Step entrance buses that remain in use.

[Bletchleyite]

When will the last day of the London Heritage Routemaster routes be? Or have these gained some kind of derogation?

 

[Robertj21a]

When will the last day of the London Heritage Routemaster routes be? Or have these gained some kind of derogation?

Yes - derogation.

 

[507021]

Arriva North West will be using a Wrightbus-bodied Volvo B10B on rail replacements next year, but it will be for carrying bicycles and their owners only.

 

[Temple Meads]

There are all too often examples of rail replacement (and bus replacement, where the normal service is unable to access a road due to roadworks) vehicles being inaccessible. Regardless of whether such services are formally covered by the accessibility requirements, TOCs (and local authorities in the case of bus replacement services) should set such requirements as part of their contracts for such services.

I disagree. There aren't enough DDA-spec coaches with smaller operators, which means a considerably higher number of buses will end up being used on rail replacement services for which they aren't suitable.

Passengers who cannot access the coach can be sent - direct - in an accessible taxi. Perhaps these should be on 'stand-by' during rail replacement jobs just in case!

 

[Bletchleyite]

Provided you only need a small number of them, which this situation would, taxis/PHVs are on standby in most built-up parts of the UK at all times. Not really a great concern.

 

[Ant158]

I'd like to try and catch a ride on this before Christmas; do you know the timings at all?

Times for the 14 from Lancashire County Council bus times. You can search for other routes in Accrington and Clitheroe too. Please bear in mind although the Olympians are often used on service 14/15 it may not always be the case, sometimes single deckers are used and their Optare Spectra is a regular performer on the route.

http://www.lancashire.gov.uk/roads-...es/bus-timetable-service.aspx?service=LADO014

 

[TUC]

Not sure that I totally follow what you're saying. For rail replacement work, coaches are often specified (due to luggage etc) and these do not have to meet any disability regulations for use on public services until 2020.
Bus replacement services arranged by local authorities can only be covered by DDA-compliant buses - which is already all single-deck buses and, in 3 weeks time, all double deckers too.

My point in relation to rail replacement is that TOCs could contractually require accessible vehicles, regardless of when regulations come into force.

With regard to bus replacement, i have to say that I have seen non-accessible vehicles used on several occasions in different places. The ones I have seen look to be ones where the local authority commissioning the replacement are not ones usually involved in public transport and are purely involved because their highway responsibilities have led to the need for them to make public transport arrangements during road works. e.g. district councils in county council areas and metropolitan districts in PTE areas.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

I disagree. There aren't enough DDA-spec coaches with smaller operators, which means a considerably higher number of buses will end up being used on rail replacement services for which they aren't suitable.

Passengers who cannot access the coach can be sent - direct - in an accessible taxi. Perhaps these should be on 'stand-by' during rail replacement jobs just in case!

Accessible coaches are surely common enough now for them to be used for planned rail replacement work (I agree that emergency rail replacement is more problematic, but accessible coaches should still be the first preference.)

Whilst arranging taxis is fine where there are staff available to do this, one does wonder what is meant to happen when a passenger unable to access a multi-step rail replacement coach is mid-journey in middle of the evening when they need to transfer to one and there are no station staff at that time of night. There must be many passengers who do not book assistance because they know their regular trains well enough to know that they can access them without assistance, but for whom a coach with multiple high steps is a different matter.

 

[Robertj21a]

My point in relation to rail replacement is that TOCs could contractually require accessible vehicles, regardless of when regulations come into force.

With regard to bus replacement, i have to say that I have seen non-accessible vehicles used on several occasions in different places. The ones I have seen look to be ones where the local authority commissioning the replacement are not ones usually involved in public transport and are purely involved because their highway responsibilities have led to the need for them to make public transport arrangements during road works. e.g. district councils in county council areas and metropolitan districts in PTE areas.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


Accessible coaches are surely common enough now for them to be used for planned rail replacement work (I agree that emergency rail replacement is more problematic, but accessible coaches should still be the first preference.)

Whilst arranging taxis is fine where there are staff available to do this, one does wonder what is meant to happen when a passenger unable to access a multi-step rail replacement coach is mid-journey in middle of the evening when they need to transfer to one and there are no station staff at that time of night. There must be many passengers who do not book assistance because they know their regular trains well enough to know that they can access them without assistance, but for whom a coach with multiple high steps is a different matter.

