Another £10m for green buses
Transport Secretary Lord Adonis has announced that local authorities and bus
operators will have the opportunity to bid for an additional £10m to buy new
low carbon buses.
The ‘Green Bus Fund Competition 2’ will require State aid clearance.
This is an extension to the existing scheme which is delivering around 350
low carbon buses in England.
The plan is part of the Department for Transport’s wider strategy to
encourage a radical shift to low carbon transport and improve air quality in
our cities, which has seen it announce £30m funding for low carbon transport
It also includes £3.7m to develop a telematics facility at MIRA, Nuneaton,
to test, develop and demonstrate new intelligent transport technologies and
become a self-sustaining test centre.
National Express coach catches fire near
Hemel
Both
Ian Brown of Hemel
Hempstead and Glenn Knight reported that a National Express coach had
caught fire. The sent me the report from the local paper on March 30th.
From Hemel Hempstead Gazette newspaper website:
A driver was a hero after he evacuated passengers from a coach which burst
into flames on its way to Heathrow Airport.
The National Express driver assisted around 40 people off the single-decker
Scania and rescued their luggage after a fire started in the roof at around
11.05am today (March 30) on the B487 Hemel Hempstead road, Redbourn.
The road was closed as crews from St Albans, Harpenden and Redbourn smashed
a window to let smoke out as the fire engulfed the vehicle.
UK bus driver working times need to be cut on
safety grounds
25th March 2010
Unite, the largest union in the country, has launched a campaign to shave at
least an hour off the driving time of the UK’s bus drivers on grounds of
safety, and with no loss of pay.
100,000 Unite members are being mobilised around a Bus workers’ Charter that
puts similar demands for improvements to working conditions for all workers
in the sector, including ancillary staff, such as maintenance and clerical
staff, and even tram workers.
Unite’s campaign is mainly aimed at bringing bus drivers into line with the
rest of the European Union (EU). Ironically, UK coach and road haulage
drivers currently enjoy the protection of the EU regulations.
Unite wants this anomaly ironed out and has written to Simon Posner, chief
executive of the Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) UK, the trade
association for the industry, for talks on this issue. The CPT has responded
that it will not negotiate, putting the ball back in the union’s court.
A major campaign to involve union members in winning support amongst the
public is to ensue and even a national ballot across the industry to
determine how Unite’s members want to act has not been ruled out.
Unite’s national organiser for the transport sector, Graham Stevenson, said:
”British bus drivers are presently driving longer than their European
counterparts. This is wrong on grounds of safety because the deepening
congestion on Britain’s roads makes their job increasingly stressful and
hazardous.“
The British Driving Hours Regulations currently provide for bus drivers to
work for up to five and a half hours without any breaks, and up to 16 hours
in a whole day. To conform to the spirit of EU regulations, Unite wants:
-
a maximum
single piece of driving duty not to exceed four and a half hours
-
a maximum
length of driving time of no more than eight hours in one day
-
a maximum of
ten hours total working time in any one day.
The union acknowledges that employers will argue that the cost to introduce
such reforms will be expensive.
But Graham Stevenson argues: ”You can’t put a financial price on the safety
of drivers and the millions of passengers they carry throughout the year –
the most precious cargo of all. In any case, if all operators apply the same
decent rules, this will cost all of them equally – and shorter driving
spells will inhibit a race to the bottom, which has finally got so bad as to
force our members to say enough is enough.”
Changes to Arriva services around Aylesbury
Aylesbury Service update as from May 9th 2010
There will be revisions to services 4, 9, 60, 61 and 500 from w/c 9th
May, as follows:-
4
– Revised timetable from 1500 until finish on Monday to Friday, with a
slight increase in running time.
9
– Revised timetable from 1500 until 2000 on Monday to Friday with a slight
increase in running time. At all times, buses from Stoke Mandeville Hospital
towards the Bus Station will no longer run via Station Boulevard, running
instead directly along Friarage Road and into Great Western Street.
