NSW Bus Observations 2022.

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NSW Bus Observations 2022.

Post by Fleet Lists »

This thread will cover all bus observations except the STA which will continue to be covered by the 2021 thread until it ceases operation in April 2022.
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Re: Private Bus Observations 2021

Post by Transport Buff »

Interesting to note...

I was at Milsons Point today (04/01/22), where the buses layover, and noticed a Keolis Downer Northern Beaches (KDNB) Orana bus (not sure of fleet no. or if it was Ansair or Pheonix), still with its State Transit accreditation and branding on front top of bus.

Additonally, a KDNB Bustech VST had 'State Transit' displayed on its desto, also while laying over.
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NSW Bus Observations 2022

Post by Linto63 »

Some region 7 services terminate at Milsons Point.
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Re: NSW Bus Observations 2022.

Post by Swift »

Busways MAN 18.310s with the Bustech VST mark 3 body and ZF Ecomat/Ecolife gearboxes are aging like fine wine. Heard 947 rounding a cornerc on Allfield Rd, Woy Woy doing a 64 toward Ettalong and it's engine was so sweet. Heard 939, another in Ettalong today. Just as nice. Very reminiscent of the Adelaide SL200s.
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Re: NSW Bus Observations 2022.

Post by Stonesourscotty »

Busways 858 on the 795 today I think for the first time ever think it's the only White livery bus in service at Penrith at the moment and the only bus that still retains any of the old busways logos as its had its rear advert removed.

Refurbished 1089 is on the 774 ive forgot if this is a New Refurbishment or not but other

Hardly any Mercedes on the road at the moment Penrith seems to be running entirely Scania Volgrens and Electrics 5000/1 with the odd Glendenning or Mulgrave bus

Cdc 1248 seen in St Marys with Nsw health logos on the front of the bus. Also 1037 and 1042 are back at Cdc kingswood outstation there was no buses stationed there over xmas
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Re: NSW Bus Observations 2022.

Post by Bovways »

Stonesourscotty wrote: Thu Jan 06, 2022 2:37 pm Hardly any Mercedes on the road at the moment Penrith seems to be running entirely Scania Volgrens and Electrics 5000/1 with the odd Glendenning or Mulgrave bus
I think they are minimising the use of AdBlue-equipped buses as much as possible.
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Re: NSW Bus Observations 2022.

Post by Stonesourscotty »

Does anyone know the identification of the all white SINGLE door bus at Penrith Busways depot?

There is still a White 510 at Penrith is this 501? That I saw over a month ago??

4 of the Busways 300 series Mercedes Custom Hogh floor buses had the displays set to driver training one was 324
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Re: NSW Bus Observations 2022.

Post by ScaniaGrenda »

While on my last couple of days in Sydney, I came across 2351 ST that is now with Keolis downer, it had yellow registration plates instead of the typical blue STA ones.

Sure a minor observation at best but one of the funs about bus spotting is finding even the most minor stuff that differs from the rest.

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Re: NSW Bus Observations 2022.

Post by Swift »

Nice. A bus back shot. We need more. I think you'll find that is a replacement plate after the original fell off under STA rule.
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Re: NSW Bus Observations 2022.

Post by ACM »

Heard on the grapevine that 20 of Forest Coach Lines' drivers are in isolation. This would be more than 10% of the workforce.
The FCL driver mentioned this when he (and myself) were tormented by an anti-masker.
Story goes as follows:
-I am on bus
-Guy (20s with scooter + beard) waves bus down at stop
-Driver does not open doors. Points to his mask. Guy puts on mask.
-Guy is let on
-Guy sits on about 1 row away from me and immediatley takes mask off.
-I politely call him out for this
-He gets a little bit shitty and says he has a medical exemption
-I ask to see his medical exemption. Driver hears, stops the bus. He repeats that he has an exemption.
-Driver asks to see his exemption. He says he doesn't have it on him. Driver tells him he can wear a mask or get off.
-Guy puts his mask on and threatens to film me, share it with some group or another. Pulls his phone out.
-I go ride up the pointy end of the bus. Mention the issue to the driver. He says this crap happens all the time. Can hear guys describing my phisique, etc. I get off at my stop and make an effort to not let him film my face. Mind you, i was wearing a mask :lol:
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Re: NSW Bus Observations 2022.

Post by Merc1107 »

The sad thing is, there are folks with a legitimate exemption who will be associated with the anti-mask/vax types because they can't wear a mask.
Should you have to produce evidence of an exemption? Or should it be like a doctor's certificate and simply be a "medical condition" preventing one from masking up?

At the end of the day, if someone is unvaccinated, not in a mask, and everyone else has done those things, it is the unvaccinated/unmasked individual who will be more likely to suffer. If a driver has politely requested, even multiple times, that's more than enough, in my opinion. Passengers have the right to exercise their own common sense, too, and avoid these situations if it makes them uncomfortable.
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Re: NSW Bus Observations 2022.

Post by boronia »

The driver (or any person other than police) has no legal authority to force passengers to wear a mask, either by denying entry or attempting to remove them.

What right do you have to "call him out"? It is this sort of attempted "enforcement" that sees drivers and other transport staff being assaulted.
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Re: NSW Bus Observations 2022.

Post by boronia »

boronia wrote: Sat Jan 08, 2022 3:11 pm The driver (or any person other than police) has no legal authority to force passengers to wear a mask, either by denying entry or attempting to remove them.

What right do you have to "call him out"? It is this sort of attempted "enforcement" that sees drivers and other transport staff being assaulted. If someone does have medical exemption, it should be in the form of a card or visible on the Service app.
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Re: NSW Bus Observations 2022.

