Bus cleaning...

[BuhSnarf]

I assume this is entirely operator specific but roughly how often are buses washed? And also cleaned inside?

The reason I ask is that with all the grit and mud on the road is it has gotten to the point where you're straining to see which stop you're at on my routes with Arriva, yet I keep seeing the first buses with squeaky clean windows. I wont even mention centrebus who must not own a bye cleaner and are waiting for the rain!

 

[anthony263]

When I was working at Veolia Transport Cymru in Penclawdd we did have a washer which we used to drive the bus or coaches through at the end of each day as we came back into the depot.

As for cleaning the inside of the buses, I know first do employ cleaners who will clean the vehicles overnight and sometimes the drivers will go through the bus picking up litter especially if the vehicle is required to be back out quickly.

 

[driver9000]

When I was on the buses they were washed externally daily and the interiors swept and mopped. From memory they were deep cleaned every 6 weeks.

Sometimes if I had the time I would have a quick tidy round when on layover at the terminus.

 

[anthony263]

When I was on the buses they were washed externally daily and the interiors swept and mopped. From memory they were deep cleaned every 6 weeks.

Sometimes if I had the time I would have a quick tidy round when on layover at the terminus.

I must admit I never did that

 

[transportphoto]

Three operators in my area clean their buses daily, they are: Norfolk Green, GoAhead konectbus and AnglianBus - this is both internal and external

TP

 

[BuhSnarf]

Guess Arriva midlands are the exception to the rule!

 

[trentside]

I find that TrentBarton are usually good for cleanliness - but I'm not sure that's always the case.

Marshall's of Sutton on Trent are also good at presentation.

In Lincoln, the biggest independent, PC Coaches, have the concept of a driver being responsible for his own bus - as most work the same duty day in, day out with the same bus. They clean out the inside at the end of the day and also choose when to put it through the wash.

 

[MCR247]

Trent Barton are normally quite good, so are NCT, but the omnidekkas on the 1 get really dirty!

 

[trentside]

Trent Barton are normally quite good, so are NCT, but the omnidekkas on the 1 get really dirty!

I'd forgotten NCT actually. I don't use them that often but have often been pleasantly surprised by how clean their buses are for a city operator.

 

[ChrisCooper]

Trent Barton are normally quite good, so are NCT, but the omnidekkas on the 1 get really dirty!

The 1s have always been dirty, probably because they spend much of their time running on country roads, unlike the rest of the fleet which stays in the city.

It does vary from company to company, but most buses do go through the wash on return to the depot, usually after fueling. Most fairly modern depots have the wash placed so buses have to go through it to enter the depot. Oviously, the quality of the equipment varies, with some depots having older and fairly poor equipment, wheras others will have modern washes which will read a transponder on the bus to know the type, and how long since the last wash, and vary the wash accordingly. Some buses will be outstationed at places without washing facilities, so will be rotated to make sure they are washed fairly regularly.
Internal cleaning varies from a rough sweep out to a full mop.
On the whole medium sized depots tend to be best at cleaning. Big ones often have too many vehicles to get everything cleaned properly every night, especially if there aren't enough washes and cleaners. Small ones often lack as good equipment, or even rely on hand washing (better, but oviously more time consuming). Some companies use a mix of automatic washers and hand washing.

 

[142094]

Sure the cleaning regime must step up a notch or two in winter due to the condition of the roads and people bringing salt/grit and mud onto the buses. Course in recent years the proliferation of Metro newspapers hasn't helped the problem.

 

[dvboy]

NX West Midlands are always filthy inside, even first thing in the morning. I wonder how often they are cleaned.

 

[SS4]

Arriva Midlands are as clean as an operating room compared to NXWM! I swear there are new species of fungi growing on some buses and the 28 always stinks to high heaven.

 

[BuhSnarf]

NX West Midlands are always filthy inside, even first thing in the morning. I wonder how often they are cleaned.

Yes, always noticed nx are always dirty too.

The Arriva midlands ones are normally OK inside, it's the outside that bugs me as you just can't see where you are at night.

Here is the window I am looking out this morning at 6.30am. Not been muddy out properly since the weekend!

 

[Pyromaniac]

It could depend if the vehicles are stored somewhere with a bus wash. Some vehicles may not get washed for a few days if they are kept at an outstation that only has concrete and a fueling point. If the garages have a wash there is no excuse, unless of course it breaks .

 

[Pumbaa]

Guess Arriva midlands are the exception to the rule!

Arriva Meraeyside - get on Monday morning 8am, kebab will still be there from Saturday evening. Awful!

 

[Blindtraveler]

would be interesting to see a list of internal cleaning tasks for both a daily and a deap clean to see how indepth they both are

 

[jonesy3001]

When i worked at stagecoach in lancaster, the buses were washed every night, fuelled and swept out, the only time buses didnt get washed was when either they came back from repaint or the wash shuts down as it freezes and automatically shuts down.
The interior cleaners clean the buses when they are in the garage for a 21day service meaning 5 buses a day got cleaned and depending what is left over for the night interior cleaners.

 

[Harlesden]

In London, First Centrewest buses (out of Willesden Junction or Alperton) are often very dirty while Arriva North buses (out of Wood Green, Palmers Green, Tottenham) always seem to be very clean.
It is rather irritating occasionally not even being able to see out of a 487's window on the first service of the day

 

[ChrisCooper]

When i worked at stagecoach in lancaster, the buses were washed every night, fuelled and swept out, the only time buses didnt get washed was when either they came back from repaint or the wash shuts down as it freezes and automatically shuts down.
The interior cleaners clean the buses when they are in the garage for a 21day service meaning 5 buses a day got cleaned and depending what is left over for the night interior cleaners.

Actually that's a good point that i'd forgotten about. Washes will often not work in very cold conditions since they will freeze, plus if it's expected to be cold overnight and buses are stored outside, washing them is asking for a layer of ice on them in the morning. That, plus the grit on the roads, helps explain why buses are often so dirty in the winter. Trains suffer the same problems too in terms of washes not working, or being avoided to prevent ice build up. To be honest though, how many perfectly clean cars do you see during the cold weather? Not many, again for the same reasons, gritty roads make them dirty, hosepipes are frozen and if you wash the car and leave it outside it's likely to freeze solid before it dries. The sort of people who can keep their cars clean all year round are the sort who wouldn't touch public transport most of the time anyway.