scottishtrains
Member
Not on all buses, the tce12s are manually opened by the driver
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Ember: Electric coach service
- Thread starter ClydeCoaster
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MicroLithium
Member
That must get annoying
scottishtrains
Member
I suppose, but it also gives drivers a quick chance to give there legs a little walk as they must get sore during long drives
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SG25HYH has been involved in a 1 vehicle RTC on the A9 near Aviemore at the A95 junction. Was operating the 08:50 E9 to Edinburgh
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Strathtay 260
Member
Unfortunate
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I've now seen photos and it looks really bad. Hope everybody involved is okay. Anyone know what caused the crash?
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Jordan1296
Member
Two passengers taken to hospital, say Ember, via a statement on their website.
Strathtay 260
Member
Wow, I hadn't quite realised they have put an announcement on their website. Very honest of them. Not sure of other operators who would announce an RTC on their official website?
JohnMcL7
Member
- Joined
- 18 Apr 2018
- Messages
- 1,049
Where exactly did the bus come off the road? From the pictures that show the 50 mph limit for 7.5 ton vehicles I'm assuming it's on the A9 but the corner in one of the pictures looks quite tight for the road and I can't seem to match it to part of the A9 near the Aviemore junction.
Strathtay 260
Member
Stan Drews
Established Member
- Joined
- 5 Jun 2013
- Messages
- 2,146
Essentially the bus didn't make the left turn off the A9 (at the A95 junction), to head into Aviemore.
JohnMcL7
Member
- Joined
- 18 Apr 2018
- Messages
- 1,049
Very helpful thanks and that makes sense.
HighlandStorm
Member
Seen a few vehicles of varying sizes in there over years! Two common contributing factors are ice on the left turn lane and things pulling out in front of a southbound vehicle which then tries to take evasive action!
Once while driving a van, I had a car turning north onto the A9 there, not just pull out, but mistake the edge of the stacking lane for the give way line - stopped completely blocking the southbound lane of the A9. I was just far enough away to swerve into the deceleration lane and stand on the brakes and make the unplanned left turn!
Really don’t like queuing on the A95 to turn North at the Granish Junction - always got one eye on that southbound off lane!
Once while driving a van, I had a car turning north onto the A9 there, not just pull out, but mistake the edge of the stacking lane for the give way line - stopped completely blocking the southbound lane of the A9. I was just far enough away to swerve into the deceleration lane and stand on the brakes and make the unplanned left turn!
Really don’t like queuing on the A95 to turn North at the Granish Junction - always got one eye on that southbound off lane!
Highland050261
Member
It was a service update Its gone now.
overthewater
Established Member
- Joined
- 16 Apr 2012
- Messages
- 9,102
How is the E17 working out right now has it started to make any inroads to X7, do the passengers know?
Jordan1296
Member
From various social media posts, passengers are loving that Stagecoach have competition. I don’t think we can fully assess loadings just now, until after 29th and when the extra stops have been added.
Jordan Adam
Established Member
I caught the 8:05 from Aberdeen to Arbroath yesterday (Sunday) and was the only passenger the entire journey. However that is perhaps not surprising given the time of day and the fact there's only limited stops at the moment. Once the full timetable kicks in from the 29th i can see it really picking up. The northbound runs i passed were busier.
Notably the first X7 on a Sunday isn't until 09:05 and the first train to Arbroath isn't until 09:30.
astroatlantica
Member
Had a chat with a driver on an E17 last week (was the only passenger on a mid-morning service and it seemed rude not to). From the looks of things, the E17 will effectively serve the western Dundee communities that are currently bypassed (mostly via the stop on Hawkhill near the uni and using the bus terminal at Ninewells as well as Dundee West).
He mentioned Fife is still being looked at, but no major developments as of yet and that there are plans for Edinburgh to Newcastle and Glasgow to Manchester routes, however there are barriers to service starting - namely, not being able to do overnight stabling south of the border (as mentioned previously on this forum), general staffing and the need to charge at the southern end of cross-border routes.
