Lothian Group discussion (Lothian City, Lothian Country Bus and East Coast Buses)

[hst43102]

all 7 of them are with Stagecoach

I think the other five are still with Stagecoach Sheffield. These two have come down to Northampton from Sheffield.

 

[ScotRail158725]

572 looks as though it may have been sold (not my photo): https://www.flickr.com/photos/allysrailandairpics/50357646703/in/faves-146661030@N04/

if it has it will have been sold to a preservationist as its still got full logos/fleet numbers etc..

 

[OmniCity999]

if it has it will have been sold to a preservationist as its still got full logos/fleet numbers etc..

that doesn't necessarily mean it has been sold to a preservationist.

After having a look, it appears to be at Volvo in Broxburn - which is something we do fairly regularly, especially now since we're using less vans.

This could mean anything, could mean sale, could mean MOT, service, Tachograph installation or tachograph service. Or even wlldcard options, being used to pick up parts, being used to shuttle drivers etc (with new Volvo based vehicles due, this pops out at me). or a mixture of all.

 

[Auld reekie]

Has anyone any idea why the No44 drivers are doing their change over at the Water of Leith Centre instead of Kingsknowe?

 

[TheEastCoaster]

Has anyone any idea why the No44 drivers are doing their change over at the Water of Leith Centre instead of Kingsknowe?

probably closer to the garage that way

 

[CN04NRJ]

Has anyone any idea why the No44 drivers are doing their change over at the Water of Leith Centre instead of Kingsknowe?

Reduction of vans in use for reliefs, no vans being used for the 38 either - drivers have to make our own way there except for Sundays. Same reason the 22 and 23 have gone to Central.

 

[Auld reekie]

probably closer to the garage that way

cheers.

Reduction of vans in use for reliefs, no vans being used for the 38 either - drivers have to make our own way there except for Sundays. Same reason the 22 and 23 have gone to Central.

Thanks.
Where do the No4 drivers change over?

 

[ScotRail158725]

cheers.


Thanks.
Where do the No4 drivers change over?

The Jewel Asda or Northfield, cant remember which one

 

[Bus9120UK]

The Jewel Asda or Northfield, cant remember which one

I think it is Northfield, last time I was on the 4 the drivers changed just before turning left onto the main road which the 26 / 124 serve.

 

[Auld reekie]

The Jewel Asda or Northfield, cant remember which one

So obviously the 4 went back to Marine.

 

[OmniCity999]

Reduction of vans in use for reliefs, no vans being used for the 38 either - drivers have to make our own way there except for Sundays. Same reason the 22 and 23 have gone to Central.

cheers.


Thanks.
Where do the No4 drivers change over?

£6,000-£10,000/year to run each van. The vans and cars we previously had were nearing triple digits.

Only Engineering, interdepartmental and East Coast/Lothian Country have use of vans and cars now.

Another contributing cost was excess mileage. Alot of the vans in the fleet were leased.

Even then, the use of vacant buses is preferred. As their already taxed, insured, MOT'd, fuel and good to go

 

[CN04NRJ]

£6,000-£10,000/year to run each van. The vans and cars we previously had were nearing triple digits.

Only Engineering, interdepartmental and East Coast/Lothian Country have use of vans and cars now.

Another contributing cost was excess mileage. Alot of the vans in the fleet were leased.

Even then, the use of vacant buses is preferred. As their already taxed, insured, MOT'd, fuel and good to go

There's still van usage at Longstone - for the 2 to Stenhouse Drive (not sure why as it's not far to walk - I certainly didn't mind it anyway). I believe there's 6 vans in use at Longstone for driver changeovers - the 400 certainly still is van but not sure about other decker routes.

 

[Auld reekie]

£6,000-£10,000/year to run each van. The vans and cars we previously had were nearing triple digits.

Only Engineering, interdepartmental and East Coast/Lothian Country have use of vans and cars now.

Another contributing cost was excess mileage. Alot of the vans in the fleet were leased.

Even then, the use of vacant buses is preferred. As their already taxed, insured, MOT'd, fuel and good to go

Quite a big outlay.

 

[overthewater]

£6,000-£10,000/year to run each van. The vans and cars we previously had were nearing triple digits.

Only Engineering, interdepartmental and East Coast/Lothian Country have use of vans and cars now.

Another contributing cost was excess mileage. Alot of the vans in the fleet were leased.

Even then, the use of vacant buses is preferred. As their already taxed, insured, MOT'd, fuel and good to go

What an waste of money, its like all the secrets are coming out now, One hopes once all the cust cutting has finished Lothian will be on a better footing.

 

[route101]

Do the drivers generally use their own cars to get to relief points or use service buses ?

 

[OmniCity999]

Do the drivers generally use their own cars to get to relief points or use service buses ?

Own cars aren't allowed - how would it get back to the garage? Or to a safe place? Whose responsible if theres an incident. Thats a massive insurance no-no.

Saying that, i have known drivers scheduled on Kings Road routed services to park at Aldi and take up service from there.

Used to be vans, still is for some points but generally on foot, by bus or they take a vacant bus from the depot.

