(As a precursor to all & so another message doesn't get deleted for "no source", my source(s) is/are I know people inside, I am not allowed to say more than this)
Any changes planned for First York? We still have some Uni liveried buses running about on the 1,4 & 5s. Their paintwork is shabby and, of course, entirely inappropriate. One double deck EV seems to be on the 4s every day and the Hospital bus often escapes on to other routes. The original fleet of single deck EVs for P&R route 59 seems to have totally disappeared as has route 59. It always amuses me that a new large property development on the line of route seem to think that the 59 will restart soon but I understand it will not as First York do not have the staff.
On a positive note the service reduction to every 15 minutes on my local route 1 has led to remarkable reliability.
I know what the plan is with 59s, but I'm not sure I'm allowed to say. If you can do a little abstracting from the below, you may be able to work it out
One of the Versa EVs has been away since Feb getting a new drivetrain and batteries, all will be retrofitted and reintroduced if it goes well. (If not, it may be some more robbing of buses from other W Yorks depots?) Some of them were/are (IDK if any are still there) indeed stored in Halifax as the batteries were KO'd on some. You just need to note that often the UB1 has a streetlite or a B7RLE on in the afternoon.
One 4 is regularly scheduled to be a DD EV as they have 4/5 Metrodeckers in non P&R livery, which were to boost city services, not for P&R as the 9 was supposed to stay single deck EV along with the 59.
The HSB interworks with a 6, so it's no longer guaranteed to be the dedicated branded bus. No clue what is to happen to the uni liveried B9s, whether they will be repainted into a standard first livery or not, but university services are getting new streetdeck micro hybrids as a filler until the uni services are re-tendered. Whoever wins, it's to go electric.
Bendy buses are to be the first buses to go once new EVs arrive. Was supposed to be the arrival buses but as others have pointed out, no longer happening. Not heard anything concrete on what the replacement is, but I know yutongs were thought of very highly among drivers who tested one a few years ago.
Thank you. Ah yes the 44 new electric buses which were due to come from Arrival. That is not going to happen and I imagine any replacements for these will take a couple of years to appear. Especially, as it was part of a deal First Bus corporate did with Arrival.
Bendy bus (11104) on the normally double deck P&R 3 today!
Bendy buses are to be allocated as 3 on the 2s, then 1 on 8s (Board Starting 0724/0924/0954, M-F/Sa/Su) then either another 1 on 8s (Board starting 0500/0930, M-Sa/Su), 1 on 3s or 1 on 7s, in that preference order. Not all drivers are bendy trained, so occasionally this doesn't always hold true and I know of one driver who took a bendy on a 10. I know the 8 boards they go on as I frequently use the 8s, unsure on the 3/7 boards are I don't really use them often