Seems like some interesting developments anyway
He mentioned Fife is still being looked at, but no major developments as of yet and that there are plans for Edinburgh to Newcastle and Glasgow to Manchester routes, however there are barriers to service starting - namely, not being able to do overnight stabling south of the border (as mentioned previously on this forum), general staffing and the need to charge at the southern end of cross-border routes.
Seems like some interesting developments anyway
RomeoCharlie71
Established Member
The E15 between Edinburgh and Oban has been registered to start from May 20th: https://www.vehicle-operator-licens...registered-local-bus-services/details/642759/
The 1338 E17 from Aberdeen to Perth and the 1801 E17 from Perth to Aberdeen were cancelled today. The 2255 departure from Aberdeen to Perth is also showing as cancelled. Shame they don't provide a service updates page anymore, though, as it's only possible to find cancellations by going to book a service. (I suspect that might be deliberate to prevent any bad press!)
The 1338 E17 from Aberdeen to Perth and the 1801 E17 from Perth to Aberdeen were cancelled today. The 2255 departure from Aberdeen to Perth is also showing as cancelled. Shame they don't provide a service updates page anymore, though, as it's only possible to find cancellations by going to book a service. (I suspect that might be deliberate to prevent any bad press!)
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This is still shocking that it's still an issue today where they don't show cancelled services until you go to book. Even Citylink post updates on X. Ember really have fallen away and the non transport management team really show the mis management
markymark2000
On Moderation
There is possibly some defence for this in that for almost all Ember services, you have to pre book 10 minutes ahead so that the bus diverts (where applicable) and stops, so everyone should be booking and there's almost zero chance of them being flagged down. Citylink by comparison you can just flag them down at any of the bus stops that they serve and so they need to be a bit more public about journeys that they are dropping.
I agree though that they started on a high and are slowly getting worse. Common theme though with tech startups.
That's a good argument but still having a simple status page of all current issues will highlight any troubles and reasons that they are currently experiencing and you can quickly make a decision on if it's worth traveling.
Even when they did have the status page they had a habit of chucking drivers under the bus we with blaming them for their shortcomings with driver shortages, staff sickness and accidents when it is actually the companies issue that they can't recruit and keep drivers with their poor contracted hours
Unfortunate turn of phrase
RomeoCharlie71
Established Member
Seems to be quite a substantial amount of Ember journeys "not available to book" today (cancelled), including the 1739 and 1839 E17 from Aberdeen to Perth and 2139/2239 returns, the 1740 E1 from Aberdeen to Edinburgh and 2137 back, also the 1500/0321 (tomorrow) E7 from Inverness to Aberdeen and 1953/0749 (tomorrow) back.
What's going on?
What's going on?
Lack of staff is the reason they are not very good at keeping staff as the contracts are shockingly bad. Guaranteed 40 hour per week but if you do 50 hours you still only get paid the 40. They average the hours out over a 3 month period to be 40 hours but I've known many drivers who say they are always over those hours. Not every driver wants to do overtime and when they do they want paid for it not 12 weeks later in the hope you've either forgotten about it or they are better staffed to then give you the time back.
PG
Established Member
With an arrangement like that it isn't much wonder that staff are voting with their feet! Something may well need to change if they seek to continue expanding...
I do notice Ember advertising for Drivers and roadshows. I guess for some drivers it works for them. I guess its the Ember way or the highway. I see it often with start ups, family businesses, they have can have poor benefits, holidays etc.
They can't get staff in Fort William, Oban, Inverness and Aberdeen and struggle to keep the ones they do recruit. They had to staff all of the E8/E9 from Glasgow and Edinburgh end due to this and that meant some extremely unsociable shifts which then in turn made drivers leave as soon as they started.
It's very much their way, they are very open and encourage staff to come forward with ideas to improve the company but it then falls on deaf ears pretty much like the large companies you either put up with it or leave.
It worries me a bit that they will not hold on to experienced drivers and go with young inexperienced drivers. A few times I've seen an Ember being driven by someone who looks like they aren't even old enough for a Provisional Licence. The Highland roads around Fort William are not the place to be chucking out a freshly passed driver with a 52 seat coach.
AndrewTaylor95
Member
They've got to start somewhere