Private Bus Observations 2021

Sydney / New South Wales Transport Discussion
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Benny95
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Re: Private Bus Observations 2021

Post by Benny95 »

ScaniaGrenda wrote: Tue Aug 03, 2021 9:26 pm
Benny95 wrote: Tue Aug 03, 2021 5:13 pm That unknown would be Singleton's 2446 MO. Was involved in an accident on Elderslie Rd this morning with a car. Would be heading to Volgren at Tomago to get repaired. They may repaint into the TFNSW Blue and White. Guess it depends on how bad the damage was....
Darn and I just photographed it the other day leaving the Depot on a School bus run :(

This will be its last photo in the Canary Yellow livery if that is the case.


Volgren At Tomago has been closed for almost a decade, they closed in 2012. I was actually following the bus all the way from Sandgate near the Intercity Bypass that takes you all the way to Jesmond until it the truck towing it turned onto the Hexham Bridge, this was right around Midday on the dot (12PM)

I wonder where it would've ended up then if Volgren has closed? I can't think of any other repair joints over there. From what I heard the damage was quite bad. A 4WD rear ended the bus....
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Re: Private Bus Observations 2021

Post by ScaniaGrenda »

Not a clue, I was thinking it may have been heading to the Thornton Depot but after the truck towing it turned onto the bridge it quickly killed it off for me as to where it was truly going. Maybe there is a truck repair workshop up there that can probably do repairs on buses?
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Benny95
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Re: Private Bus Observations 2021

Post by Benny95 »

I guess we will just have to wait and see what happens in the coming weeks
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Re: Private Bus Observations 2021

Post by MotorOmnibus8562 »

Isn't there a Volgren facility at Ingleburn for repairing buses?
Last edited by MotorOmnibus8562 on Wed Aug 04, 2021 6:04 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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tonyp
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Re: Private Bus Observations 2021

Post by tonyp »

MotorOmnibus8562 wrote: Wed Aug 04, 2021 6:00 pm Isn't there a Volgren facility at Ingleburn for repairing buses?
Yes, after-sales facility.
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boronia
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Re: Private Bus Observations 2021

Post by boronia »

From SMH:
Significant’ cancellations after Sydney bus depot staff test positive
By Sarah McPhee

Two staff at Leichhardt Bus Depot in Sydney’s inner west have tested positive to COVID-19, sending the majority of staff into isolation and causing significant service cancellations.

Transport for NSW said bus services would be impacted this week, starting today, “due to COVID-related staff shortages”.

“The majority of Depot staff including drivers have been deemed as casual contacts by NSW Health and are isolating until they receive the results of their COVID-19 test,” the transport agency said.

“As a result of this, a significant number of bus services in the Inner West have been cancelled and will not be operating today and tomorrow.”

Customers are encouraged to make alternative travel arrangements.

The impacted routes, in both directions, are:

305 Mascot Stamford Hotel-Redfern
320 Gore Hill-Mascot
406 Five Dock-Hurlstone Park
428 Canterbury-City Martin Place
430 Sydenham-City Martin Place
431 Glebe Point-City Martin Place
433 Balmain Gladstone Park-Central Pitt St
437 City QVB-Five Dock via City West Link
438N and 438X Abbotsford-City Martin Place
440 Rozelle-Bondi Junction
441 City Art Gallery-Birchgrove via QVB (loop service)
442 City QVB-Balmain East Wharf (loop service)
445 Balmain-Campsie via Leichhardt Marketplace
470 Lilyfield-City Martin Place
502 City Town Hall and Drummoyne-Cabarita Wharf
503 City Town Hall-Drummoyne (loop service)
504 City Domain-Chiswick
504X City Town Hall-Chiswick (express service)
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Re: Private Bus Observations 2021

Post by Swift »

If this isn't the time to completely separate the driver away from the passengers like LRVs, what is??
They do it in plenty of cities in Europe and buses still turn up and get you places.
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Re: Private Bus Observations 2021

