First Greater Glasgow

[TheGrandWazoo]

Of course, but why has First gained a very low rep amongst the public. I for sure understand that falling passengers numbers are not just one of congestion or factor outside the control of operators, but a few of unreliable, inconsistent and unclean vehicles, of course the increase in car ownership has exploded in the last few years, of course which isn't in control of any bus company, I do not think that the LEZ will increase passenger numbers, it will simply force more to find new ways to keep traveling in there cars without it costing them any more to drive, in the face of things though I do understand why ticket prices keep increasing.

Its very hard not to compare Glasgow and Edinburgh, on a passenger basis the people using buses in Edinburgh seem far happier than those in Glasgow, its not hard to see why though.

FiG seem to be very lazy with what's being done in glasgow, with the new purchases that were brought in last year why have more buses not been able to be sent to get refurbished?

No - You made a personal attack on a specific individual viz “I have been led to believe that Andrew Jarvis is doing a good job, but to me he certainly comes across as a business man, not a bus man which I think should be important to work in such a prolific position wthin a bus company.”

Factually incorrect and patently wrong.

As for being “lazy”, perhaps he has to get approval for capital spend? Create a business case that has to be accepted? Meanwhile other OpCo MDs are similarly wanting their aspirations to be met? I’m sure that he’s having to make his case whilst Alex Carter is similarly doing the same with Cornwall, or James Freeman in Bristol. And, I might add, it’s the same issue in Stagecoach and Arriva (or even Transdev or RATP) - creating business cases to secure investment in new vehicles, undertaking refurbs etc is all about trying to obtain your share of limited available capital.

We all know the historic faults with First and some of those continue to impact now. We all know that and it isn't unfair to highlight these, question why things are taking time to change or suggest other initiatives. It is eminently fair to do so but the First are rubbish/Lothian are great narrative has been done in some depth. There are many other issues that contribute to bus travel decline in Glasgow - not least a continued car centric programme of motorway building and rafts of relatively cheap onstreet car parking whilst buses grind through increasing congested routes. However, why say that - why not call out one person as a lazy non bus man?

 

[Whiteway215]

Reported that 47549/50 have been transferred First West of England Bath to Glasgow with two deckers coming the other way. Has anyone details of the deckers?

 

[JumpinTrainz]

Reported that 47549/50 have been transferred First West of England Bath to Glasgow with two deckers coming the other way. Has anyone details of the deckers?

I noticed some deckers sitting beside one of the coaches and ‘the one’ branded E300s at Caley today. Didn’t get the numbers but I’m presuming it’ll be more B7TLs. I’d also imagine the Streetlites are for Lanarkshire services?

 

[tbtc]

Andrew Jarvis to be fair to him has did more for First in the past few year than anyone else who was in power. We haven’t had refurbished buses in years. We also haven’t saw so much new stock appear. There was a good period where Glasgow had no new stock coming in. He’s upgrading routes which would never have been upgraded before! The whole route branding and presentation stands out a mile! I think he’s doing a pretty good job so far

Not a criticism but the current approach in Glasgow appears to be about getting the "wow" factor from every new vehicle - maybe to hide the fact that there aren't as many new vehicles arriving as would have been the case in a typical year over the past decade or so - maybe fewer new buses but with bright bold fronts so that nobody can miss the fact that they are NEW?

The cliched “not a bus man” remark is something I’ve seen so many times. It’s usually wrong and usually associated with the “bright young graduates/not done the time at the coal face” type rubbish. Andrew Jarvis is a) a bus man first and foremost and b) is seemingly getting the fleet improved and c) returning decent financial returns. Of course, there’s a lot of to do and I’m sure he’d prefer not to have tired Eclipses in front line service.

It really grinds my gears (see also "proper railway men" (who'd apparently save us if the trains were ever nationalised, rather than the people who work full time in the Department For Transport but apparently aren't "proper" enough for enthusiasts!).

I've never been the kind of bus enthusiasts who has paid attention to the Managing Directors (in the way that I am a football fan without worrying about who the chairman/chairwoman at each club is) - I don't know why some people have to get so personal (and invariably negative) about people in these positions - we have no way of knowing what internal pressures they are under or whether they are having their hands tied to pay for problems elsewhere.

I certainly know that in the company I work for, there are occasionally recruitment freezes (which means nobody leaving the company gets replaced) and then bountiful years where staff are hired willynilly and have worked there long enough to know that these decisions aren't just about one person in charge - it's no direct reflection of a manager just because they took over at a time of retrenchment. I wish we could focus on the vehicles rather than making personal comments about the people at the top.

 

[SarahDFIG]

Reported that it was deckers 32669 & 32673 but i didnt think these were at Glasgow were they unless they were suppose to come and have just been transferred directly to bath. Unless of course the incorrect fleet numbers have been reported.

