What is the ideal bus depot size?

[PaulMc7]

I've never been a bus driver so I'm intrigued to learn about the structures of bus depots and what you guys feel is the ideal size for a bus depot in terms of the number of drivers, fleet size, management team size, total number of routes, etc.

 

[RJ]

Surely it depends on how much work there is available. The economics of it depends on how many vehicles there are - a one man band is going to require a different size depot and facilities to a corporation who wants all the contracts in the area.

 

[arbeia]

I think it falls to management, in the case of large companies, to work on future predictions of the size of the operation. Large, tends to mean that you then have the option of closing outdated depots/facilities, which they have done, and concentrate on "Super Depots."

 

[PaulMc7]

I think it falls to management, in the case of large companies, to work on future predictions of the size of the operation. Large, tends to mean that you then have the option of closing outdated depots/facilities, which they have done, and concentrate on "Super Depots."

My two local companies, First Glasgow and McGill's have cut their number of depots but First went down the "super depot" route by investing in the new Caledonia Depot that combined services that were previously covered by Possilpark, Cumbernauld, Parkhead and Larkfield whereas McGill's closed their Barrhead Depot to move services, vehicles and staff to either Johnstone or Inchinnan. First Glasgow's Knightswood Depot also closed to move everything to Scotstoun Depot.

The main problem I've found with bigger depots is having the right size of management team to manage the workload that comes with a massive depot. It's good on the cost-saving side of things though.

 

[73001]

The main problems with smaller depots would be having enough staff or vehicles to cover for absence or breakdowns. You can't afford to have buses or drivers sitting round as spares if they are unlikely to be used.

 

[Strathclyder]

My two local companies, First Glasgow and McGill's have cut their number of depots but First went down the "super depot" route by investing in the new Caledonia Depot that combined services that were previously covered by Possilpark, Cumbernauld, Parkhead and Larkfield whereas McGill's closed their Barrhead Depot to move services, vehicles and staff to either Johnstone or Inchinnan. First Glasgow's Knightswood Depot also closed to move everything to Scotstoun Depot.

Same thing applied to Blantyre replacing the former Central SMT/Scottish Motherwell (Traction House) depot at around the same time Scotstoun replaced Knightswood (mid-2000s).

 

[PG]

Possibly not quite the reply you were looking for but on a practical note depots exits often seem to be fitted with gates that don't open fully i.e. 180 degrees. Might seem like a small point but in terms of reducing bodywork repairs its worth getting right!