HTL Buses

[Mayneway]

RE: HTL Buses

(06/12/2016 12:37)motormayhem1 Wrote:  Every company I've worked for who as had them seem to have to same problem with the ones with mercedes engines and thats the turbos , the cummins powered ones seem to be fine but i just think optares products can't match up to the likes of ADL or VOLVO but thats just my personal view.

I think it's down to operators personal taste. I know of one operater close to me that has about 10 Solos and never has any issues with them but they look after them well. They have tried Streetlites and hated them.

[motormayhem1]

RE: HTL Buses
Very true i agree its down to personal taste its just past experience of driving mercedes powered ones for cumfybus , supertravel , dave tanner , gtl and arriva they all seem to have power problems due to the turbo pipes keep blowing on them causing the turbo to loose power.
Yet the cummins powered ones seem to be fine from the ones i drove at cumfybus and supertravel but it definitely is how you look after them which is the factor behind that problem as quick repair means less damage on other parts but some leave them longer due to the position of the pipe being awkward to replace.

[Raawwwrrr!]

RE: HTL Buses

(06/12/2016 01:34)T42 PVM Wrote:  If thats the case then why was the Driver allowed to take it? Its not got the required number of Seats for the Tender, its to old for the contract and its not DDA Compliant, Whoever was on the desk should not of allowed that to happen

I'm not too sure why you keep saying that as it isn't true.

The only failure in it's DDA certificate is the lack of working side and rear destinations, apart from that it is actually DDA compliant. However there are allowances for 'minor faults' such as a destination failure in the DDA public service ruling. A non DDA bus can also be used on a registered service for 12 days a year regardless as a stand in for a DDA vehicle.

Merseytravel contracts also state that the bus must be under 15 years of age (and 364 days), as the bus (If you can call a van that) was registered 1 Feb 2001, it can be used on contracts until 31 Jan 2017

[Mayneway]

RE: HTL Buses

(06/12/2016 22:14)motormayhem1 Wrote:  Very true i agree its down to personal taste its just past experience of driving mercedes powered ones for cumfybus , supertravel , dave tanner , gtl and arriva they all seem to have power problems due to the turbo pipes keep blowing on them causing the turbo to loose power.
Yet the cummins powered ones seem to be fine from the ones i drove at cumfybus and supertravel but it definitely is how you look after them which is the factor behind that problem as quick repair means less damage on other parts but some leave them longer due to the position of the pipe being awkward to replace.

Don't get me wrong up in my neck of the woods if you compare Firsts old tired examples to Stagecoach's you would never think there the same model bus likewise theres some complete sheds labled as ADL Enviro200's knocking about lol.

From my limited knowledge of HTL they seem to use the breadvans as a safety net, so they allow the Solos to fall into a poor state then churn out the minibuses while the solos are off the road.

[T42 PVM (Moderator)]

RE: HTL Buses

(06/12/2016 22:21)Raawwwrrr! Wrote:  I'm not too sure why you keep saying that as it isn't true.

The only failure in it's DDA certificate is the lack of working side and rear destinations, apart from that it is actually DDA compliant. However there are allowances for 'minor faults' such as a destination failure in the DDA public service ruling. A non DDA bus can also be used on a registered service for 12 days a year regardless as a stand in for a DDA vehicle.

Merseytravel contracts also state that the bus must be under 15 years of age (and 364 days), as the bus (If you can call a van that) was registered 1 Feb 2001, it can be used on contracts until 31 Jan 2017

Just asked someone who knows X338 well and he has said the Interior is a DDA Fail also

[CX06 EBK (Administrator)]

RE: HTL Buses
To be fair, most of the Solos at HTL now give fairly ok reliability with YJ11 EKM being the only real long term off road Optare and this was down to an electrical fault from third party fitted stuff from what I was told. MX54 KXW has been off for a while but I am not sure what with however with V980 XUB now withdrawn there might be some movement on that soon. As for X338 SKJ, I have no idea if it is or isn't a DDA fail, internally it is very similar to the Merseylink vans in having massive wheelchair space (with tracks) and should primarily be used on that but with the unavailability of several Darts it has crept onto service with increasing regularity of late, as has SF05 GFJ.

[Nicholas]

RE: HTL Buses

(06/12/2016 22:21)Raawwwrrr! Wrote:  A non DDA bus can also be used on a registered service for 12 days a year regardless as a stand in for a DDA vehicle.

Make that 20 days.

[Mayneway]

RE: HTL Buses

(07/12/2016 06:24)Nicholas Wrote:  Make that 20 days.

Does anyone actually keep notes though? Ie if an operator used a non DDA bus on a service for 20 days then used a DDA complient bus for a week then switched back to the non DDA vehicle is anyone actually going to realise what's going on.

Do local transport aurthorities put these kind of allowances in thier contracts or is it strictly 'vehicles used must be DDA complient'.
I know in TFGM land where age restrictions are a clause we sometimes see operators flout this rule yet nothing seems to get done about it.

[Y727 KNF]

RE: HTL Buses
Are the W reg ex-Nottingham Solos still here and in service?

[motormayhem1]

RE: HTL Buses

(07/12/2016 10:45)Mayneway Wrote:  Does anyone actually keep notes though? Ie if an operator used a non DDA bus on a service for 20 days then used a DDA complient bus for a week then switched back to the non DDA vehicle is anyone actually going to realise what's going on.

Do local transport aurthorities put these kind of allowances in thier contracts or is it strictly 'vehicles used must be DDA complient'.
I know in TFGM land where age restrictions are a clause we sometimes see operators flout this rule yet nothing seems to get done about it.

I always thought TFGM where always on top of this type of thing as i was told thats why arriva never won the kitt green circs due to continuous use of marshalls on there but could of been a false statement.