The TOCs could stipulate DDA-compliant but if they want coaches (for all the luggage) then there are very few such coaches available. From 2020, all coaches *used on public services* will need to be DDA-compliant but that only really applies to National Express, Megabus and a few others. The majority of coaches are used for schools, private hire and other 'closed contract' work etc and are not therefore included.
Councils can certainly stipulate DDA-compliant buses and there should normally be large numbers available. If it's a service open to the general public there shouldn't be any step-entrance buses on such work after 31st December (again, only on schools/closed contract work).

 

[richw]

Stipulating an accessible coach will massively inflate the price, to the point for a few customers needing accessibility it is cheaper to use a private hire cab.
Companies have a responsibility to their share holder not to use more expensive options. Megabus and natex are pretty much compliant already,

 

[Bletchleyite]

The TOCs could stipulate DDA-compliant but if they want coaches (for all the luggage) then there are very few such coaches available. From 2020, all coaches *used on public services* will need to be DDA-compliant but that only really applies to National Express, Megabus and a few others. The majority of coaches are used for schools, private hire and other 'closed contract' work etc and are not therefore included.

That will, I guess, result in the ability to operate duplicates being reduced, though. At present NatEx and Megabus can call on a huge number of coach companies to fill in if needed.

Surely only the main vehicle should be required to be wheelchair accessible, not the duplicates? Requiring the duplicates to be so (unless they are traffic-congestion duplicates, where it'd probably just make sense to provide a taxi for the wheelchair user instead) would be like requiring every coach in a train to contain a wheelchair space.

 

[richw]

That will, I guess, result in the ability to operate duplicates being reduced, though. At present NatEx and Megabus can call on a huge number of coach companies to fill in if needed.

Surely only the main vehicle should be required to be wheelchair accessible, not the duplicates? Requiring the duplicates to be so (unless they are traffic-congestion duplicates, where it'd probably just make sense to provide a taxi for the wheelchair user instead) would be like requiring every coach in a train to contain a wheelchair space.

Other natex criterias don't apply to dupes, such as vehicle age.

 

[Robertj21a]

That will, I guess, result in the ability to operate duplicates being reduced, though. At present NatEx and Megabus can call on a huge number of coach companies to fill in if needed.

Surely only the main vehicle should be required to be wheelchair accessible, not the duplicates? Requiring the duplicates to be so (unless they are traffic-congestion duplicates, where it'd probably just make sense to provide a taxi for the wheelchair user instead) would be like requiring every coach in a train to contain a wheelchair space.

It would make an interesting test case. Like you, I can't see any reason why any truly *duplicate* coach needs to also be DDA-compliant.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Other natex criterias don't apply to dupes, such as vehicle age.

Indeed not, but we're talking about a law here, not NatEx policy which can be whatever they want it to be (and makes sense as it is, as passengers would generally rather travel in an older coach than no coach at all).

 

[Temple Meads]

Post withdrawn due to containing incorrect info. Apologies

 

[Volvodart]

Stagecoach Bluebird are now down to one Olympian - 16120, with 16116 being replaced by Enviro400 19555.

 

[theblackwatch]

This afternoon, I had a trip on Selwyn's MCW Metrobus F810YLV (new to Merseyside PTE in 1989) which does a trip from Belton to Doncaster and back every Saturday. Apparently the service ceases on Saturday 7th Jan.

 

[Martin1988]

I am slightly confused, can coaches still be used on local bus services after 31st december or not?

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

I am slightly confused, can coaches still be used on local bus services after 31st december or not?

Until 2020

 

[Strathclyder]

This afternoon, I had a trip on Selwyn's MCW Metrobus F810YLV (new to Merseyside PTE in 1989) which does a trip from Belton to Doncaster and back every Saturday. Apparently the service ceases on Saturday 7th Jan.

Must be one of the last Metrobuses left in regular passenger use anywhere in the UK, if not the very last?

Either way, it's good to see one of the old beasts still earning it's keep.

 

[185]

Either way, it's good to see one of the old beasts still earning it's keep.

Good old sturdy bus. When it was new, it went like a bullet during the (huge) bus war in Manchester & Liverpool. It was new to MTL and was soon moved to St Helens depot, often put on 510s Liverpool-Bolton which would continue into Manchester as an 8... a 4 hour route!

If I remember right, this was the one parked outside the Punch Bowl in Atherton - picking up passengers when the driver of a GM Atlantean, also on a 582, desperate to get back infront sailed at about 30mph through the narrow gap, misjudged the parked cars, and scuffed the back offside corner of it. Needless to say, the damage to their Atlantean (i'm told) was "windows missing and detached panels lying in the road".