July 2006 
July 2009 - with Bus Watch lettering 
December 2012 - ©Richard Smith
Nice to see a few of these now show off the "investors in People" accreditation!
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I saw yesterday at Derriford the Investors In People logo on the window of 427 underneath the side destination display. The Investors In People lettering also appears on at least 1 other Citaro, as a guess 82? Could be wrong though!
ReplyDeleteUgh. Plymouth Citybus *is* accredited.
ReplyDelete92 I think Tom.
ReplyDeleteThe other citaro is 91
ReplyDeleteDisgraceful. Time for a public boycott of PCB, first they rip-off thier customers with extortiante bus fares & now this? Bloody farce!
ReplyDeleteYou need to wake am realise City Bus are not here to give you a free ride. Bus fares are cheap compared to owning a car and filling up with fuel. You are just another moron who thinks that this country owes you a living.
DeleteThe Investors In People logo is (or soon will be) on the nearside window of all the fleet. In a similar position to the "We are part of the Go-Ahead group" sign. We are so proud of our staff and the fact that they have achieved the required standard to be awarded IIP that we want to shout about it.
ReplyDeleteQuite rght too, Brian. It's not easy to achieve accreditation.
ReplyDeleteI have noticed that some of the vinyls are starting to peel already! Maybe a fault with the stickiness of the glue? Shame really, as their bodyshop and paintshop turn out a really fantastic product! It would be nice to see the quality of the vinyls improve, as some of the buses are looking tatty already. Maybe Brian could comment?
ReplyDeleteBrand new double deckers arriving in the new year, 8 of them. Watch this space.
ReplyDeleteAny ideas on what type we are to expect? Maybe some Gemini 2's like Brighton&Hove.
DeleteIts a shame that the best impressions livery didn't live on, swooper just doesn't look right on the DDs.
Will they see off some of the N-reg SLFs? The yellow Student Link Volvo Double Deckers are to continue service into the new year.
Deleteyes we are getting 8 new deckers in new yr for the 21/21a/26 route. saw a notice in work today. due early nxt yr. would be nice to have gemini 2's so they go with the b7 single decks. wait and see eh!
ReplyDeleteInterested to know thats been bought, no doubt get ruined on the 26 but deckers needed urgently there.
ReplyDeleteRemoving the deckers from the 26 was a silly idea. Would it not be a better idea to place the new deckers onto the 29 and 34 and place the B7s from those onto the 21/A/26?
ReplyDeleteOther Deckers seem to be on the 42D. The 1720 21B is often a B7 aswell. The 27 and 28 during the week at least seems to have at least 2 deckers on it, though I don't know if they're officially assigned to it or are just being used due to vehicle shortages. These two routes especially at peak times could do with deckers, though the problem is their lack of power on the hills! Same goes for the 50 really, needs deckers in the peaks though they do struggle with the hills, though as Graham said a while ago they are all meant to be converted to single door which should give them a bit more power on the hills.
Saturday seems to be only the 29 and 34 having Deckers, all the rest seem to be in the depot unused. Deckers on the 29 seems a waste to me, as yesterday I planned to get the 61 from Derriford to Transit Way though after 20 mins there was no sign of it, and down came 421 on the 29, so I got that. He then informed me that he wasn't going into Transit Way because it was a double decker, hence why yesterday only the 29 was withdrawn from Transit Way. Including me, there was about 8 people on it, ridiculous.
Perhaps organise something where an 34 to Derriford changes to a 34, then upon reaching the City Centre changes to a 16? This would provide a 50/50 split on the 16 between single and double deckers, as there are some 16 trips that are very well used. Another thing they could do is place one or two deckers onto the 42/A/20, as again, some 42s do get very busy. We do see B7s on the 20 every now and again and seem to manage fine.
Whatever the re-allocations look like following the introduction of these new deckers, I do hope at least some of the N-UTT SLFs are withdrawn as some of them are well past their best, and Enviros put back on the 40 and 41 as I've always thought they suited these routes perfectly.
Citaros from the 21/A/26 could go onto the 20/42/A seeing off a few SLFs.
A bit of a rambling I know, so sorry if it looks a it messy.
Decker on the 152 is also stupid. Changes with the 46/42D throughout the day and runs at least 15 minutes each day, rendering the service practically useless...
ReplyDeleteThe 152 I used to see before the service change at 1708 from Derriford was always a Dart and 9 times out of 10 had a full and standing load on it. Throughout the day maybe not so much though this run certainly needs a double decker.
DeleteAs I explained a while ago one decker on the 42D which you say changes through the 46s/152s during the day also does the 1720 21B so is quite a broad variety of routes. Though this bus' running board does state 'Volvo Double Decker' which is one of the yellow Student Link DDs. It was on the 1143 42D from Derriford a few weeks ago if that helps! The new 21 timetable the extra runs on it from the 21B will also be Volvo Decker operated. Interesting how they're using step entrance vehicles on normal public services (not that I'm complaining at all!) They also claim that 95% of the 'regular service fleet' is low floor and has a ramp - does 1-27 & 177/8 & 181/2/4/5/6/7 only make up 5% of the fleet? Last years figure was 94%, so how can 132,183,188,214,215 and 216 make up 1%?!
To reduce their carbon emmissions they also say they will:
a) Installation of motion sensor lighting
b) Replacing conventional waste bins with recycle bins
c) Improved heating system
d) Introduction of more fuel efficient vehicles <<< these new DDs?
e) Prevention of unnecessary fuel waste through spillages
f) Stopping vehicles running at idle for excessive periods
g) Educating the drivers on how to drive more fuel efficiently
h) Preventing unnecessary or pointless mileage << running a 21 through St Maurice at 2344!
i) Correcting tyre inflations
j) Introduction of a “Cycle to work” scheme for employees < showing true loyalty to the company.
k) Fitting of MIX telematics to all vehicles. This is a system fitted to
vehicles that monitors driving i.e. braking, accelerator use etc, which
can assist the company in training staff to become more fuel efficient drivers
by highlighting areas that need work.
Anyway, I think they ought to re-time the 42Ds so upon reaching the Hospital it can change straight into a 42 back to the City Centre rather than changing to a 46/152, and assign DDs to it. 46 can have an SLF/MPD, similar to the 23 and 24, 152 can have what it used to - whatever is available.
Improve heating systems? Like the system on the 'new' B7's that can't be switched off and the terrible fogging up of windows in cold/rainy conditions?
ReplyDeleteTalk about cost cutting, not fantastic build quality on them either, the back, inside panels rattle like a snake on idle. Even on the first day of launch they where like it.
If you want steamed up windows try one of the yellow Volvo Deckers! 186 F603GVO on the 29 on Friday, the top deck floor was soaked in condensation, with about an inch deep puddle in the corners, the seats were damp with condensation, the windows were dripping with it, and even the ceiling was absolutely soaked aswell, dripping down onto the already wet seats and floor! Can't say the passengers were overly impressed. As much as I love these buses they really are on their last legs.
DeleteBack to the point, I'm going to take a guess that we'll get some Gemini 2s as they'd go nicely with the B7RLEs and seem to be pretty popular within the Go-Ahead group. I'm sure a news release from Citybus will appear in the new year!
Forgot to say ^;
ReplyDeleteI think its great Citybus are modernising the fleet with new buses, that's not what I'm knocking, but surely, if your to invest in new vehicles, surely spend out that little extra on build quality?
Told by an employee that single glass windows where to reduce weight, but obviously a cowt cutting ploy that results in a horrible missing up in poor weather combined with the heating on constant full whack.