60
– First return journey to Buckingham on Monday to Friday will run about 7
minutes earlier
61
– Timetable change on Monday to Saturday to fit in with revised 500. Slight
increase in off peak running time and bigger increase in peak hour running
time.
500
– Major change to timetable. Apart from journeys at times of start and
finish of Tring School, route withdrawn from Station Road and Cow Lane in
Tring and instead will run direct via London Road. Most journeys to and from
Aylesbury withdrawn from Cassiobury Estate in Watford and will run direct
along Hempstead Road. Buses going towards Aylesbury will no longer serve
Marlowes on leaving Hemel Bus Station but will run direct back along
Waterhouse Street. Journeys no longer serve Kings Langley School. Increased
running time at certain times of the day. Still basically every 30 minutes
between Aylesbury and Watford, not via Cassiobury Estate, but now an extra
30 minute service added on Monday to Friday between Hemel Bus Station and
Watford but via Cassiobury Estate. Together with the service 550 which has a
co-ordinated 30 minute service between Hemel and Watford, this will mean we
offer a 10 minute service between Hemel and Watford.
Note that services 61 and 500 will have an added timing point at Tring Road,
Bedgrove Turn, so please check this on your duty boards. As changes occur we
are adding Station Boulevard and /or High Street times onto timetables and
duty boards. From this date they have been added to services 2,4,9, 61 and
500. other services will follow when their timetables next change.
There are several bay changes planned from the same date in Aylesbury Bus
Station, including the 4 and 9 moving onto bays 4 and 5 to avoid the need
for these services to reverse off the bays, thereby, added to the other
changes above, helping to speed up the services and increase reliability.
There is no change at present to the 280 service but we are currently
discussing and planning changes to this service and would hope to introduce
a new timetable in the autumn to resolve the issues with this service and
improve it where possible.
There will be a complete re-cut of duties for 9th May but few
rota line and rest day changes are expected.
Bicester, Bure Place Bus Station and the surrounding area is due to be
re-developed. Work will commence in Manorsfield Road to divert a stream and
utilities from 25th April. When work commences later in the
summer in Bure Place itself, the bus station will close and the bus stands
will move to a temporary home in Market Square. Further details nearer the
time.
DIVERSION SERVICE 16:
WADDESDON
From Tuesday 6th April to Monday 12th April, part of
Quainton Road in Waddesdon will be closed for “sewer connection to a
demarcation chamber”.
Therefore service 16 journeys that serve Quainton will need to divert via
Waddesdon High Street and A41 and then turn right into Station Road and
ahead at the crossroads by the Railway Centre, returning by the same
diversion in the reverse direction.
Thus bus stops in Quainton Road will be unserved for the duration.
Arriva takes over as the name for their services in MK
Well, say goodbye to the MK Metro name, From 25th April all services will
officially be run by “Arriva Buses” - of course for staff, they all
transferred on the 1st Jan, This just makes it official.
Route maps are now available on the Arriva MK minisite as well as a Town
guide for commercial routes.
Town Guide >>>>>
Click Here
Route 1 Map >>>>>
Click Here
Route 2 Map >>>>>
Click Here
Route 3 Map >>>>>
Click Here
Route 4/4A Map >>>>>
Click Here
Route 5/5A Map >>>>>
Click Here
Route 7/7A Map >>>>>
Click Here
Route 8/8A Map >>>>>
Click Here
«
MK Star Network – MK Metro Service Changes
Blackpool update by Geoff Cunliffe
After a difficult winter, Blackpool trams are back in service from tomorrow.
Tonight’s newspaper carries a photograph of two cars on test runs passing by
the Tower.
The winter stoppage has, of course, been to allow parts of the track to be
replaced in a £100m upgrade. A full service will resume at 8am on Good
Friday between the Pleasure Beach and Cleveleys. Vandalism has prevented the
reopening of the section between Cleveleys and Ash Street in Fleetwood for
at least six weeks after £135,000 worth of cable needed for the overhead
was stolen.