 

[route101]

Own cars aren't allowed - how would it get back to the garage? Or to a safe place? Whose responsible if theres an incident. Thats a massive insurance no-no.

Saying that, i have known drivers scheduled on Kings Road routed services to park at Aldi and take up service from there.

Used to be vans, still is for some points but generally on foot, by bus or they take a vafant bus from the depot.

I was wondering, i thought it can be risky if the buses are unrealiable.

 

[OmniCity999]

I was wondering, i thought it can be risky if the buses are unrealiable.

What better way to advertise your service - get the staff to use it.

What an waste of money, its like all the secrets are coming out now, One hopes once all the cust cutting has finished Lothian will be on a better footing.

Its always been available by FOI...

At one point shuttle vans were an integral part of the service. I believe there even used to be a staff bus service that would go to key areas in the city to pick people up to bring them to work, long before my time, mind.

 

[overthewater]

its all in plain sight but still. Driver hub is the City centre is a smarter use of money than vans.

 

[scosutsut]

In big businesses it's not unusual for something that is inefficient but normal process to go completely unchallenged, to the point that if someone questions it everyone says "dunno it's always been that way"

New management (or focus) comes in and suddenly said process is torn apart and everyone wonders why it wasn't done years ago because it seems so obvious a saving to get.

Suspect that's 100% the scenario here.

 

[Jordan Adam]

I hadn't realised Lothian didn't have a staff hub in the city centre, it seems quite a wasteful move doing change overs at random spots around the city shuttling drivers back/forth in company vehicles. They must be pretty much the only larger operator in Scotland who still do that.

In big businesses it's not unusual for something that is inefficient but normal process to go completely unchallenged, to the point that if someone questions it everyone says "dunno it's always been that way"

New management (or focus) comes in and suddenly said process is torn apart and everyone wonders why it wasn't done years ago because it seems so obvious a saving to get.

Suspect that's 100% the scenario here.

Agree, as an outsider it seems very bizarre, but i suppose for those in the company for a long time it's the "norm". Still i'm glad that new management are at least making an effort to rid the company of it's endless (sarcasm) inefficiencies.

 

[scotrail158713]

In big businesses it's not unusual for something that is inefficient but normal process to go completely unchallenged, to the point that if someone questions it everyone says "dunno it's always been that way"

New management (or focus) comes in and suddenly said process is torn apart and everyone wonders why it wasn't done years ago because it seems so obvious a saving to get.

Suspect that's 100% the scenario here.

Yep, sounds like it. I suppose it makes sense as well.

 

[OmniCity999]

In big businesses it's not unusual for something that is inefficient but normal process to go completely unchallenged, to the point that if someone questions it everyone says "dunno it's always been that way"

New management (or focus) comes in and suddenly said process is torn apart and everyone wonders why it wasn't done years ago because it seems so obvious a saving to get.

Suspect that's 100% the scenario here.

I suspect you're correct.

 

[CN04NRJ]

Own cars aren't allowed - how would it get back to the garage? Or to a safe place? Whose responsible if theres an incident. Thats a massive insurance no-no.

Saying that, i have known drivers scheduled on Kings Road routed services to park at Aldi and take up service from there.

Used to be vans, still is for some points but generally on foot, by bus or they take a vacant bus from the depot.

With the 38 reliefs at Balgreen I'll take my car down if I'm finishing there just so I can go straight home - it was the same before with the 2 when it was a walking relief to Stenhouse Drive.

Never really understood why Balgreen was a van relief before when there's such a frequent bus service with the 30/34/25/3/33 between the Longstone area and Balgreen/Gorgie Road.

 

[Swanny200]

I used to see one of the Transit Connects parked down at Broomhouse Workspace regularly when we lived there, used to find it strange with being so close to Longstone a bus stop a few yards away with services that took you round there.

 

[ScotRail158725]

701 apparently with a company in Alloa now.

 

[overthewater]

IS the company in Question: M line?

 

[Siemens Trains]

generally on foot, by bus or they take a vacant bus from the depot.

I can imagine using a vacant bus for driver transfer might be a little frowned upon in some circles. At 5 miles per gallon, risk of getting stuck, low bridges and so on. There's also an argument that a bus is an asset prepped at great expense for fare-paying customer use, not just to have lying around for driver convenience.
But as you say, carrying a large number of vans for short journeys is maybe a bit of a luxury. No doubt bikes will be the way of the future. Actually maybe that's not such a bad idea....

 

[Auld reekie]

I can imagine using a vacant bus for driver transfer might be a little frowned upon on some circles. At 5 miles per gallon, risk of getting stuck, low bridges and so on. There's also an argument that a bus is an asset prepped at great expense for fare-paying customer use, not just to have lying around for driver convenience.
But as you say, carrying a large number of vans for short journeys is maybe a bit of a luxury. No doubt bikes will be the way of the future. Actually maybe that's not such a bad idea....

The healthy option.

 

[ScotRail158725]

IS the company in Question: M line?

not sure, only aware that its Alloa based however M-Line is my best bet.