Post by ScaniaGrenda »

Most bus companies do have something along the lines of "Passenger rights & Rules" sticker onboard which is much like a conditions of entry you may see to a supermarket or store. I highly doubt it is worth calling police over someone putting their feet on the seats for example (Unless they've already been asked not too and refuse to still comply). Same goes for masks, not worth the resources to call the police even then unless the passenger in question still refuses to comply after already having been asked and starts drama which would fall into unruly passenger behavior where the police is likely to be called, having seen plenty of Youtube videos, most of these people will take off before the police even show up and the bus would already be behind schedule.

The buses while publicly accessible do have their own rules which the company is well within their rights to enforce and by hopping on you accept these rules, if your not complying with these they would be in the right to ask you to leave the bus but this will fall on the driver 99% of the time and I think we all know it isn't worth what they put up with nor get paid to do this but it doesn't mean they can't at the end of the day you still won't be asked to leave.
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Re: NSW Bus Observations 2022.

Post by ACM »

ScaniaGrenda wrote: Sat Jan 08, 2022 3:38 pm Most bus companies do have something along the lines of "Passenger rights & Rules" sticker onboard which is much like a conditions of entry you may see to a supermarket or store. I highly doubt it is worth calling police over someone putting their feet on the seats for example (Unless they've already been asked not too and refuse to still comply). Same goes for masks, not worth the resources to call the police even then unless the passenger in question still refuses to comply after already having been asked and starts drama which would fall into unruly passenger behavior where the police is likely to be called, having seen plenty of Youtube videos, most of these people will take off before the police even show up and the bus would already be behind schedule.
---
Agreed that when using any service, there are "terms of service", be it a bus, mobile phone, mechanic, website, Centrelink, etc. The terms of public transport, are, currently, in their most basic form:
1) Use a valid opal card
2) Wear a mask
3) Don't be a dickhead
Most people who break one rule are ignorant to at least one other.
Normally I don't challenge people on mask wearing except when it puts me in direct risk. With a guy 1m away and 40,ooo cases a day, that is the case. Agreed, generally we leave policing to the police. If people can't follow basic rules and take feedback on breaking them, i wonder how (or rather, if) they hold down meaningful employment, or act as a contributing member to society.
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Re: NSW Bus Observations 2022.

Post by Aurora »

The answer is they don’t, even worse, many of them get enjoyment out of doing it, effectively saying “look how special I am”.
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Re: NSW Bus Observations 2022.

Post by ScaniaGrenda »

New timetable for Hunter Valley Buses North comes into action tomorrow, the 187 (Stockland Greenhills via Metford) has been renumbered to 188 and includes the newly built Maitland Hospital as part of the route and something that surprises me is Sunday services given the Estate that 187 would continue onto was never previously serviced by Sunday Services / Public Holiday services. Seems to be a bus every hour of a weekday from 5:20 AM (Stockland) through to 9:09 PM when the last 188 service departs Stockland Greenhills for the evening.

https://transportnsw.info/documents/tim ... 220110.pdf

Anyone aware of any other timetable changes for the Hunter / Newcastle region?
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Re: NSW Bus Observations 2022.

Post by boronia »

ACM wrote: Sat Jan 08, 2022 4:19 pm If people can't follow basic rules and take feedback on breaking them, i wonder how (or rather, if) they hold down meaningful employment, or act as a contributing member to society.
Mostly they don't do either, but are content to bludge on the rest of society.
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Re: NSW Bus Observations 2022.

Post by Glen »

Merc1107 wrote: Sun Jan 02, 2022 10:11 am Exactly how is splitting a run into two or more shorter segments more profitable, particularly if the service level remains the same?
All other things being equal, shorter routes can be more efficient from a crewing perspective.

The longer a route is and the further it runs away from the depot, the fewer opportunities there are for drivers to be relieved.

There are exceptions of course.

Also note that I am not suggesting that routes be split for that reason.
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Re: NSW Bus Observations 2022

Post by Linto63 »

Splitting routes also saves on driver training and daad running costs. Pre the privatisations of recent years, the former Metrobus routes were operated by depots from both ends of the routes. When region 6 was taken over by Transit Systems it took over all of the cross cbd routes, meaning buses had to make positioning runs to and from Leichhardt and Tempe to Coogee and Taronga Zoo.
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Re: NSW Bus Observations 2022.

Post by Merc1107 »

Isn't dead running paid for in the contracts in NSW, or am I mistaken?
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Re: NSW Bus Observations 2022.

Post by gilberations »

Merc1107 wrote: Mon Jan 10, 2022 10:23 am Isn't dead running paid for in the contracts in NSW, or am I mistaken?
I believe it is but at a lower per km cost. This is why companies such as busways decided to build 2 new depots when it took over region 1. Shorter dead running from Mulgrave to Rouse Hill than Glendening. Even the small saving over the newer Penrith depot over the old westbus depot makes a difference to the bottom line.

I wouldn’t be surprised if busways end up closing the ryde depot and constuct a new one in Silverwater or Rydalmere, or even downsize the Ryde depot and still build an additional. Satellite depots can be run smoothly with them essentially being parking lots for buses. Example, Harris Park Transports old depot in Carlingford.
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Re: NSW Bus Observations 2022.

Post by Fleet Lists »

The Transdev Kingsgrove depot is a more recent example.
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Re: NSW Bus Observations 2022.

Post by gilberations »

Exactly. Just because it’s an additional facility doesn’t mean it needs the additional administration. You can have several bus storage facilities, with a demountable building for toilets and meal breaks, a fueling facility and maybe an on-site mechanic. Everything else would be handled by a parent depot, and the drivers themselves would belong to that parent depot. It would just so happen that the shift they work that day would have it’s bus at the satellite location.
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Re: NSW Bus Observations 2022.

Post by Glen »

I thought usually drivers belong to one depot however you define such depot.
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