During the winter, more than seven miles of track have been replaced and the
overhead line has been replaced between the Pleasure Beach and Little
Bispham. Work has also been carried out to upgrade some signal junctions to
improve journey times on the new line.
The weather meant that the planned works to replace the track at Talbot
Square could not take place and this has been put back until next winter. In
a simplification of the trackwork, the short three-track section outside the
Tower has now become two track with a simple crossover. The facility was
used for posing trams and for ‘turning’ short workings.
There are also small work sites along the way which are new platforms being
built in readiness for the new trams, Eventually they will have shelters but
they won’t be in use until the new trams enter service in 2012.
The system will shut down again at the end of this year’s illuminations for
further work, and the section between the Pleasure Beach and Starr Gate will
remain closed until the new trams enter service.
Car 641 leaves Cleveleys on its return to Blackpool. This is one of the East
Lancs bodied Centenary cars to retain its original windscreens.
Also home-built Jubilee (based on a mid-30s Balloon double decker), car 761
approaching the Lowther Avenue stop between Bispham and The Cabin.
Malta Story by Gavin Francis – March 2010 (Part 1)
A very happy holidaymaker - Gavin and a rather elderly bus in Valetta, March
15th 2010. Picture by Ed Snook.
After a period of 28 years since my last visit and with the proposed
withdrawal of the traditional Maltese buses I decided it was time to revisit
the island to sample some of these icons of public transport. So on March 14th
a party of 4 of us set off for Malta and with the help of an excellent
flight from Stelios Airways soon found ourselves on an overcast and windy
island.
My
knowledge about these buses was very limited but with the purchase of Malta
Buses fleet books and the personal knowledge of my colleague Chris Maxfield
I was armed with enough information to try and both see and sample as many
of the fleet as possible.
Basically there are 508 route buses numbered from DBY 300-470, EBY 471-640
and FBY 641-807. On any day approximately 300 buses are required to operate
the services which means that only just over half the buses are on the road
on any particular day. The age and type of vehicle are freely mixed and not
numbered in batches and a system of virtually any bus on any route is
operated. This means it is possible to make your journey on a modern King
Long low-floor bus and return on a 50 year bus based on a lorry chassis.
The operating conditions are not easy as during the summer months the
temperatures can reach 40 degrees and the road surfaces on some of the
routes are not much more than tracks where speeds of not much more than
walking pace are possible.
Travel is very cheap. We bought a seven day pass which cost us 14 Euros each
which equates to less than £2 a day. I noticed that notes are not accepted
by the drivers and no return tickets issued. What also seemed strange was
the number of inspectors that boarded the buses. From my experience one
boarded at least every other trip.
Because of the small size of the island most routes are less than 1 hour in
length, the longest which coincidentally was the route which went from
Valletta to our hotel in Mellieha and onto the ferry port for Gozo is about
75mins long.
Here are a selection of pictures showing a representation of what I consider
to be classic Malta buses and brief details of each one. Most are taken in
the bus station in Valletta unless otherwise stated. I was among many people
taking pictures there and spoke to a group of 20 who were there covering the
whole island. The drivers were great with no problem taking pictures and as
many are the buses owners were more than happy to talk about their vehicles
history.
DBY 306.
This bus has a 1973 body built by Aquilina based on a 1953 Leyland Royal
Tiger PSU1/16 chassis originally Southdown 1650.
DBY 322.
The chassis of this bus is a 1933 Fordson and the body was built in 1964 by
Tonna.
DBY 329.
This has a 1964 body by Gauci and is built on a 1947 Bedford OB chassis and
is pictured in the Bus Station in Rabat.
DBY 346.
This bus has a 1965 body by Zammit and is built on a 1948 AEC Regal III
chassis.
DBY 361.
