Go Cornwall Bus

[Lizard1324]

The TfC E400MMCs are longer than the FK ones.

I see, don't think it matters on the 34 as there is only one bridge at pholdu but you do need to swing out so might be that, how much longer are they then the e400s

 

[Goldfish62]

I see, don't think it matters on the 34 as there is only one bridge at pholdu but you do need to swing out so might be that, how much longer are they then the e400s

About 0.3m on the wheelbase.

 

[richw]

I see, don't think it matters on the 34 as there is only one bridge at pholdu but you do need to swing out so might be that, how much longer are they then the e400s

Doesn’t Lizard or mullion somewhere like that where it is narrow through the buildings with a turn sees some long ones come unstuck?

 

[Lizard1324]

Doesn’t Lizard or mullion somewhere like that where it is narrow through the buildings with a turn sees some long ones come unstuck?

Yes mullion does have building that cause damage like they did before but this is width of the bus but there is places where if you swing out you can cause damage mainly cars, thinking about it there is places where a kernow bus has scraped the floor coming out of a mullion housing estate and there is a big speed hump which has caused issues before.
But he was doing alot of reversing when I saw the e400mmc probaly because there is generators poweringbthe village atm and they are placed on the road and bus stop so training to reverse a longer bus.

 

[richw]

Yes mullion does have building that cause damage like they did before but this is width of the bus but there is places where if you swing out you can cause damage mainly cars, thinking about it there is places where a kernow bus has scraped the floor coming out of a mullion housing estate and there is a big speed hump which has caused issues before.
But he was doing alot of reversing when I saw the e400mmc probaly because there is generators poweringbthe village atm and they are placed on the road and bus stop so training to reverse a longer bus.

It’s the length with a tail swing not width, affects inexperienced drivers

 

[Goldfish62]

The new timetables from 1st November are now on the website including, at long last the (re-) appearance of route 7!

 

[Busaholic]

The new timetables from 1st November are now on the website including, at long last the (re-) appearance of route 7!

Would some kind person who is not partially colour blind tell me if the Lands End to Zennor, then back to St Just, working is a schoolday only working, as I assume but am quite incapable of reading the appended code?

 

[richw]

Would some kind person who is not partially colour blind tell me if the Lands End to Zennor, then back to St Just, working is a schoolday only working, as I assume but am quite incapable of reading the appended code?

It is indeed. The middle column that doesn’t do full route.

 

[Lizard1324]

Does anyone know when all the new buses will come to Cornwall as they seem to be spending all there time around Plymouth, fair enough the one that go from Cornwall to Devon through Torpoint
Also are we meant to receive the 64 plate enviro 400s as I haven't seen one in Cornwall for many months now and they seem to be all based from Plymouth.
Thirdly the new e400mmc that have reached Cornwall, a large majority of them are only being used for school contract work an example is the ones based at Helston they do a school run from Helston to penzance they then sit all day till the evening when it does the same route, sorely this isn't a good use of a expensive new bus.

 

[richw]

The 12 appears to be nearly all 70 plate deckers.
a fair few seem to see use on callywith college and then parked in their Bodmin yard all day

 

[Lizard1324]

The 12 appears to be nearly all 70 plate deckers.
a fair few seem to see use on callywith college and then parked in their Bodmin yard all day

Thats what is happening for the Helston and penzance depot most of them go out for 1 hour and do a school route then are parked up

 

[embers25]

12's were running very late this morning, though 34's were worse. Still better than yesterday where three buses at least got very lost, including one that missed a school and had to go back 30 plus minutes late.
20 plate long single ridiculously on the 220 Launceston-Crackington that really struggled round the very narrow route to Jacobstow with its 2 passengers. Driver was excellent but new so had to be guided on the correct route in several places.
Had 09 plate E200 former Oakleys bus today on the 95 which barely got up the hill from Crackington and was over 10 late by Boscastle.

Considering the timetables keep getting tinkered with, how are they all still so far off correct. If it wasnt for covid many would be over 30 late regularly as most are +15 despite running mainly empty. I like that TfC twitter now consider buses running well when they run under 8 minutes late. Not sure who decided 8 minutes.

 

[carlberry]

Does anyone know when all the new buses will come to Cornwall as they seem to be spending all there time around Plymouth, fair enough the one that go from Cornwall to Devon through Torpoint
Also are we meant to receive the 64 plate enviro 400s as I haven't seen one in Cornwall for many months now and they seem to be all based from Plymouth.
Thirdly the new e400mmc that have reached Cornwall, a large majority of them are only being used for school contract work an example is the ones based at Helston they do a school run from Helston to penzance they then sit all day till the evening when it does the same route, sorely this isn't a good use of a expensive new bus.

I'm sure Covid has messed some stuff up however the deckers would have been allocated to services that needed them and, a lot of the time, that's schools work. The nature of the contract means the vehicles have to be new whereas vehicles for such work would usually be second or third owner.
Given Covid lots of companies are putting deckers on routes that don't usually need them however if the whole fleet is running marginal services then there's little point as single deckers already offer enough space anyway.
Things might change post Covid however I suspect the the Go Ahead group are looking forward to reallocating some fairly low mileage deckers out of Cornwall after 8 years instead of the usually problem of what to do with high mileage ex London stuff.