Post by tonyp »

Swift wrote: Wed Aug 11, 2021 12:52 pm If this isn't the time to completely separate the driver away from the passengers like LRVs, what is??
They do it in plenty of cities in Europe and buses still turn up and get you places.
That's how they're doing it in Canberra, but what a joke it is when a crowd of people getting off and a crowd getting on have to filter through a single leaf door with stairs. It's almost as bad as the old pay as you enter days!
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Re: Private Bus Observations 2021

Post by Swift »

tonyp wrote: Wed Aug 11, 2021 1:54 pm
Swift wrote: Wed Aug 11, 2021 12:52 pm If this isn't the time to completely separate the driver away from the passengers like LRVs, what is??
They do it in plenty of cities in Europe and buses still turn up and get you places.
That's how they're doing it in Canberra, but what a joke it is when a crowd of people getting off and a crowd getting on have to filter through a single leaf door with stairs. It's almost as bad as the old pay as you enter days!
I meant a glass cocoon for the driver with ducted air!

The single leaf doors show their shortcomings if all door boarding is finally implemented, especially if it's the only door for boarding in this case. At least there's no cash exchange going on.
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Linto63
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Re: Private Bus Observations 2021

Post by Linto63 »

boronia wrote: Two staff at Leichhardt Bus Depot in Sydney’s inner west have tested positive to COVID-19, sending the majority of staff into isolation and causing significant service cancellations.
A Balmain to Leichhardt shuttle is operating in lieu of various routes with Busfleet, Compass Tours and Hillsbus providing vehicles.
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Re: Private Bus Observations 2021

Post by BluDART »

Swift wrote: Wed Aug 11, 2021 2:52 pm
tonyp wrote: Wed Aug 11, 2021 1:54 pm
That's how they're doing it in Canberra, but what a joke it is when a crowd of people getting off and a crowd getting on have to filter through a single leaf door with stairs. It's almost as bad as the old pay as you enter days!
I meant a glass cocoon for the driver with ducted air!
TransGlaze provide a segregated and secure cab retrofit for drivers https://www.transglaze.com.au/covid/
Melbourne operators TransdevMelb and Dysons have started rolling this design out. So not just Europe.
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Re: Private Bus Observations 2021

Post by Swift »

Any being fitted in NSW? No thought not.
They should be standard fitment. They will be useful for driver welfare without the Covid phenomenon.
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Re: Private Bus Observations 2021

Post by Jurassic_Joke »

boronia wrote: Wed Aug 11, 2021 9:37 am From SMH:
Significant’ cancellations after Sydney bus depot staff test positive
By Sarah McPhee

Two staff at Leichhardt Bus Depot in Sydney’s inner west have tested positive to COVID-19, sending the majority of staff into isolation and causing significant service cancellations.

Transport for NSW said bus services would be impacted this week, starting today, “due to COVID-related staff shortages”.

“The majority of Depot staff including drivers have been deemed as casual contacts by NSW Health and are isolating until they receive the results of their COVID-19 test,” the transport agency said.

“As a result of this, a significant number of bus services in the Inner West have been cancelled and will not be operating today and tomorrow.”

Customers are encouraged to make alternative travel arrangements.

The impacted routes, in both directions, are:

305 Mascot Stamford Hotel-Redfern
320 Gore Hill-Mascot
406 Five Dock-Hurlstone Park
428 Canterbury-City Martin Place
430 Sydenham-City Martin Place
431 Glebe Point-City Martin Place
433 Balmain Gladstone Park-Central Pitt St
437 City QVB-Five Dock via City West Link
438N and 438X Abbotsford-City Martin Place
440 Rozelle-Bondi Junction
441 City Art Gallery-Birchgrove via QVB (loop service)
442 City QVB-Balmain East Wharf (loop service)
445 Balmain-Campsie via Leichhardt Marketplace
470 Lilyfield-City Martin Place
502 City Town Hall and Drummoyne-Cabarita Wharf
503 City Town Hall-Drummoyne (loop service)
504 City Domain-Chiswick
504X City Town Hall-Chiswick (express service)
This news is very unfortunate and my thoughts go out to the drivers who have tested positive.

