christopherrfc
Member
- Joined
- 16 Oct 2011
- Messages
- 282
Someone snapped an open top on test runs, so yes, that is their plan.Only running for the summer. Wonder if they will put the open top on it?
I take it that there's been a change of plan? The status of the service on VOSA has gone to Withdrawn. Presumably the open toppers go to the re-instated 547 which is also going to Largs on Sundays.Someone snapped an open top on test runs, so yes, that is their plan.
https://flickr.com/photos/93603531@N04/51999904729/
McGill’s Buses has ordered a further 41 Yutong battery-electric buses. They will be part-funded by phase one of the Scottish Zero Emission Bus (ScotZEB) challenge fund and take to 96 the number of Yutong zero-emission buses with the operator.
Of those on order, 10 will be the 10.9m E10 model and the remaining 31 will be the 12.2m E12. Supplier Pelican Bus and Coach previously delivered 55 E12s to McGill’s, all of which arrived before the COP26 climate change summit in November 2021.
The 41 additional buses are due to be delivered and in service in Q1 2023, subject to infrastructure work. When they are in use, almost 25% of the McGill’s fleet will be zero-emission. £9.09m of ScotZEB money will go towards the latest batch.
They're proposed to be for the 3, 7, 61, 64, 517, 531, 532, 533 & 904. The CEO confirmed this on the "Official McGill's Bus Enthusiast Group" on Facebook back in March.McGill's orders 41 more Yutong battery-electric buses - routeone
McGill's Buses will expand its Yutong battery-electric fleet to 96 with a further order for 10 E10s and 31 E12 from supplier Pelican.www.route-one.net
Do we have any idea what routes these will appear on?
Don’t think the express services will cope with range.
Aren't most of those routes using buses branded very recently? I know that the 531/2/3 and 517 are all currently dedicated branded E200MMCs that moved in around Oct/Nov last year when the E12s came to Inchinnan.They're proposed to be for the 3, 7, 61, 64, 517, 531, 532, 533 & 904. The CEO confirmed this on the "Official McGill's Bus Enthusiast Group" on Facebook back in March.
The 7 uses branded ex-38 Citaros and the 61 has branded E200 MMCs as well. The 3 usually seems to be 38 branded E12sAren't most of those routes using buses branded very recently? I know that the 531/2/3 and 517 are all currently dedicated branded E200MMCs that moved in around Oct/Nov last year when the E12s came to Inchinnan.
I’m hearing murmurings that McGills intend to close the Coatbridge depot and the staff there have been given their 90 days notice. Can anyone confirm this?
Yes and it has been retendered as posted in the SPT thread:I did see someone make a post on the local community page last week, but I cannot find anything in any of the local and regional rags, nor anything on the SPT website either.
Of note, the 147/247 that runs Monklands Hospital to Kirkintilloch/Kilsyth are operated by Coatbridge and are supported by SPT.
Interesting name choice considering that pre City Sightseeing the Glasgow tour was Discovering Glasgow!From McGills Twitter looks like West Coast Motors may be getting competition "We are recruiting Open Top Tour drivers for our next new adventure…For more information or to apply you can call 01505 701 013 or email [email protected]"
View attachment 115202
They recently started an open top tour in Dundee, which is branded as Discover Dundee, so I expect they have simply kept that ‘theme’.Interesting name choice considering that pre City Sightseeing the Glasgow tour was Discovering Glasgow!
Here we go again, anything for a quick buck.From McGills Twitter looks like West Coast Motors may be getting competition "We are recruiting Open Top Tour drivers for our next new adventure…For more information or to apply you can call 01505 701 013 or email [email protected]"
View attachment 115202
From McGills Twitter looks like West Coast Motors may be getting competition "We are recruiting Open Top Tour drivers for our next new adventure…For more information or to apply you can call 01505 701 013 or email [email protected]"
View attachment 115202
To be fair though, as much as most locals don't think Glasgow is that interesting, tourists seem to still absolutely love here so there's a good chance this succeeds a lot.Here we go again, anything for a quick buck.