These streetlites are suppose to be going to Overtown for 266 service .

Not seen the 09 plate and 62 plate e200 around motherwell/overtown recently. Does Overtown still have them

 

[lastbus]

Reported that it was deckers 32669 & 32673 but i didnt think these were at Glasgow were they unless they were suppose to come and have just been transferred directly to bath. Unless of course the incorrect fleet numbers have been reported.

These streetlites are suppose to be going to Overtown for 266 service .

Not seen the 09 plate and 62 plate e200 around motherwell/overtown recently. Does Overtown still have them

Overtown still has them but unfortunately both are off the road long term.

 

[SarahDFIG]

Overtown still has them but unfortunately both are off the road long term.

Both! Wow what is the issue with them? Guessing they have been off the road awhile?

 

[Jordan Adam]

Regarding earlier comments in this thread...

Moir Lockhead was a "true bus man", he had a real eye for detail and those shows in the early GRT days. Unfortunately i think it's fair to say in the 00s First got carried away with expansion and the idea that they were "too big to go down". I'd possibly argue at the time they were over investing in new buses, although they also had many life expired vehicles they had inherited from previous operators. Lockhead is as much of a bus man as Souter is.

Andrew Jarvis is also clearly a deeply rooted in the bus industry, at his time with Stagecoach here he experimented with many new route ideas and opportunities. Perhaps the most successful was the JET727 which has consistently been Scotlands fastest growing bus route for a number of years, won best bus service twice and still continuing to grow, i really would not be surprised if it gets enhanced soon. Stagecoach's presence at the Airport has allowed them just this week to launch two brand new services connecting Aberdeenshire with the Airport, of course the recent enhancements have little to do with Jarvis. However you can't ignore the fact that if it wasn't for him and his team the 727 wouldn't be where it is today. It was also under him that the Coastrider X7 was launched, another huge massive success for Stagecoach. All the while under him the Coastrider slow services were revamped, Westhill service improved, Inverurie Connect improved with a new link to ARI and so on. So i think it's allude to say he's not passionate about the bus industry.

First Aberdeen had a shaky 2018, however we need to look onwards and upwards for 2019. The fleet rebrand program has just started, new deckers are due to arrive in the coming months and they will also be getting 6 nearly new Vanhool A330s from Stagecoach.

 

[carlberry]

Both! Wow what is the issue with them? Guessing they have been off the road awhile?

They'll be useful for Bath depot, it'll save them the trouble of wrecking them!

 

[lastbus]

Both! Wow what is the issue with them? Guessing they have been off the road awhile?

Both have mechanical issues which I’m not putting on a public forum. 44905 has barely been on the road since it got here and 44528 has been off the road since around Christmas time.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Both have mechanical issues which I’m not putting on a public forum. 44905 has barely been on the road since it got here and 44528 has been off the road since around Christmas time.

Think Carl was thinking of the deckers heading south.

Can't really blame Bath for 44905 - wasn't there for very long!

 

[alexf380]

Swhite.org, usually a very accurate West of England enthusiast page, notes it is indeed 32669/673 that went south from the midland bluebird fleet. Two streetlites 47549/550 went the other way, likely to Livingston depot to replace the geminis. Nothing to do with Glasgow ops, of course, but an update nonetheless.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Swhite.org, usually a very accurate West of England enthusiast page, notes it is indeed 32669/673 that went south from the midland bluebird fleet. Two streetlites 47549/550 went the other way, likely to Livingston depot to replace the geminis. Nothing to do with Glasgow ops, of course, but an update nonetheless.

Yep - mentioned on the FWoE/Wales thread that Steve has subsequently confirmed the IDs

Steve works for First at Lawrence Hill so his information is usually accurate (though the odd change to plan does sometimes occur)

 

[alexf380]

Well there you go then! Had no idea he was even on this forum

 

[overthewater]

I would not rule out those two streetlits heading for Larbart to boost the 38s.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Well there you go then! Had no idea he was even on this forum

Steve does occasionally post on that thread, and those of us down here do check out his site as a first port of call. He has also chauffeured me in the past unknowingly

 

[JumpinTrainz]

I would not rule out those two streetlits heading for Larbart to boost the 38s.

I noticed a foreign looking Streetlite outside Caley today in the new FSE colours perhaps this one?

 

[route101]

Reported that it was deckers 32669 & 32673 but i didnt think these were at Glasgow were they unless they were suppose to come and have just been transferred directly to bath. Unless of course the incorrect fleet numbers have been reported.

These streetlites are suppose to be going to Overtown for 266 service .

Not seen the 09 plate and 62 plate e200 around motherwell/overtown recently. Does Overtown still have them

Had 09 plate e200 on 31 other night , dinky thing.

