High Capacity Buses

[MAN 16.242]

The 4 Artics at Doncaster are now used on weekends too on 905/7/8. They help on 907 which gets heavy loads.

Is this even allowing for the recent increases from 30 to 20 minutes on weekends? Good to hear if so, but not surprising given the increased housing density along the route.

Use of Artics started at same time as frequency upgrades

[burrumbus]

I'm certain I used Fuji artics on the 264 (Donvale via Freeway) outside peak hour. Otherwise, I suspect you are largely correct burrumbus. My concern in this discussion of using high capacity buses is they are a more expensive option than a couple of extra peak hour runs in a standard bus that at least has the flexibility to be used anywhere as a maintenance spare outside peak hour. Which for a certain bus company seemingly unable to provide enough buses due at least in part to maintenance issues may be a consideration...
(Not grumpy at cancelled route 293 services without notice at all... )

Agreed krustyklo.To justify high capacity buses you really need consistent high demand .Like Skybus achieves on their City services.
It's hard to think of many other services in Melbourne that would justify high capacity buses.

[krustyklo]

Use of Artics started at same time as frequency upgrades

I was referring to the heavy loads - ie, with the increase in frequency are loads still heavy enough to justify running more artics on weekends, or possibly even upgrading the service further?

[MAN 16.242]

Use of Artics started at same time as frequency upgrades

I was referring to the heavy loads - ie, with the increase in frequency are loads still heavy enough to justify running more artics on weekends, or possibly even upgrading the service further?

Still get heavy loads, as not every 907 trip is an artic. Weekends as well as off peak issue is that once get to Doncaster Park & Ride you got add 908 pax to your bus.

[In Transit]

... My concern in this discussion of using high capacity buses is they are a more expensive option than a couple of extra peak hour runs in a standard bus that at least has the flexibility to be used anywhere as a maintenance spare outside peak hour. Which for a certain bus company seemingly unable to provide enough buses due at least in part to maintenance issues may be a consideration...
(Not grumpy at cancelled route 293 services without notice at all... )

Where a high capacity bus saves the requirement for an additional peak bus (and the driver to operate it), it can be a cheaper option. The higher capital and slightly higher running cost of the high capacity bus tends to more than offset the capital and operating costs of an additional standard bus, particularly in networks where a mixed fleet allows the high capacity buses to be concentrated in the peaks, and minimised in the off peaks.