General - South Island (Part 3)

Trolley Bus Racer · Post by **Trolley Bus Racer** » Thu Apr 28, 2011 8:38 pm

http://busaustralia.com/forum/viewtopic ... &start=775
Last page of part 2

Fire away

redbusfan · Post by **redbusfan** » Sat Apr 30, 2011 8:50 pm

I just saw a photo of the temporary bus exchange SL202 at Hagley park, Chch... is this an ex NZBUS?

Lifehouse · Post by **Lifehouse** » Sat Apr 30, 2011 10:28 pm

Yep I believe its ex NZ Bus 1717 (Leopard 229) . It has a small TV displaying the arrivals of buses and the staff at the back can top up your metro card.

ka9102 · Post by **ka9102** » Sun May 08, 2011 11:33 am

redbusfan wrote:I just saw a photo of the temporary bus exchange SL202 at Hagley park, Chch... is this an ex NZBUS?

there are two the other one(1722?) is parked at bealey ave,both used as mobile info kiosks/mobile bus shelters.

ka9102 · Post by **ka9102** » Tue May 10, 2011 10:03 pm

Petenz wrote:Any one got the numbers of the SL202s left at Redbus - about 6 in these photos???

619,635,639,642,643,644,647,648,649,651

Petenz · Post by **Petenz** » Wed May 11, 2011 5:17 pm

Thanks

redbusfan · Post by **redbusfan** » Sat Jun 11, 2011 8:19 pm

I'm in Chch for a holiday and yesterday I noticed an SL202 leopard in orbiter livery. Anyone know how many others are wearing the green? I must get photos

kaiwhara · Post by **kaiwhara** » Sat Jun 11, 2011 8:36 pm

Two of them, 16 and 17.

redbusfan wrote:I'm in Chch for a holiday and yesterday I noticed an SL202 leopard in orbiter livery. Anyone know how many others are wearing the green? I must get photos

Cordes Express · Post by **Cordes Express** » Sun Jun 12, 2011 7:11 am

Any photos of the Green SL202's???

Lifehouse · Post by **Lifehouse** » Sun Jun 12, 2011 3:02 pm

Here is the photo CordesExpress. I've been told by leopard that they are gonna remove the redbus fleet number, add a metro pod and add metro strips to both Leopard 16 and 17.

craigp · Post by **craigp** » Mon Jun 13, 2011 3:33 am

I love the SL202s are called ORBITER assist.

Cordes Express · Post by **Cordes Express** » Mon Jun 13, 2011 2:53 pm

I hope all Chch memwebrs are safe after this afternoons round of aftershocks...

reece_555 · Post by **reece_555** » Thu Jun 16, 2011 8:58 am

In Dunedin today heading through town was a transfered bus from Auckland, Ritchies 690 2005 MAN 12.223 its rego CSK577. It was fitted with a bike rack and appeared to be on a test trip with a number of people on board. So it will be interesting to see if ritchies 10 bus order from Designline arrives in time, since this MAN has been sent down.

Bus_Nutter · Post by **Bus_Nutter** » Mon Jun 20, 2011 8:08 pm

intresting that 690 has appeared in Dunedin thank you Reece any idea on where its being stored

Bus_Nutter · Post by **Bus_Nutter** » Mon Jun 20, 2011 8:38 pm

someone was wanting an action shot of the Leopard SL202's that have been wrapped in Orbiter livery here is 17 ex Redbus 658 passing Westfield shopping town Riccarton during a trip on the Anti Clockwise side of The Orbiter.

Bus_Nutter · Post by **Bus_Nutter** » Mon Jun 27, 2011 5:34 pm

Well I spent this past weekend in Dunedin. How the scene has changed since
Passenger Transport took over citibus on the 1st of June. Passenger Transport
now operate all their urban buses from Transport Place lined up on the depot on
Friday night was an intresting array of buses in both liveries. On Friday
afternoon I noted at least one Passenger Transport MAN working on a Citibus
route and a Passenger Transport liveried MAN working on a Citibus route.

I went for a ride with Citibus on Friday afternoon from my motel on George
Street to the Octagon on Citibus Dennis Dart 333 - Ex Redbus 307 and ex Ritchies
474 as soon as I topped up my Go Card I was off. Brought back a few memories of
my time living in Dunedin riding on the buses all the time.

also noted on Friday Afternoon working on Pine Hill / Lookout Point was Citibus
MAN 306 normally this route is totally Super Low Floors but clearly not as this
bus was on the road off peak wondering whats going on their given Citibus have
spare SLF's sitting in the depot. On Friday night when I got back to Dunedin I
was greeted with the sight of two Citibus vehicles and one Passenger Transport
Super Low Floor. These were the charter buses to transport us back to the St
Davids Street Lecture complex at Otago University on the way back the driver of
my bus said he would go via the hotels and motels as people requested. I ended
up riding on the Dennis Dart given it was 333 again.

Also on Friday Night in the company of our local dunedin reporter who is ex
Christchurch we ended up going bus spotting via the Ritchies Depot and what
should be happening but Ritchies were busy getting their new arrivals into
Dunedin put to bed for the night found their depot and noted the buses residing
in there they were MAN 12-223's 690,691,692,693,694 and noted coming home
yesterday to chch were 4 more buses I didnt see the fleet numbers but have since
been told they were 702,703,704,706 all ex Auckland Scania's 8 out of 10 buses
are in Dunedin for Ritchies to take over their contracts on Friday Morning 1st
July still no sign as yet of the new timetable for 2011.

