First Bus Somerset reduced the total PVR for Taunton Town services to just 4 earlier this year. They ordered only 4 Yutong E10s to operate those services. Although two buses are allocated to route 1, one of them is often pinched to operate elsewhere, such is the shortage of vehicles here. It happened today and yesterday.
The kernow e400s are frequently no better. Ive had 1degree outside but no heating inside beyond the demister, which is the only driver controlled bit.
But the difference is that it seems to be a universal problem on Wrightbus EVs, with heating simply never having worked and the manufacturer unable to produce a fix.
Have we?
Ah, sorry, I thought you were meaning something related to heating. But yes, worrying that it looks like it may be happening all over again given the overseas competition.
Same with most of the buses in Wessex land, the E400MMC's are about our only buses that have any warmth (well unless someone decides to open a window!)
I did wonder how Wrightbus was able to compete with Chinese imports - presumably the answer is a reduction in quality or quality assurance.
But you have to wonder what's going on when BYD aftersales support is so much better than Wrightbus. How come can BYD have parts in stock and with the operator the next day while with Wrightbus you can be waiting a very long time?
I wouldn’t say that they always made terrible vehicles, but they do seem to go through phases of building somewhat terrible vehicles (the Wright Handibus), then quality (the Solar / Eclipse / Gemini family), then terrible (Streetlite) again.
Sorry but that's not true. The Wright Renown on the B10BLE was a superb machine, and can point you at the Wright Commander or Cadet - both decent products. Even the millennial products were good if not quite as e.g. Eclipse, Pulsar - the real misstep being the B7L but that was more a reflection of First's appalling seat spec and having half the drivetrain in the passenger compartment!
Clearly not been on First’s examples in Bath then! Mmcs are much better but a Streetlite vs a classic e200? Both rattle like hell and always have done. Recall traveling on a nearly new e200 in Northampton (c.2014) and shocked how bad it was.
Or maybe reinvent overhead luggage racks...
The Somerset GB Kites do have an overhead rack halfway down the bus on the nearside but only one window width wide. Yet to see luggage on it. Perhaps that provision clinched the deal for Wright Bus.
The B10BLEs were a really good piece of kit and I didn't mind the B6BLE (Wright Crusader 2, which First Bristol used to operate on the 20, 51 (and 90?) all now defunct routes) either. In terms of the kit that is around nowadays I am also a fan of the Yutong electric single-deckers (the U11DD double-decks aren't bad either - I had one on a Service 2A from Henleaze to Clifton Triangle on Friday evening); I have yet to sample the GB Kite single-decker electrics and I have never used an ADL Enviro200 EV although from what I have seen on YouTube videos the whine of the engine is very obvious; it will be interesting to see how the E100 EVs and new-style E200EV, of which Bath are getting 17 in total during 2026 I believe, fare although I gather the E100EV which was trialled did quite well. I am not, however, a fan of the older Enviro200 diesels so it will be good to see the back of those but I don't mind the Enviro200 MMC.
I would imagine people with luggage who use the 28 to get to & from Taunton station was also a consideration.
Street[...]e vs. classic Enviro200? No contest: both poor machines IMO.
When I was a pupil of a certain school near Winscombe the 121 was my route home (and, during my 6th Form years, my route to school also: 0830 from Bristol which was a route 120) because it was rather cheaper than the bus laid on by the school. It was usually the domain of Dennis Darts and, later, Pointer Dart SLFs both of which I was quite keen on. The occasional B10BLE was not uncommon either. The 120 & 121 are now, unfortunately, also defunct routes although the Stagecoach Falcon provides a replacement of sorts.
And the U2?
To some extent, although the U2 doesn’t serve Winford, Felton, Bristol Airport bus station, Wrington or Winscombe.
So assuming here but with the M6 would that indicate GCB will or have brought the 4 Minibuses from First?
Thanks: I had forgotten about the U2 and the 125. There was also a 129 (Weston-s-Mare - Chew Magna) for a time which I think was a college day only service.
We'll have to see the actual routing first.
Not only that, they may have purchased some slimline short Solos.
Can you read anything into what is missing?
There's more details on the Go Cornwall Bus thread which answer some of your queries.
Indeed. More have appeared today, 23rd December, for:
GCB currently have a 32 between Falmouth, Tremough and Truro and a 32A between Penryn College and Truro: I wonder if the two will combine to provide a good level of service between Falmouth and Truro or whether the new 33/33A will see off the 32/32A.
Don't read into those termini too literally. These days, the registration can only show one start point and one end point as the specific stop and national identification code have to be stated, whereas it used to be a simple "end point" free text box which would have allowed for something like "Penzance/St Ives".