Why would you have a beef with this? They're a bus company providing a service with a bus. What is the problem.Here we go again, anything for a quick buck.
Do you feel the same about every city with a second tour operator, or is it just McGills?Here we go again, anything for a quick buck.
Here we go again, anything for a quick buck.
Or simply splits the revenue that West Coast Buses takes.To be fair though, as much as most locals don't think Glasgow is that interesting, tourists seem to still absolutely love here so there's a good chance this succeeds a lot.
It’s unnecessary.Why would you have a beef with this? They're a bus company providing a service with a bus. What is the problem.
I’ve no problem who operates a tour service.Do you feel the same about every city with a second tour operator, or is it just McGills?
Unsurprising, Yes."Commercial Bus Operator Tries to Make Money"
Shock! Horror!
Indeed…I really don't understand why you have a problem with this. McGills have obviously identified that there's room for them in the market and that they could potentially make some money out of it; why else would they do it?
We've seen from the "other" city that a challenger to the incumbent tour operator can do quite well. Good luck to them.
That's not a problem if the market is big enough to sustain two operators. Clearly McGills think there's a big enough pie for them go be able to have a slice.Or simply splits the revenue that West Coast Buses takes.
You obviously do otherwise we wouldn't be having this discussion!I’ve no problem who operates a tour service
Not this old chestnut again.In the midst of an apparent driver shortage and yet there’s space in the industry to pull drivers from somewhere to operate a tour service when there’s already one in place? Apparently so.
"Will likely" suggests that you don't actually know what vehicles they will be using. If they do use diesel buses, they'll have to comply with whatever regulations are required.West Coast Motors have recently it would seem invested in Electric Buses for use on there own Sightseeing Route yet McGills will likely be using Diesels for this, seems to defeat the purposes of a LEZ or even our governments Net Zero targets.
I imagine it'll use the four recently acquired B9TL Gemini 2s from Lothian:West Coast Motors have recently it would seem invested in Electric Buses for use on there own Sightseeing Route yet McGills will likely be using Diesels for this, seems to defeat the purposes of a LEZ or even our governments Net Zero targets.
Four Volvo B9TL with open top Wright Gemini bodywork have been acquired from Lothian Buses. They are:
2852 - BF60UUG
2853 - BF60UUH
2854 - BF60UUJ
2855 - LX60DXA
I think it's a perfectly valid point if the operator is struggling to cover their core commercial network (see: Dundee)Not this old chestnut again.
I imagine it'll use the four recently acquired B9TL Gemini 2s from Lothian:
I think it's a perfectly valid point if the operator is struggling to cover their core commercial network (see: Dundee)
There's 2 things that make it not invalid btw:I've said it before regarding all the operations that do this type of work, it doesn't take drivers away from normal service as these drivers are new recruits who won't do the normal service work. It's not drivers taken from normal service and those drivers who they do employ won't stay around if the service finishes in winter. The argument that they are taking drivers from normal services which are short is invalid
That doesn’t make sense. Have the mcgills drivers turned against the flixbus drivers? Have the Citybus drivers turned agains the Glasgow sightseeing drivers?There's 2 things that make it not invalid btw:
1) Paying more for tour staff will absolutely cause issues on the normal network as it'll turn drivers against you if they want more too and can't get it.
Are these the same passengers who want a bus lane on every inch of the city?2) It deters passengers of your normal network if there's clearly more effort being put into tours than getting more drivers in for normal work.
It makes plenty of sense. If people are in the same job as others but paid more and if anything have it much easier it is likely to turn some heads. That's part of every industry. We do need more bus lanes in the city to be fair and main roads especially should have moreThat doesn’t make sense. Have the mcgills drivers turned against the flixbus drivers? Have the Citybus drivers turned agains the Glasgow sightseeing drivers?
Are these the same passengers who want a bus lane on every inch of the city?