Standards of vehicle cleanliness

[py_megapixel]

How clean buses are does seem to vary an awful lot between operators and routes, with some of my local routes having the buses immaculately clean while others are full of litter and graffiti.

I'm interested to know how this is monitored, and what the trends are. For example, do routes with a school experience significant increases in littering at the end of a school day? What I've seen while travelling seems to suggest yes.
Similarly, are buses spot-cleaned between services, do they get a deep clean at the end of each day, or both? If it's the latter then it would justify my vague theory that this is more of an issue in the evenings.
Obviously all of this will vary by operator and area but I'm interested to hear what it's like locally to you.

One particularly odd thing I've noticed is that most of the really unacceptable mess (including a McDonalds meal discarded on the floor with spilled sauce!) seems to occur on the top deck rather than the bottom, which would suggest that drivers are not given enough time to check the whole bus and therefore just do the bottom! Alternatively this may just be coincidence, or a product of the fact that cleaning supplies are likely to be kept in the depot, rather than on the bus where space is at a premium.

Also what do you consider to be acceptable? I know people have widely varied opinions on this and I'm interested to hear them!

 

[cnjb8]

How clean buses are does seem to vary an awful lot between operators and routes, with some of my local routes having the buses immaculately clean while others are full of litter and graffiti.

I'm interested to know how this is monitored, and what the trends are. For example, do routes with a school experience significant increases in littering at the end of a school day? What I've seen while travelling seems to suggest yes.
Similarly, are buses spot-cleaned between services, do they get a deep clean at the end of each day, or both? If it's the latter then it would justify my vague theory that this is more of an issue in the evenings.
Obviously all of this will vary by operator and area but I'm interested to hear what it's like locally to you.

One particularly odd thing I've noticed is that most of the really unacceptable mess (including a McDonalds meal discarded on the floor with spilled sauce!) seems to occur on the top deck rather than the bottom, which would suggest that drivers are not given enough time to check the whole bus and therefore just do the bottom! Alternatively this may just be coincidence, or a product of the fact that cleaning supplies are likely to be kept in the depot, rather than on the bus where space is at a premium.

Also what do you consider to be acceptable? I know people have widely varied opinions on this and I'm interested to hear them!

I guess typically, the more troublesome passengers sit on the top deck.

 

[delt1c]

How clean buses are does seem to vary an awful lot between operators and routes, with some of my local routes having the buses immaculately clean while others are full of litter and graffiti.

I'm interested to know how this is monitored, and what the trends are. For example, do routes with a school experience significant increases in littering at the end of a school day? What I've seen while travelling seems to suggest yes.
Similarly, are buses spot-cleaned between services, do they get a deep clean at the end of each day, or both? If it's the latter then it would justify my vague theory that this is more of an issue in the evenings.
Obviously all of this will vary by operator and area but I'm interested to hear what it's like locally to you.

One particularly odd thing I've noticed is that most of the really unacceptable mess (including a McDonalds meal discarded on the floor with spilled sauce!) seems to occur on the top deck rather than the bottom, which would suggest that drivers are not given enough time to check the whole bus and therefore just do the bottom! Alternatively this may just be coincidence, or a product of the fact that cleaning supplies are likely to be kept in the depot, rather than on the bus where space is at a premium.

Also what do you consider to be acceptable? I know people have widely varied opinions on this and I'm interested to hear them!

When I worked for LT in the 80's , unanoused random spot checks were performed to check the vehicle was cleaned properly. One of the checks involved wearing a white glove and slapping random cusions to check if they were cleaned properly

 

[Geordie driver]

The majority of passengers are fine but a significant minority are just awful. There was a notorious graffiti criminal ( I refuse to call him an artist) called " Inch" who used to tag all over my area. I recall taking a brand new bus out and by the end of the day he had left his mark on the upholstery. Kids used to scratch stuff on the windows too, drove me nuts. If there was a bottle or a can rolling around I would sort it but there was no way I would do anything else, I had enough on my plate. People vomiting or soiling themselves was not unknown either, in fact we had a few regulars.

 

[Pat1105]

Some of the smaller independents where I live don’t employ cleaners. Instead, the drivers have to mop out the bus after their shift and you can tell! The floors are covered in dirt, and the handrails on the backs of the seats are stained. I once got on a bus that absolutely stank of stale p*ss.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Some of the smaller independents where I live don’t employ cleaners. Instead, the drivers have to mop out the bus after their shift and you can tell! The floors are covered in dirt, and the handrails on the backs of the seats are stained. I once got on a bus that absolutely stank of stale p*ss.

That smell usually isn't actual urine, but mustiness caused by damp, which you get because the windows aren't always open and single-glazed windows result in a lot of condensation. It's particularly bad on double deckers because upstairs doesn't get the ventilation from the door each time it opens.

There are two fixes for this, one is double-glazing (rare in UK buses, though some First Manchester buses in the 90s had it) and/or an active forced-air or extractor ventilation system (as all London buses have as it is a TfL requirement, but you don't get it elsewhere). Both of these cost money, both to install and in increased fuel consumption, so this starts heading towards the other thread on what makes a good bus service - provincial bus companies outside of the Alex Hornby (Transdev/Trentbarton) sphere, or Stagecoach to a slightly lesser extent, simply aren't interested in the quality of the "soft product".