Just as a sideline I noted that PT have now put Radio telephones in the citibus
buses. Maybe a postive change for the first time in a long time. Dunedin tenders
due in 2012 - Palmerston - Dunedin and the nights and weekends contract. I'm
wondering if Ritchies might become a major force in Dunedin and take more work
expanding their operations in area also take some school work

Photos to come now

Nick

reece_555 · Post by **reece_555** » Mon Jun 27, 2011 6:47 pm

So it looks like Designline hasnt been able to complete the new buses Ritchies had on order also where is the Ritchies depot located?

Hopefully Ritchies do become a larger player in Dunedin and it seems they probably will grow from here.

Bus_Nutter · Post by **Bus_Nutter** » Mon Jun 27, 2011 8:45 pm

the Ritchies depot is located at the old Southeastern / Cesta junk yard I'm really surprized that they chose to put buses given the old southeastern junk is still there and the last time I was there was late 2008 didnt go there at in when I was living in Dunedin in 2009. Ritchies were busy ferrying their buses from St Andrew Street to the depot late on Friday night.

only two more buses to come and they will have all their buses ready for Friday morning. I'm keen to know what Mosigel Coach Services are going to use to the Concord / Kaikorai Valley Contract that also starts on Friday morning

Im quite sure that Ritchies will be eyeing up the Dunedin - Palmerston - Dunedin run and also most likely the nights and weekends contract when that comes up for tender in 2012 what this space as to what happens. Is anyone able to confirm were Ritchies taking over some school runs in Dunedin this year as well

reece_555 · Post by **reece_555** » Mon Jun 27, 2011 9:41 pm

Cheap rent must be why they choose the site which is actually the back yard of the Display & Sell building on Anzac Ave.

The school services they are due to take over are the Pine Hill - Logan Park High School, Pine Hill - Dunedin North Intermediate & Look Out Point - Kings, Queens High Schools & Macandrew Intermediate. These school services are part of the ORC contract.

Bus_Nutter · Post by **Bus_Nutter** » Mon Jun 27, 2011 9:46 pm

so that might explain why Ritchies have sent some bigger buses south to Dunedin to cover the school runs. Unless Ritchies are going to send buses down specially to cover this school work. Which is quite on the cards.

reece_555 · Post by **reece_555** » Fri Jul 01, 2011 3:19 pm

Change over day today in Dunedin for Pine 6 - Lookout Point 40, Sheil Hill 22 - Opoho 11 & Concord 38 - University 37 weekday routes.

Ritchie's now operate the first two routes mentioned above using a transferred fleet from Auckland. Each service operates with a 20 minute frequency at peak times and 40 minutes during the day, the blue & gold Citibus fleet will still be seen in these areas at night & weekends. Driver change over for Ritchie's drivers is in town at octagon stands 7 & 8 where these services layover before departure times. Almost all of the Ritchie's drivers are ex Citibus. The Ritchie's fleet is kept very tidy on the inside based on riding 691.

The few pics I got are in the Ritchie's Dunedin photo thread.

The most interesting news of the day is Mosgiel Coach Services who are running the Concord 38 - University 37 with leased Zhong Tongs 803 & 804 from Go Bus Christchurch. Driver change over is Kaikorai Valley Road which is maybe where these vehicles are parked instead of Mosgiel. The 3 drivers of Mosgiel Coach Services that I seen were also ex Citibus. I went for a ride on Zhong Tong 804 which was free today although I think there was an issue with the newly arrived Wayfarer ETM not yet being set up for service. Ive also become a fan of these updated Zhong Tongs and they manage the hills well although some of the windows were scratched already and they aren't cleaned as well as the Ritchie's fleet.

Go over to the NZ photos section for pics of these vehicles.

The Citibus/ PT depot is now more full with 10 buses in total now surplus. Darts 331 & 334 have been redeployed to St Clair 29 - Normanby 9 for today at least. Maybe some vehicles will be sent down south or older buses sold.

Bus_Nutter · Post by **Bus_Nutter** » Fri Jul 01, 2011 5:40 pm

PT should be sending their junk buses down south first before flicking off the citibus vehicles - interesting that drivers ex Citibus have gone to both Ritchies and Mosigel Coach Services. Perhaps thats a sign of things to come. Just thinking it would really only be 6 buses that would be off the road given that off peak both Pine Hill / Lookout Point only had two buses on it all day and Sheil Hill / Opoho only had two buses don't forget that they only added two extra buses to Shiel Hill / Opoho in the peak time and nothing to Pine Hill / Lookout point. Perhaps we will see the end of the crappy only MAN Ansairs that PT had running on the Concord - University service

reece_555 · Post by **reece_555** » Fri Jul 01, 2011 6:33 pm

There was probably a number of drivers only to willing to shift companies after PT shifted itself into the Citibus operation. Im hoping that the Ansair Man's will go but we will see.

ka9102 · Post by **ka9102** » Wed Jul 20, 2011 11:47 am

lol,its about the time for me to pay a visit to otago,have not been there since 1997!!!!!

Petenz · Post by **Petenz** » Wed Jul 20, 2011 5:21 pm

Bus_Nutter wrote:PT should be sending their junk buses down south first before flicking off the citibus vehicles - interesting that drivers ex Citibus have gone to both Ritchies and Mosigel Coach Services. Perhaps thats a sign of things to come. Just thinking it would really only be 6 buses that would be off the road given that off peak both Pine Hill / Lookout Point only had two buses on it all day and Sheil Hill / Opoho only had two buses don't forget that they only added two extra buses to Shiel Hill / Opoho in the peak time and nothing to Pine Hill / Lookout point. Perhaps we will see the end of the crappy only MAN Ansairs that PT had running on the Concord - University service

Which junk buses are you talking about Nick - Jap imports? when I was down south PT had no junk buses on the road - all MAN, Ansairs, Darts or Zhong Tongs - no Jap imports at all.