(15 Aug 2015, 9:57 am)Tom Also, I can't understand why the Lolynes aren't DDA compliant.

(15 Aug 2015, 9:57 am)Tom Also, I can't understand why the Lolynes aren't DDA compliant. Compared to the Presidents, the Lolynes are much more accessible and you hear a lot of people complaining when the Presidents are on the 1 and 17 due to the lack of wheelchair room (1 small space compared to 2 spaces on the Lolynes) and also lack of seats downstairs.

(31 Dec 2015, 1:50 pm)GuyParkRoyal I have just passed the Scarlet Band E200 in Chester le Street and notice that it has no side or rear destination displays. With less than a day to go for the next phase of PSVAR they need to get a move on if this vehicle is going to be used next week.

(31 Dec 2015, 1:50 pm)GuyParkRoyal I have just passed the Scarlet Band E200 in Chester le Street and notice that it has no side or rear destination displays. With less than a day to go for the next phase of PSVAR they need to get a move on if this vehicle is going to be used next week.

(31 Dec 2015, 1:56 pm)Adrian Both YN04LWM and YG55YGL are the same. Photos below.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/stueybish/23986450821/in/dateposted/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/stueybish/23754493450/in/photostream/

I know they don't have to be compliant until tomorrow, but talk about leaving things until the last minute!

(31 Dec 2015, 2:04 pm)Dan The vehicle in question is MX10KNW.

It certainly used to have a side destination display, and it looked like it used to have a rear destination screen too, but both had been removed (you could see the gap left behind with nothing there).


It's not just Scarlet Band!

Whilst the destination displays are fitted to Go North East and Arriva North East vehicles, several do not work. In just a short ten-minute trip to Sunderland City Centre today; I spotted one vehicle without a working rear destination display, another without working side/rear destination displays, and another with a distorted front display. Whilst the third was legible, and probably compliant with the regulations, it certainly isn't good practice to have it going around like that.

I cannot see operators being 100% compliant tomorrow (or the next day, given that nobody operates tomorrow), that's for sure.

(31 Dec 2015, 2:04 pm)Dan It's not just Scarlet Band!

Whilst the destination displays are fitted to Go North East and Arriva North East vehicles, several do not work. In just a short ten-minute trip to Sunderland City Centre today; I spotted one vehicle without a working rear destination display, another without working side/rear destination displays, and another with a distorted front display. Whilst the third was legible, and probably compliant with the regulations, it certainly isn't good practice to have it going around like that.

I cannot see operators being 100% compliant tomorrow (or the next day, given that nobody operates tomorrow), that's for sure.

(31 Dec 2015, 2:19 pm)DanPicken Neither can I, only Stagecoach are ready.

(31 Dec 2015, 2:24 pm)Adrian It'll be interesting to see if any depots send non-compliant vehicles out on the 2nd. If the worst comes to the worst, do they send a bus with a knackered rear destination out, or just bite the bullet and record the lost mileage? 


Have you been round the depots to do an audit, Dan? I'd noticed a MAN yesterday, where the illumination on the front flipdot wasn't working. That wouldn't be 'ready', would it?

(31 Dec 2015, 2:24 pm)Adrian It'll be interesting to see if any depots send non-compliant vehicles out on the 2nd. If the worst comes to the worst, do they send a bus with a knackered rear destination out, or just bite the bullet and record the lost mileage? 


Have you been round the depots to do an audit, Dan? I'd noticed a MAN yesterday, where the illumination on the front flipdot wasn't working. That wouldn't be 'ready', would it?

(31 Dec 2015, 2:27 pm)DanPicken BIB#1 They'd probably just send it out as otherwise some services could have a limited service.

BIB#2 No, I haven't but thats one compared to the amount GNE/ANE have.

(31 Dec 2015, 2:24 pm)Adrian It'll be interesting to see if any depots send non-compliant vehicles out on the 2nd. If the worst comes to the worst, do they send a bus with a knackered rear destination out, or just bite the bullet and record the lost mileage?

(31 Dec 2015, 2:27 pm)DanPicken BIB#2 No, I haven't but thats one compared to the amount GNE/ANE have.

(31 Dec 2015, 2:35 pm)Dan On paper, it should render the bus unfit for service. In reality, I can't see that being the case!

I'm all for making public transport more accessible, but I think that most disabled passengers would prefer the bus to turn up, instead of them being left there at a bus stop in the freezing cold while the bus that should have turned up is VOR due to a side or rear destination display not working.


So Stagecoach aren't 100% ready, then?

(15 Aug 2015, 2:54 pm)DaveyBowyer I don't think DDA is affecting the bus industry too much. I'd say that:

- High fuel costs
- Euro emission laws

Are affecting the industry. If the D10-245 was mounted into a Gemini 2 body with a ZF Ecomat, you'd have the perfect bus that could do everything from a short hop around the Toon to a (100?) mile stint to Berwick with ease.

(31 Dec 2015, 2:39 pm)DanPicken 99.98% ready.

(31 Dec 2015, 2:35 pm)Adrian Do you have a figure that you can put on how many they have, compared to what Stagecoach have?

(31 Dec 2015, 2:42 pm)DanPicken Stagecoach have 1. That we know of.

(31 Dec 2015, 2:49 pm)Dan 'That we know of' - those are the key words! Whilst Stagecoach undeniably have fewer examples of destinations not working, they definitely do have more than one...

Anything can be made to look good as a percentage. For your information; one vehicle in the fleet of Busways' 385 without a full compliment of working destinations would be 99.25% working - not 99.98%. 

(31 Dec 2015, 2:51 pm)DanPicken Not good with counting...