It was no doubt a long afternoon in Plymouth’s council chamber. Only time will tell whether this is good or bad for Plymothians. If the discerning audience at Omnibuses is anything to go by, if Citybus had to sell, readers preferred Go Ahead. I wonder what First Group thinks.What we can now expect is rapid changehttp://omnibuses.blogspot.com/2009/12/its-sale.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (busing)5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15928016.post-9009227032587991758Mon, 30 Nov 2009 06:55:00 +00002009-11-30T06:55:00.170ZWith a decision on the sale of Plymouth Citybus expected today and a government seeking to reduce debt by realising £16bil in asset sales, what future is there for the remaining municipal arm-length companies?Local government owns about two-thirds of this £16bil-worth of assets. The suggestion seems to be that councils consider what they can release. Councils will obviously be expected to realisehttp://omnibuses.blogspot.com/2009/11/in-10-words-each.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (busing)5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15928016.post-3025712651854831764Sun, 29 Nov 2009 06:59:00 +00002009-11-29T14:48:30.702ZTomorrow’s Plymouth council meeting considers Plymouth’s children & young people’s plan, a three year review of the Gambling Act 2005 statement of principles and amendments to scrutiny committees’ terms of reference. But by far the most important item of business will be the sale to Go Ahead of Plymouth Citybus.Yesterday saw what some describe as a last gasp attempt at influencing Plymouth http://omnibuses.blogspot.com/2009/11/running-out-of-steam.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (busing)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15928016.post-3846028935947863057Sat, 28 Nov 2009 06:59:00 +00002009-11-28T07:37:39.148ZThe imminent arrival of Dorset’s first & solitary ex-London Mercedes Citaro articulated bus for use in the Poole-Bournemouth conurbation is provoking the selfish, uninformed and intolerant reaction you’d expect. Very few seem in favour. Very many don’t comprehend bus operations. At all. At the W&D Citaro artic trial of September 2009 The bendy bus will from 11 January be introduced by the companyhttp://omnibuses.blogspot.com/2009/11/uninformed-and-intolerant.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (busing)7