This bus has a 1958 body by Sammut and is built on a Bedford QLD 4x4
dropside military chassis of 1944 vintage.
DBY 368.
This bus has a 1955 body by Sammut and is built on a 1939 Reo Speedwagon
chassis. The interior picture shows that it has acquired a Bedford Steering
Wheel and column. The heat, noise and smell that comes from this type of cab
layout must be a challenge for drivers to endure particularly during the
summer months.
DBY 381.
This AEC Mercury lorry chassis of 1967 was bodied by Brincat in 1967.
DBY 397.
This bus has a Xuereb body built in 1954 and is mounted on a 1943 GMC
military lorry chassis.
DBY 401.
This bus has a 1965 body by Debono and is built on a 1932 Leyland TS4
chassis. Was possibly once a DD from NE England.
DBY 434.
This bus has a Aquilina body rebuilt in 2007 and is mounted on an Indiana
1938 chassis.
DBY 445.
This bus has a 1960 Albion chassis which was stored until 1967 when it was
bodied by Barbara.
EBY 486.
This bus has a 1944 Ford V8 War Department chassis and body by Vella in
1959.
EBY 498.
This bus has a 1956 AEC Reliance chassis originally carrying a coach body
for Sheffield United Tours with body by Aquilina in 1973.
EBY 506.
Another bus built on a Ford V8 chassis dating from 1941 with Casha 1949
body. It is photographed outside Mosta Cathedral.
EBY 536.
This is a 1959 Dodge with body by Casha.
EBY 537.
The chassis of this bus is a 1952 Ford Thames E17 bodied by Micallef in
1953. The only normal control bus I saw operating and a must for
preservation when the end comes. Immaculately maintained by its owner
driver.
EBY 555.
This bus has a 1957 AEC Mercury lorry chassis which was held in Customs
until 1964 after which it was bodied by Brincat in 1967.
EBY 584.
This bus has a 1956 Bedford SL chassis with Falzon 1965 body.
EBY 603.
This bus has a 1951 ex-RAF AEC Matador chassis with Gauci 1965 body.
EBY 620.
This bus has a Leyland Royal Tiger PSU1/13 chassis from 1954 and Caruana
1979 body. Chassis was originally Bournemouth 92.
EBY 632.
This bus has a Bedford SL 1956 chassis and 1966 Zammit body and is pictured
at Rabat Bus Station.
FBY 645.
This bus has a 1951 RAF Bedford SB chassis with Aquilina 1970 body.
FBY 659.
This bus has a AEC Mustang GM6RH lorry chassis and 1968 Aquilina body.
FBY 695.
This bus has a Ford 6 chassis dating form 1945 and a Barbara
body from 1963. It contrasts with a 2003 King Long alongside which it
operates.
FBY 750.
This bus is a 1972 Aquilina body on a Dodge KR900 1966 lorry
chassis.
FBY 803.
This bus has a 1960 Bedford SLCO chassis with Barbara 1973
bodywork.
In Part 2 I will cover the large fleet of ex-London Swift
buses which still operate there.
Bournemouth & Southampton by John Hammond
Had a brief
visit to Bournemouth & Southampton over the weekend, the aim of the trip was
to catch two Leyland operated routes in service including the change to ride
on a Leyland National still in service and with its original engine.
We started out in Bournemouth early to catch the 8.30am 238 to Salisbury
operated by Thompson's Tours of Christchurch. Thompson's started this
Saturday only route via Ringwood replacing an old H&D route. The W&D X3
route offers a more direct route but Thompson's offer a regular selection of
their preserved fleet. Our trip was in the hands of WFX257S a DP National
preserved in Peoples Provincial livery. This bus still retains its
charismatic Leyland 0.510 engine and it was a very enjoyable trip through to
Ringwood with a very pleasant driver giving us lots of information about the
operation.
