Is there a plan to get all TM buses smartened up and in 1 livery
TM and nottsderby (although the latter recently have seemed good at repaints with most the fleet being done in last few years) are low cost operations usually running contracted routes (eg council subsidised, rail replacements ect) so I wouldn't imagine bus repaints would be a top priority and are just done when they can and if it's deemed Important or something they can waste money on/got the money for.
Are all buses going into the new Black livery or has it been scrapped
In regards to the black livery, don't quote me on this as I could be wrong however as I understand and think it's been mentioned somewhere on the forum before mabey in the old nottsderby or trentbarton threads, that the black greener bus livery was not signed off by the Transport manager who doesn't like the livery and head office went behind his back in repainting buses to allow notts derby and TM to be loaned to eachother when necessary. After the repaints was done I think the Transport manager put a stop to it and they went back to repainting the odd notts derby e400 that was still In Lothian (which not all have been done) to notts derby blue and green.
Also the ex e400 from arriva was recently repainted to the red similar or the same colour as the ex London solos so don't think anymore will go into that black livery
Thought the fleet was getting replaced with newer Euro 6 buses but seems like just more random buses appearing there such as the 2 kinch Versa's and the 3 random Trident E400's (1 duel door ex London, 2 ex Arriva sapphire)
Don't think there ever going buy brand new as its a low cost operation and I haven't checked the 3 Trident E400s, however I think those kinch versas are complient anyway so if trent/kinch have buses (complient with sheffield) they don't need there always going to go to then 1st before looking elsewhere for euro 6 spending more money when they dont have to. It's only 467,472/3/4,810, and mabey a few other odd buses mabey the OmniDekka which are not complient. Most are complient now and when kinch get the electrics, 502/4,830 may go over to TM anyway as there complient and replace some solos meaning there's only going to be the odd few left not complient.
Also are they due to get next stop announcements on buses
As I understand any bus after October 2014 should be complient with some regulation now stating it should have next stop announcements. Any bus before October 2014 currently have till October next year I think it is to comply so within the next year they should be starting to retrofit, however if it's gets done or not is a different question. Wouldn't imagine they would till they actually need to start putting them in tho as its just another cost but I'm sure in the background there be some work or plans for the introduction of it for next year.
Not sure what happened with the ex arriva E400 ,it seems to have disappeared
Think that was the one which wasn't in a great condition. Probably has gone out service as its not complient to be in service or its being/waiting on being serviced.