Why can’t they just do it like in the other states and overseas, drivers seat, go back 1.5m, put some tape blocking off that entire area at the front, so no one is in close distance of the driver, and everyone boards and alights through the rear door(s), as has been done in other states and overseas. Then you have that plus the perspex screens for the driver. I’d sure feel a lot safer if I was driving a bus not having everyone walk past breathing on me. And then the only time you resume front door boarding is when you have a real 100% separated drivers cab window screen, like the person above linked showing a Melbourne bus.
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Re: Private Bus Observations 2021

Post by tonyp »

Jurassic_Joke wrote: Thu Aug 12, 2021 1:43 am
Why can’t they just do it like in the other states and overseas, drivers seat, go back 1.5m, put some tape blocking off that entire area at the front, so no one is in close distance of the driver, and everyone boards and alights through the rear door(s), as has been done in other states and overseas.
Because the RTBU and TWU have banned entry by any door other than the front door in NSW (only).
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Re: Private Bus Observations 2021

Post by Swift »

Get that glass partition and asap if that's the only answer.
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Re: Private Bus Observations 2021

Post by Merc1107 »

Any driver's cab mods are pointless if air-conditioning isn't segregated for the driver. The so-called 'monkey cage' is sufficient for me, but I dislike it's existence simply because it communicates a failure, at all levels, to control and enforce the law and thus the safety of the driver and passengers.
Don't get me wrong, a cage has been a Godsend on a small number of occasions, but having driven a few non-cage buses, I was surprised at how much they change the attitude of passengers as they board and alight. I noticed a similar phenomenon when visiting Brisbane some years back and catching Council buses.

In the cities I am familiar with, I have noticed hopper windows are usually not standard fare on buses. With COVID they'd be a brilliant addition to keep air moving in buses versus the air-conditioning endlessly recirculating virus-laden air.
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Re: Private Bus Observations 2021

Post by Campbelltown busboy »

Merc1107 wrote: Thu Aug 12, 2021 8:36 am In the cities I am familiar with, I have noticed hopper windows are usually not standard fare on buses. With COVID they'd be a brilliant addition to keep air moving in buses versus the air-conditioning endlessly recirculating virus-laden air.
Would push open roof hatches also help with keeping air moving in buses
moa999
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Re: Private Bus Observations 2021

Post by moa999 »

Do we even know if driver was infected on the bus. Far more likely to get it from a family member imho.

The more you close in a cabin the less options for the driver in an emergency.
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Re: Private Bus Observations 2021

Post by Glen »

https://transportnsw.info/alerts/details#/6064203

Five new shuttle routes will operate throughout Thursday, 12 August:

Glebe to Central – T431
Lilyfield to Central – T470
Five Dock to Leichhardt Town Hall only – T437
Abbotsford to Annandale (finishing at Parramatta Rd and Johnston St) – T438
Balmain Wharf to QVB - T442
tonyp
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Re: Private Bus Observations 2021

Post by tonyp »

Merc1107 wrote: Thu Aug 12, 2021 8:36 am Any driver's cab mods are pointless if air-conditioning isn't segregated for the driver. The so-called 'monkey cage' is sufficient for me, but I dislike it's existence simply because it communicates a failure, at all levels, to control and enforce the law and thus the safety of the driver and passengers.
Don't get me wrong, a cage has been a Godsend on a small number of occasions, but having driven a few non-cage buses, I was surprised at how much they change the attitude of passengers as they board and alight. I noticed a similar phenomenon when visiting Brisbane some years back and catching Council buses.