We changed at Ringwood because we wanted to carry onto Southampton, the
route being the Dorset Sprinter operated X5/X55 which has been operated by a
trio of lime green Mk2 Lynxes new to Cardiff Bus. J267UDW arrived to take us
through to Southampton, a fine blast through the New Forest and along the
M27 to Southampton, reminded me of travelling on Sovereign's Lynx fleet in
the mid 1990's around Stevenage. Whilst waiting at Ringwood, we saw the
other Thompson's bus on the 238 in the form of ex Western National Leyland
Olympian A989XAF which has a convertible ECW body. I understand that in the
summer, this bus will be operated as an open topper. A little Wilts & Dorset
variety to be found at Ringwood in the form of Optare Excels and Solos with
the odd Spectra
in pre Go Ahead takeover livery.
On arrival in Southampton, I caught up with an old colleague from my days at
Stagecoach in Warwickshire's Rugby commercial department, we decided to have
a trip around the wider Southampton area using a Solent day travel card.
First have a mixed variety of buses in Southampton with a lot of cast off ex
London step entrance double deckers and buses from other parts of the First
empire. We took a trip on our third Leyland of the day in the form of
K628LAE, an ex Bristol CityLine Leyland Olympian. It looked rather down at
heel inside having not seen a makeover from its days in Bristol. After a
return to Southampton we took a trip on a Blue Star Volvo B7 which had
recently been refurbished and looked a much more attractive product than the
reject from Bristol. We arrived in Eastleigh, which is now split between
Blue Star and Velvet Travel. Velvet is run by former Blue Star MD Phil
Stockley and the company has now expanded its network around Eastleigh. We
missed our chance for a 4th Leyland trip, whilst Velvet had 2 ex Lothian
Olympians out, both were being used as staff shuttle vehicles. We took a
Velvet A to Hedge End, operated by one of the former Dome shuttle DAF/EL
Millenniums V11 GMT. At Hedge End we bailed out to get a bus back to
Southampton centre so we could get our train home again.
The
familiar yellow buses of Bournemouth
Thompsons WFX257S arrives into Bournemouth ready to take up service, with
Transdev Yellow Buses & W&D More branded buses waiting on stands.
An Optare
Spectra of W&D seen in Ringwood in the pre Go Ahead takeover livery.
Thompsons WFX257S at Ringwood.
HF03HJY is an Optare Excel of Wilts & Dorset in the latest W&D livery. Seen
in Ringwood
YG52CLO is a Blue Star VDL Cadet seen here in Southampton
M259VWW is a Dennis Dart / Alexander Dash new to Yorkshire Rider, but not
operating for First in Southampton.
K238LAE is an ex Bristol City Line Leyland Olympian now in the First H&D
fleet
Brijan Tours run several supported services into Southampton, here is a
Wright Handybus bodied Dennis Dart.
History
The
Oxford Bus Museum recently held an open day to launch a new book on
Oxford's older buses. Richard Sharman took some nice pictures on the day.
Pictures of the various exhibits on display.
Visiting buses conveyed visitors.
David
Percy writes
"I
have hundreds of archive photos in my loft, are you interested for the O&C
pages? All unpublished, from 1972 - 1982ish."
Scotland, c1976.
YWS612, a PD Leyland, it was a very rare peak time only vehicle, and in it's
last few months in service.
MSF467P, a tidy looking Leyland Atlantean, seen in Princes Street.
GSX118N, a Bedford, with the timeless Alexander Y type bodywork, taken at
Waverley station.
Leyland PD3 EWS828D seen on route 12 in Princess Street.
HVS52N, our tour vehicle parked up at the entrance to Edinburgh Waverley
station, from memory it was a B58 Volvo, with a Plaxton body,
it was the top of the range vehicle for it's day, and Parks were (and
indeed still are) a major tour company in Scotland.
Our tour coach HVS52N parked outside our B&B in Haymarket, being overtaken
by a Leyland Atlantean, in the ever smart Madder and White livery of Lothian
Regional Transport.