 

[Busaholic]

. I like that TfC twitter now consider buses running well when they run under 8 minutes late. Not sure who decided 8 minutes.

It sure wouldn't be the Traffic Commissioners, who might well have a word with TfC (or, more likely GCB) if someone was to bring this to their attention.

 

[richw]

It sure wouldn't be the Traffic Commissioners, who might well have a word with TfC (or, more likely GCB) if someone was to bring this to their attention.

I’m led to believe multiple people have. Bumped into a former passenger from up Delabole way in Asda the other day who told me that around 30 residents have jointly signed a letter to the commissioner. I am sure they won’t be the only ones.

Considering the timetables keep getting tinkered with, how are they all still so far off correct.

Timetable tinkering has always been a Plymouth citybus trait, shave a minute here and there. They also work drivers to the max on hours so a late incoming bus causes a knock on effect from breaks. The TfC driver duty board I was shown the other day, the driver had 31 min lunch, and driving time was within a couple of minutes of 10 hours.

First kernow were always generous on driver lunch break times, but it meant on most occasions if we were late to break, we’d normally be legal to go out on time and just claim some overtime for a reduced break, so we didn’t get that issue. the downside was longer daily spread from start to finish but that wasn’t an issue to me as I knew I’d never come close to my legal maximum.

 

[embers25]

It sure wouldn't be the Traffic Commissioners, who might well have a word with TfC (or, more likely GCB) if someone was to bring this to their attention.

That's what I thought. Worst yesterday was the 77 which was due at 1006 in Liskeard and arrived after 1130, followed by the late arriving 236 from Launceston, which remained late all the way back to Launceston due to the tight turn round time (a common TfC issue). Given the constant late running (or early running on the 11 around Liskeard), you can't rely on making any normal length connections in North and East Cornwall and so have to often travel much earlier than you should. People just stand around in Liskeard hopeful a bus of some sort comes and then that its next driver will also show which also isn't a guarantee half the time. You also have to factor in depot visits for driver changes which aren't timetabled which make the buses run later missing connections (or run earlier until the depot as they like to arrive early in Bodmin depot particularly). I know big changes have teething issues but North and East Cornwall performance is beyond dire in my experience.

Also, does anyone know why the only usb port on all the 70 plates is by the disabled seat and why quite a few of the 70 plate singles appear to have gear boxes that really struggle to change gears leading to constant revving and jerking.

 

[Goldfish62]

I'm sure Covid has messed some stuff up however the deckers would have been allocated to services that needed them and, a lot of the time, that's schools work. The nature of the contract means the vehicles have to be new whereas vehicles for such work would usually be second or third owner.
Given Covid lots of companies are putting deckers on routes that don't usually need them however if the whole fleet is running marginal services then there's little point as single deckers already offer enough space anyway.
Things might change post Covid however I suspect the the Go Ahead group are looking forward to reallocating some fairly low mileage deckers out of Cornwall after 8 years instead of the usually problem of what to do with high mileage ex London stuff.

The buses don't have to be new. The requirement is that the fleet has to be Euro VI by 2024. That can easily be achieved by retrofit.

That the council accepted PCB's proposal to supply brand new double decks just for school journeys is extravagant in the extreme and not something that even the institutionally extravagant TfL would contemplate.

I would not be surprised if all the new buses were leased. Eight years is a good term and GoAhead are well used to leasing their London fleet. The basic spec nature of the buses is not compatible with new buses in across the rest of the GoAhead empire and I'm not sure they'd want to hold on to them.

 

[fgwrich]

I would not be surprised if all the new buses were leased. Eight years is a good term and GoAhead are well used to leasing their London fleet. The basic spec nature of the buses is not compatible with new buses in across the rest of the GoAhead empire and I'm not sure they'd want to hold on to them.

That would certainly explain the basic nature of most of the new vehicle fleet, both internally and mechanically. Meanwhile the steady stream of transfers from the London Fleets to GSW seems to be continuing with more E200 & E400s at Hants and Dorset Trim.

 

[richw]

That's what I thought. Worst yesterday was the 77 which was due at 1006 in Liskeard and arrived after 1130, followed by the late arriving 236 from Launceston, which remained late all the way back to Launceston due to the tight turn round time (a common TfC issue). Given the constant late running (or early running on the 11 around Liskeard), you can't rely on making any normal length connections in North and East Cornwall and so have to often travel much earlier than you should. People just stand around in Liskeard hopeful a bus of some sort comes and then that its next driver will also show which also isn't a guarantee half the time. You also have to factor in depot visits for driver changes which aren't timetabled which make the buses run later missing connections (or run earlier until the depot as they like to arrive early in Bodmin depot particularly). I know big changes have teething issues but North and East Cornwall performance is beyond dire in my experience.