In the cities I am familiar with, I have noticed hopper windows are usually not standard fare on buses. With COVID they'd be a brilliant addition to keep air moving in buses versus the air-conditioning endlessly recirculating virus-laden air.
Cages don't stop people spitting at the driver unfortunately. They're not a good look in terms of the image of public transport either, even in Perth where you get the absolutely sunniest, friendliest drivers on the other side of the bars. :wink:

They use hopper windows in trams in Europe. They're completely hopeless in hot weather, they circulate nothing. Some operators even fit scoops to them in an effort to get even a tiny bit of air through them. The best method is sliding windows with roof hatches creating a venturi effect so the breeze absolutely roars through the vehicle. Unfortunately they totally nix aircon which simply gets blown out the roof.
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Re: Private Bus Observations 2021

Post by Swift »

Merc1107 wrote: Thu Aug 12, 2021 8:36 am Any driver's cab mods are pointless if air-conditioning isn't segregated for the driver. The so-called 'monkey cage' is sufficient for me, but I dislike it's existence simply because it communicates a failure, at all levels, to control and enforce the law and thus the safety of the driver and passengers.
Don't get me wrong, a cage has been a Godsend on a small number of occasions, but having driven a few non-cage buses, I was surprised at how much they change the attitude of passengers as they board and alight. I noticed a similar phenomenon when visiting Brisbane some years back and catching Council buses.

In the cities I am familiar with, I have noticed hopper windows are usually not standard fare on buses. With COVID they'd be a brilliant addition to keep air moving in buses versus the air-conditioning endlessly recirculating virus-laden air.
I agree with what you said. The monkey cages look horrid but reflect the reality that Australian society contains a certain subsection completely devoid of morals and principles, whether that be by a collective mentality or by substance abuse. As one driver who used to be a contributor here said, after a certain time, zoo animals are easier to deal with than wild passengers.
While our legal system and governments remain largely on the lenient side giving 50 chances before finally getting tough on offenders, we have to face reality with preventative measures.
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Re: Private Bus Observations 2021

Post by Merc1107 »

tonyp wrote: Thu Aug 12, 2021 12:01 pm
They use hopper windows in trams in Europe. They're completely hopeless in hot weather, they circulate nothing. Some operators even fit scoops to them in an effort to get even a tiny bit of air through them. The best method is sliding windows with roof hatches creating a venturi effect so the breeze absolutely roars through the vehicle. Unfortunately they totally nix aircon which simply gets blown out the roof.
On buses, if hoppers are used with a driver's window or roof hatch it is usually quite efficacious. As you say though, it ruins any air-conditioning; although it's a brilliant trick first thing on a hot afternoon to exhaust the hot air from the bus so the A/C can cool things off quicker.
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Re: Private Bus Observations 2021

Post by Linto63 »

Some Sydney operators do (or at least recently have) specified buses with lockable hopper windows, being realistic enough to recognise that air-conditioning does fail. I would imagine slider windows are strictly taboo in the nanny state. Was pretty much the case when the S set trains were refurbished 20 years ago.
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Re: Private Bus Observations 2021

Post by tonyp »

Hopper windows in modern trams are a relic from when they weren't air conditioned but are often retained in case the air conditioning fails. It stands to reason that they're pretty useless because the airflow in a moving vehicle is horizontally from front to back, not laterally from the side. So the old sliding windows picked up airflow very well because they were oriented towards the flow, but hopper windows aren't. Anyway, it's become pretty academic because most modern public transport vehicles are now air conditioned. If air conditioning fails, the vehicle relies on ceiling height and regular opening of doors to retain some degree of habitability. Ceiling hatches are not available on electric vehicles, so the distance between floor and ceiling is pretty significant:

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Re: Private Bus Observations 2021

Post by boronia »

Hopper windows only provide relief if there is some formation of extraction/escape at a higher level. They don't provide much relief for the air below them, and they don't provide a cooling breeze to passengers.

Modern streamlining leaves a "negative pressure" along the side of a bus, so you mightn't even get much airflow through a sliding window.
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