 

[route101]

Swhite.org, usually a very accurate West of England enthusiast page, notes it is indeed 32669/673 that went south from the midland bluebird fleet. Two streetlites 47549/550 went the other way, likely to Livingston depot to replace the geminis. Nothing to do with Glasgow ops, of course, but an update nonetheless.

So were they they the blue geminis that were in service in Glasgow , now down south?

 

[route101]

Given the public transport alternatives to the 500, the deal between FiG and the airport may not specify much beyond the minimum in terms of publicising the service.

I suspect the vast majority of the 500's users are those visiting Glasgow from afar - people in the west of Scotland are probably so used to the poor* public transport links to the airport, and so used to arriving/departing by taxi or private car, that there's not much scope for growth among the "natives".

That said, the suggestion made further up this thread that there could be new deckers on the horizon for the 500 may well signal a change in approach.

* well, for a given value of "poor" anyway - people like those on this forum know perfectly well that it's not all that difficult to get to/from the airport by bus, but I'd guess the general public doesn't see it that way.

The thing with airport is lack of services serving local areas apart from the 757 and 77. If i have no luggage and/or its not early or late i get bus to airport but th fare is about double of the price when arriva was on it.

 

[Observer]

I would not rule out those two streetlits heading for Larbart to boost the 38s.

Couldn't see it as those look to be the smaller capacity StreetLites. Plus it has already been said they are for Overtown.

Livingston is currently having its StreetLites be painted in the updated livery so that's why there's one there. As far as I'm aware there's only one Gemini at Larbert in the new livery.

 

[alexf380]

So were they they the blue geminis that were in service in Glasgow , now down south?

Don't think so, 32681 is in blue and has been sighted in service in Glasgow so I'd assume it was that one. Apparently there's one more moved to Glasgow as well but no word on the fleet no. yet I'm afraid.

 

[AndrewTaylor95]

The blue Gemini SN55 HFJ 32681 and the newly painted Glasgow livery SN55 HFL 32683 are permanent Cally vehicles, I would imagine the other Gemini's noted have stopped off for a break before heading south or their either in for a repaint

 

[SarahDFIG]

Vehicles that went to bath were from FSE livingston and 2 streetlites have went to livingston in return. These were suppose to go into Glasgow fleet but has been changed. Overtown was due streetlites from Bath but not sure if that is still the case .

In other news. 6 of the 12 E200 coming this year will be for Overtown's 242 service and confirmed by Mr Burns himself. No other routes have been confirmed including 254. Only 242 at the minute as this was originally planned.

Rumoured there is 53 plate darts coming to Glasgow but no solid info on that.

Pink e200s still no info what is happening with them yet but supposedly they are not for the 2

 

[lastbus]

Vehicles that went to bath were from FSE livingston and 2 streetlites have went to livingston in return. These were suppose to go into Glasgow fleet but has been changed. Overtown was due streetlites from Bath but not sure if that is still the case .

In other news. 6 of the 12 E200 coming this year will be for Overtown's 242 service and confirmed by Mr Burns himself. No other routes have been confirmed including 254. Only 242 at the minute as this was originally planned.

Rumoured there is 53 plate darts coming to Glasgow but no solid info on that.

Pink e200s still no info what is happening with them yet but supposedly they are not for the 2

Overtown are getting 11 new buses and they are due to start arriving in the first week of February. They will be used on the 242 and 254.

 

[christopherrfc]

The first of the 11 plate e400 have painted into the new livery

https://www.flickr.com/photos/146003820@N05/32994817808/

 

[SarahDFIG]

Overtown are getting 11 new buses and they are due to start arriving in the first week of February. They will be used on the 242 and 254.

As i said mr burns has only confirmed 242. He has not answered yes or no to the 254. Nothing spotted at ADL either for first so doesnt look like start of feb will en .also why is the 254 getting new vehicles ? The 242 goes to eurocentral so thats to get more workers no doubt but strange about the 254.

 

[lastbus]

As i said mr burns has only confirmed 242. He has not answered yes or no to the 254. Nothing spotted at ADL either for first so doesnt look like start of feb will en .also why is the 254 getting new vehicles ? The 242 goes to eurocentral so thats to get more workers no doubt but strange about the 254.

Possibly they are being built In Yorkshire. They are definitely due in February and can 100% confirm that the 254 is getting new buses aswell as the 242.

 

[SarahDFIG]

Possibly they are being built In Yorkshire. They are definitely due in February and can 100% confirm that the 254 is getting new buses aswell as the 242.

Just the waiting game now. Not saying your lying about the 254 just going with what mr burns has informed me of and hes over seeing the new vehicles .

 

[Gingerbus1991]

The first of the 11 plate e400 have painted into the new livery

https://www.flickr.com/photos/146003820@N05/32994817808/

Mr Negative here, I'm for once glad they've decided to Refurbish the corroded wheels, it manages to make the whole package look better! Pitty the interior hasn't had anything done.