Trnsprt4Sctlnd
Member
Yup and there’s only 2 chargers so far, I hear the depot supervisors saying last night there will be delays with the installation of the charging point.
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First Aberdeen
- Thread starter Jordan Adam
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47550
Member
Catching up a bit on the thread but does this mean Aberdeen are unlikely to go for any more hydrogen powered buses given they are now receiving electrics ?
Trnsprt4Sctlnd
Member
The Hydrogens aren’t actually owned by Firstbus; they are owned by Aberdeen City Council, or so I’ve been told at the depot.
Jordan Adam
Established Member
After much anticipation Enviro500 38223 has at long last departed for repaint, it is due to be receiving a special livery to mark 135 years of Public Transport in Aberdeen.
I would imagine it depends on how the council intend to progress with the project, we don't really know how things will stand in 5-10 years time. If the Aberdeen Rapid Transit (ART) project goes ahead the favoured vehicle choice is Hydrogen powered articulated buses.
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JumpinTrainz
Established Member
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It baffles me that there are virtually new Streetdecks out of service and have been since last February.
Why is there no rush to bring them back?
Why is there no rush to bring them back?
No hydrogen is available to run them in Aberdeen as the fuelling station only has capacity for 15. Of course, it would have seemed sensible to have a facility to fuel from tankers too, as at times none of the hydrogen buses have been out due to problems with the hydrogen production on site. That would have solved the current problem.
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JumpinTrainz
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Surely though, this should have all been figured out prior to buying Hydrogen buses. It seems more sensible for them to have just opted for EV buses in that case.
They had planned to upgrade the facility but the rush to green hydrogen put paid to that as the money spent would not have been recovered. The 10 blue ones were funded by the Scottish Government to expand the market for hydrogen in Aberdeen and that was connected with the green hydrogen project, so they really have come ahead of when they should have.
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Trnsprt4Sctlnd
Member
So what is my take on Aberdeen so far?
People are really not understanding how tap on-tap off work. To be brutally honest I’m getting rather impatient trying to explain something. Would it have been more prudent for the company just to keep Tap-Cap? I’ll say it was more sensible.
They say the apple never falls far from the tree, neither it does, the same problems can be gleened from First Aberdeen as can most other First subsidiaries, particularly when buses run late but there are alternatives to ensure they are not running over late.
There Hydroliners are a typical Wright bus product. The floor between decks flexes making a racket as people walk about and as for their drivability, they're poor,. Interlocks on the front doors constantly hampering your progress in service and their acceleration, particularly on hills, is poor.
The images below are: an external shot of the Wright Hydroliner, downstairs and upstairs interior shots
Mod note - photo credit required
People are really not understanding how tap on-tap off work. To be brutally honest I’m getting rather impatient trying to explain something. Would it have been more prudent for the company just to keep Tap-Cap? I’ll say it was more sensible.
They say the apple never falls far from the tree, neither it does, the same problems can be gleened from First Aberdeen as can most other First subsidiaries, particularly when buses run late but there are alternatives to ensure they are not running over late.
There Hydroliners are a typical Wright bus product. The floor between decks flexes making a racket as people walk about and as for their drivability, they're poor,. Interlocks on the front doors constantly hampering your progress in service and their acceleration, particularly on hills, is poor.
The images below are: an external shot of the Wright Hydroliner, downstairs and upstairs interior shots
Mod note - photo credit required
Attachments
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PG
Established Member
Most modern buses have interlocks which prevent the bus from moving before the doors have closed unlike older buses which could move off with the doors still open.
Are the doors or interlocks particularly slow to close on these buses?
The issue I have with the downstairs interior of the HydroLiner is a lace of forward facing seats on the bus, particularly lower down for elderly passengers & not many passengers I have seen when using buses like to sit backwards or on tip down side seats.
Has tap-on, tap-off now launched? I've seen a couple of "coming soon" tweets from First, but no other publicity. If it's now launched, I'm not surprised folk are struggling with it given (certainly in my experience) people simply won't be aware of it.
Yes the bus I was on was only working from Tuesday onwards (not Sunday as First advised), but there is really no need to use it unless you are going short distances to get the £1.95 fare, as you are getting charged the maximum fare otherwise so are paying to the terminus anyway.
fife_circle
Member
Does anyone know what’s going on with the tracking of Aberdeens buses? None of them have tracked on bus times since 4th April.
Glasgow has been the exact same too.
What's with the umpteen splits of the 17 route? There's the 17, 17A, 17K, 172 and the 18. Can it not be split into two separately-identified routes at least? I know it's probably so there's increased frequency between the central parts, but it seems so messy having four offshoots of the one route.
Jordan Adam
Established Member
17A is an early morning and Sunday variation that goes via Dyce Victoria Street and Kincorth Shops (southbound only).
17K is a peak variation that extends to Kirkhill Industrial Estate
172 is an evening variation that's broadly the same as the 17A but follows the 18 route between the city centre and Duthie Park by-passing the Ferryhill area due to problems with parked cars.
The 18 is it's own distinct route.
PG
Established Member
Good to see that the city council have their priorities right - buses having trouble in the evenings negotiating residential streets in a relatively affluent area? and the solution is to remove the buses
Jordan Adam
Established Member
Not quite... Initially when the evening 17s were rerouted via Holburn Junction First extended the 20 to loop Ferryhill clockwise returning to the city centre via Whinhill Road as a 25 and therefor bypassing Bright Street and Brunswick Place which are the two most problematic streets while still retaining an evening service. However this was poorly used, it must speak volumes that when the 25 was withdrawn there wasn't any opposition.Good to see that the city council have their priorities right - buses having trouble in the evenings negotiating residential streets in a relatively affluent area? and the solution is to remove the buses
If money existed to fund such a service it would be much better spent elsewhere rather than funding a service that won't be used to an area where most are within 0.3 miles of an alternative route. Furthermore the 172 going via Holburn Junction provides links to the west end of the city centre which the overwhelming vast majority of people would find more useful and a tour of Ferryhill.
== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==
*New post: 14/04/2023*
Geminis 37189 & 37195 have arrived from Glasgow this afternoon.
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fife_circle
Member
Was on one of the bendis (11111) for the first time since TOTO (tap on, tap off) was introduced and noticed they don’t have a tap off reader at the rear door. Surely this is something they should have as they are now forcing passengers to head all the way down to the front door and completely misses the point of the rear door.
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PG
Established Member
While that is the case with the current fare structure it may not remain that way. Getting everyone used to tapping off now would be a good idea rather than having to steer everyone towards it at some point in the future when the behaviour (of not needing to tap off) has already become ingrained.
Jordan Adam
Established Member
38223 returned to Aberdeen this evening freshly repainted in to its much anticipated special Grampian Transport heritage livery. It has also been treated to a full internal retrim. Looks superb!
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JumpinTrainz
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Glad it’s had an internal retrim but wow that livery is ugly38223 returned to Aberdeen this evening freshly repainted in to it's much anticipated special Grampian Transport heritage livery, it has also been treated to a full internal retrim. Looks superb!
GusB
Established Member
It's far better than any of the recent First efforts (in my own opinion)!Glad it’s had an internal retrim but wow that livery is ugly