"Somewhere, I had a few days out in Oxford c1976, and will root around for
those pictures for a future edition of S&J!"
I am sure many
readers will appreciate this "blast from the past" and I look forward to
further contributions from David. ED.
Coming Events
The Kemble Steam Extravaganza once again this year, which is taking place at
the Cotswold Airport from Friday 6th – Sunday 8th
August.
Record bus and
coach displays at South-West's largest festival of transport
The
Gloucestershire Steam & Vintage Extravaganza makes a welcome return to
Cotswold Airport (previously known as Kemble Airfield) this year from
Friday 6th - Sunday 8th August 2010, taking the show in to its 36th
year.
The show
was originally conceived for steam enthusiasts, but the range of exhibits
has grown year on year. It now boasts a huge array of vintage transport,
including buses, coaches, motorcycles, military vehicles, classic cars,
tractors, aircraft, commercial vehicles, traction engines and historic
caravans. A live action arena, interactive demonstrations, rare breeds,
shire horses, trade stands and a vintage fun fair along with hundreds of
curiosity stalls ranging from Victorian memorabilia, antique sewing and
knitting machines to model dolls houses, petrol pumps, vintage garden tools
and 1940s – 1950’s home wares makes this three day extravaganza one of the
UK's best value family outdoor shows.
Widely regarded as a show within a show, the bus section has grown from
humble beginnings to a vintage vehicle rally in its own right. Attracting
exhibits from the length of the land as well as from foreign climes as far
as china, the line up of vehicles is as colourful as it is impressive.
Buses of
every shape, size and configuration will be represented, with highlights
including a
Bristol built double-decker once operated by Lincolnshire Road Car.
You can
also expect to find an array of preserved buses that you would have perhaps
once travelled on as a child, such as classic Bedford OBs. The section is
certainly a nostalgia trip not to be missed!
John
Hitchings of the bus and coach section of Gloucestershire Steam & Vintage
Extravaganza says: "Everybody enjoys seeing old buses and coaches because
we each remember special journeys made on them. A ride on a vintage bus is a
trip heavy with nostalgia."
A free vintage bus service will be operating to and from Kemble railway
station throughout the show to connect with selected First Great Western
Trains. A courtesy bus will also shuttle guests to the Bristol Aero
collection. Formed in 1990, this collection records 95 years of Bristol
aviation and space heritage. Based in a large wartime hangar, the collection
includes aircraft, helicopters, missiles and engines. For details of the bus
schedule, please refer to the website
www.steamextravaganza.com
Buses will depart from outside the main show entrance.
Pictures from last year's event
Admission
Information:
Discounted tickets are available to buy online, please visit
www.steamextravaganza.com
Discounted
tickets are also available from Local Tourist Information Centres including:
Stroud, Cirencester, Chippenham, Swindon, Malmesbury, Gloucester,
Cheltenham, Cotswolds and Tetbury.
Prices on
the Gate:
Adult:
Friday: £7,
Saturday or Sunday: £10, Weekender: £15
Concessions:
Friday: £6, Saturday or Sunday: £9, Weekender: £13
Juniors:
Friday: £4, Saturday or Sunday: £5, Weekender: £8
Under 5’s
free of charge
Friday
family ticket:
£18
(2 adults & 2 children)
Saturday or
Sunday family ticket:
£25 (2 adults & 2 children)
Gates open:
Friday – Sunday, 10.00am Public enquiries contact: 01453 890891
All profits
donated to the Cobalt Appeal Fund, Diabetes UK & The County Air Ambulance.
Pictureview
Gavin Francis
found this interesting window display in the Falklands Tourist Office in
London.
Parrked outside the Castle in Oxford was this ex First L639PWR Scania
N113CRB 1823358 B48F 51994 Yorkshire Rider 863.
Does anyone know what it was doing there?
Picture by Gavin Francis.
/Former Arriva Yorkshire 254 now with Bicester Gliding Club. Richard
Sharman to the picture.