 

[SCH117X]

Transdev are carrying out cleaning through the day as shown in a couple of YouTube videos

 

[Pat1105]

That smell usually isn't actual urine, but mustiness caused by damp, which you get because the windows aren't always open and single-glazed windows result in a lot of condensation. It's particularly bad on double deckers because upstairs doesn't get the ventilation from the door each time it opens.

There are two fixes for this, one is double-glazing (rare in UK buses, though some First Manchester buses in the 90s had it) and/or an active forced-air or extractor ventilation system (as all London buses have as it is a TfL requirement, but you don't get it elsewhere). Both of these cost money, both to install and in increased fuel consumption, so this starts heading towards the other thread on what makes a good bus service - provincial bus companies outside of the Alex Hornby (Transdev/Trentbarton) sphere, or Stagecoach to a slightly lesser extent, simply aren't interested in the quality of the "soft product".

I can assure you, it definitely smelt of urine! This was a 2001 solo, so lacked any form of ventilation other then open windows. It was a hot day too, so no condensation.

 

[philthetube]

ct we had a few regulars.

If there was a bottle or a can rolling around I would sort it but there was no way I would do anything else, I had enough on my plate
And me, after swithching off the engine and apologising for the delay bachaus of having to remove someones rubbish,

I once did that and then the bus wouldn't start, that showed them... oops

 

[Geordie driver]

If there was a bottle or a can rolling around I would sort it but there was no way I would do anything else, I had enough on my plate
And me, after swithching off the engine and apologising for the delay bachaus of having to remove someones rubbish,

I once did that and then the bus wouldn't start, that showed them... oops

From time to time we had buses that were not meant to be switched off as they were poor starters. Some drivers would get to the furthest point from the depot then switch the bus off hoping it wouldn't restart.

 

[Mwanesh]

Some buses are jinxed i think. There was one in our yard no matter what time i got it. Chances are it would breakdown. They ended up putting a notice that i was to stay clear of it.

 

[RustySpoons]

Transdev are carrying out cleaning through the day as shown in a couple of YouTube videos

Have to say even pre-covid Transdev's vehicle cleanliness and appearance was always spot on. Used to always impress me how they'd always manage to clean every window internally and not leave any streak marks or cut corners.

During the day at most (if not all) of their main hub bus stations they have cleaners that'll sweep the bus out too.

Other operators that are top class, Delaine of Bourne, Reliance in North Yorkshire and Pilkingtons in Accrington.

 

[Aaron Ashton]

Have to say even pre-covid Transdev's vehicle cleanliness and appearance was always spot on. Used to always impress me how they'd always manage to clean every window internally and not leave any streak marks or cut corners.

During the day at most (if not all) of their main hub bus stations they have cleaners that'll sweep the bus out too.

Other operators that are top class, Delaine of Bourne, Reliance in North Yorkshire and Pilkingtons in Accrington.

I haven't had experience with Transdev for a while so not sure how they are fairing up with their ever expanding 'unique' liveries/branding, neither have I had the pleasure to travel on Delaine or Reliance. I have however had 2 periods of time where I worked at Pilkingtons, both pre-DDA levels (Nationals, Olympians, Titan, Deltas, National Greenways) and post-DDA (Darts, Solos, Tridents, B7TLs) during the pre-DDA time, there were a team of 9 of us to clean/fuel/park 42 buses in around an hour and a half (most services ended by 6pm so a massive queue down Argyle Street was common), each bus would get its windows cleaned inside by 2 people (one cleaning, one drying), one sweeping, one mopping, one outside with jetwash, 2 with brushes with soap, one fuelling and another parking....it was one of the most military-esque operations to get a fleet put to bed ever. During the post-DDA time, there was a group of again 5 of us cleaning/fuelling/parking 30-ish buses between 6-9pm one sweeping, one mopping, 1 fuelling/parking and 3(inc fueller) washing the outside, again as most double deckers were used on schools it wasn't uncommon to have a queue down the street when most deckers got back. I think it can all depend who the owner/manager of the company is, Ray Pilkington never wanted his buses looking tatty and so he decided to employ dedicated interior/exterior cleaners, his son Alan who now runs the company is keeping up the high standards (even though some vehicles might appear in previous operator liveries, they are almost always tidied up by Alans brother John)

 

[route101]

One thing notice with some buses was the musty smell made my clothes smell. Older first seats.

May be strange but i like a clean bus but dont want it to smell of cleaning chemicals, coaches can be bad for this

 

[Tetchytyke]

Have to say even pre-covid Transdev's vehicle cleanliness and appearance was always spot on.

It always has been, as far back as Blazefield days they took care that other operators didn't. Keighley buses always looked and smelled cleaner than Bradford buses, and it's not as if Keighley is the most salubrious town.

 

[philthetube]

From time to time we had buses that were not meant to be switched off as they were poor starters. Some drivers would get to the furthest point from the depot then switch the bus off hoping it wouldn't restart.

Way off topic but I once had a stick AEC and the starter motor jammed, had a dozen students among the passengers and they pushed me off.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

I can assure you, it definitely smelt of urine! This was a 2001 solo, so lacked any form of ventilation other then open windows. It was a hot day too, so no condensation.

Also, the musty smell is usually more associated with water ingress between the exterior and interior panelling. Alexander bodies c.1990 were especially prone to it.

One thing notice with some buses was the musty smell made my clothes smell. Older first seats.

May be strange but i like a clean bus but dont want it to smell of cleaning chemicals, coaches can be bad for this

Not strange at all. I like a clean bus but don't want to smell chemicals.