Also, does anyone know why the only usb port on all the 70 plates is by the disabled seat and why quite a few of the 70 plate singles appear to have gear boxes that really struggle to change gears leading to constant revving and jerking.

regarding the east and north Cornwall issues, can these really be blamed on being new as most of this area they’ve run since Western Greyhound went.

My partner caught the 71 from liskeard to derriford this morning. Basically a Private taxi, not a single other passenger for the entire journey!

 

[Lizard1324]

Are hopleys still due some optare solo's, I thought they were due a few but they were able to get one which is now b5psv but are they still due more

 

[Goldfish62]

Are hopleys still due some optare solo's, I thought they were due a few but they were able to get one which is now b5psv but are they still due more

Yes, I was thinking the same. However, Optare are consistently late with deliveries which may be why they haven't appeared yet.

 

[richw]

Yes, I was thinking the same. However, Optare are consistently late with deliveries which may be why they haven't appeared yet.

The one they have is second hand.
Optare have a order to delivery time of around 12 months in normal times, I believe they shut down for lockdown no1, so adding to the lead time

 

[Busaholic]

That's what I thought. Worst yesterday was the 77 which was due at 1006 in Liskeard and arrived after 1130, followed by the late arriving 236 from Launceston, which remained late all the way back to Launceston due to the tight turn round time (a common TfC issue). Given the constant late running (or early running on the 11 around Liskeard), you can't rely on making any normal length connections in North and East Cornwall and so have to often travel much earlier than you should. People just stand around in Liskeard hopeful a bus of some sort comes and then that its next driver will also show which also isn't a guarantee half the time. You also have to factor in depot visits for driver changes which aren't timetabled which make the buses run later missing connections (or run earlier until the depot as they like to arrive early in Bodmin depot particularly). I know big changes have teething issues but North and East Cornwall performance is beyond dire in my experience.

Also, does anyone know why the only usb port on all the 70 plates is by the disabled seat and why quite a few of the 70 plate singles appear to have gear boxes that really struggle to change gears leading to constant revving and jerking.

That's inexcusable if it's the day-to-day situation in North and East Cornwall. Has anyone locally tried to get MPs involved? After all, every Cornwall MP is a Tory, and it's the government that provided much of the money to this supposed radical experiment in increasing take-up of bus travel throughout Cornwall. We all know good reasons why many of these have failed to materialise for the present, but this sort of issue can't be included.

 

[busdave]

Does anyone regularly use the 88 on the Redruth to Newquay route? It always seems to be empty at Redruth and is a strange route as the only largish town nearby is Perranporth and is does not go there. Is that because FK run a commercial service 87 from Perranporth to Newquay or is it one of the strange CC ideas?

I use it sometimes on journeys between St Just & Newquay and back; it's very handy for me, except for the two hour gaps - an 11.33 from Redruth would be ideal. Friends in Newquay also use it now & then. I must admit, though, there are rarely many passengers on it in my experience, which is a pity. It's the old public transport conundrum, I suppose: if you route it through all the towns & villages on the way, it makes it less attractive for people going from one end to the other, because of the time it takes.

 

[Goldfish62]

I use it sometimes on journeys between St Just & Newquay and back; it's very handy for me, except for the two hour gaps - an 11.33 from Redruth would be ideal. Friends in Newquay also use it now & then. I must admit, though, there are rarely many passengers on it in my experience, which is a pity. It's the old public transport conundrum, I suppose: if you route it through all the towns & villages on the way, it makes it less attractive for people going from one end to the other, because of the time it takes.

And of course we are in a situation which no one could have predicted where passengers numbers have plummeted due to government's disastrous messaging about avoiding public transport.

 

[Busaholic]

I use it sometimes on journeys between St Just & Newquay and back; it's very handy for me, except for the two hour gaps - an 11.33 from Redruth would be ideal. Friends in Newquay also use it now & then. I must admit, though, there are rarely many passengers on it in my experience, which is a pity. It's the old public transport conundrum, I suppose: if you route it through all the towns & villages on the way, it makes it less attractive for people going from one end to the other, because of the time it takes.

If it was hourly and was properly advertised/known about do you think the number of regular passengers might more than double? It might be worth a punt by TfC when/if lockdown ends again, given all the other punts already taken: sounds like a deviation via Perranporth should be considered too, as long as it didn't cost an extra bus.

 

[radamfi]

We are talking about tendered services, so surely if performance is not satisfactory then sanctions can be applied, ultimately terminating the contract if necessary?

 

[richw]

sounds like a deviation via Perranporth should be considered too, as long as it didn't cost an extra bus.

It would then have too much in common with the 87 to be subsidised

 

[Goldfish62]

We are talking about tendered services, so surely if performance is not satisfactory then sanctions can be applied, ultimately terminating the contract if necessary?

You would hope that performance is monitored and incentivised...

 

[radamfi]

You would hope that performance is monitored and incentivised...

Your implication that it isn't. All the council have to do is do what TfL do for low frequency services.