MetroBus

[whole diary]

[TonyK]

That nearside mirror isn't going to last very long, despite having two supports.......... 

Last time I got off a bus I brained myself on a mirror like that. As I staggered away holding my poor beleaguered bonce, the driver stormed out of his cab swearing at me furiously for  knocking it out of adjustment...

That passes for customer service these days, RS. But people have been seriously injured and even killed after being hit by a bus mirror. I found a FOI^▸ (Freedom of Information) request that showed almost one reported incident per week in London alone over a 5-year period. Clearly, the driver needs to know what is happening behind and alongside his vehicle, but surely a safer way can be devised?

[Geoff DC]

Mercedes are now fitting 'Mirror Cams' to their new trucks so that the mirrors display on a screen in front of the Window Pillars.

https://blog.daimler.com/en/2018/09/05/new-actros-mercedes-truck-mirrorcam/

[Red Squirrel]

It's the future!

As an aside, apparently the special hats they've made for drivers of the new F-35 Lightning II aeroplanes have some sort of technology that allows the driver to 'see' through the plane when they look around them. Probably too expensive for bus and truck drivers though, at £400,000 a pop.

[GBM]

That nearside mirror isn't going to last very long, despite having two supports.......... 

Last time I got off a bus I brained myself on a mirror like that. As I staggered away holding my poor beleaguered bonce, the driver stormed out of his cab swearing at me furiously for  knocking it out of adjustment...

Not an uncommon thing to happen unfortunately.
Drivers more aware especially when driving 'wrong way' in narrow town streets whilst avoiding nearside parked vehicles.
Most of us keep our annoyance contained  ); and yes, a hard hit will put the mirror out of alignment.
Mirror camera sounds great, but won't be fitted to busses outside London for a while as they will cost too much unfortunately.

[TonyK]

It's the future!

As an aside, apparently the special hats they've made for drivers of the new F-35 Lightning II aeroplanes have some sort of technology that allows the driver to 'see' through the plane when they look around them. Probably too expensive for bus and truck drivers though, at £400,000 a pop.

If it came with a free bus, it would be OK.

Not an uncommon thing to happen unfortunately.
Drivers more aware especially when driving 'wrong way' in narrow town streets whilst avoiding nearside parked vehicles.
Most of us keep our annoyance contained  ); and yes, a hard hit will put the mirror out of alignment.
Mirror camera sounds great, but won't be fitted to busses outside London for a while as they will cost too much unfortunately.

I have come closest to being clobbered when walking along the Queen's Pavement in Bedminster, coming up to a bus stop and gallantly making way for a nice young lady with a double buggy, my back to the prevailing traffic. I felt the draught as the mirror missed my shell-like by a matter of a micron or two. Mirror cameras will, like most safety equipment, be installed as a result of a recommendation by a coroner.

[TonyK]

Well blow me down! Mrs TonyK, currently in Bristol for a couple of days, has just rung to say she bashed her head on the bus mirror whilst disembarking on Fishponds Road. She may pack a fierce left hook, but she is no giant - they must be bigger than in the Olden Days, probably as a safety measure.

[Bmblbzzz]

Oops! Best wishes for a bruise-free bonce recovery to The Former Mrs Four Track, Now!

[TonyK]

Oops! Best wishes for a bruise-free bonce recovery to The Former Mrs Four Track, Now!

Never mind that - those mirrors are easily damaged.

[TonyK]

...The Former Mrs Four Track, Now!

I think I prefer "The Present Mrs Former Four Track, Now!" or similar. Some of my best friends are anti-semantic.

[martyjon]

Just a progress report on the retrograde step of this project. All Metrobus services to have their frequencies cut from January. Surprised at this move on this 'highly successful' project. Launch service m3 to be cut to 30 minutes off peak.

[Reading General]

I passed through Bristol city centre (the tramway centre) yesterday and, although I saw a lot of buses and bus stops, it wasn’t immediately obvious that Metrobus was present or the leading form of public transport. The problem with buses (unlike trams or trolleybuses) is that, without infrastructure, planners can route them anywhere making their corridor difficult to spot. If your going to have a bus based system, I think planners need to plan it like it’s a tram, at least through the centre of town and have a nice obvious corridor.

[mjones]

Just a progress report on the retrograde step of this project. All Metrobus services to have their frequencies cut from January. Surprised at this move on this 'highly successful' project. Launch service m3 to be cut to 30 minutes off peak.

That is pretty disastrous.  A half hourly frequency cannot remotely be considered as any kind of ' metro' service. It is poor even as an unbranded urban bus service.

[grahame]

Just a progress report on the retrograde step of this project. All Metrobus services to have their frequencies cut from January. Surprised at this move on this 'highly successful' project. Launch service m3 to be cut to 30 minutes off peak.

That is pretty disastrous.  A half hourly frequency cannot remotely be considered as any kind of ' metro' service. It is poor even as an unbranded urban bus service.

First parent not doing very well (British understatement perhaps?).  A couple of months back it was all about optimising UK^▸ (United Kingdom) bus divisions to sell them off in three bunches sometime next year for a maximum return.  Latest press I see suggests that major shareholders looking at them suggesting they selloff US bus divisions (instead? - has the press got this right?) and on top of the great storm, there is activity to accelerate the return of enhanced and growing (but not yet profitable) activities to profit to maximise return or price of the company as a whole or share value.

Not uniquely to Metrobus, this "acceleration" [shorttermism] means thinning out services which are not (yet) busy,  and attempting to transfer passengers from the thinned out services to the remaining ones.  Also rejigs some timetables to rebalance (out) some standing time that's only needed when there are traffic issues. Other places are ahead of Metrobus on this activity and initial results are mixed.

It will be very interesting indeed to see how the new First Trenitalia franchise, and GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway)'s activities under a new DA3 due to start on 1st April 2020, come into the current First scene. I remember only too well the severe issues we had with the former Wessex Trains services following their takeover into the Greater Western franchise that ran from 1st April 2006 and which lead to the formation (amongst other things) of this forum .

[Bmblbzzz]

I passed through Bristol city centre (the tramway centre) yesterday and, although I saw a lot of buses and bus stops, it wasn’t immediately obvious that Metrobus was present or the leading form of public transport. The problem with buses (unlike trams or trolleybuses) is that, without infrastructure, planners can route them anywhere making their corridor difficult to spot. If your going to have a bus based system, I think planners need to plan it like it’s a tram, at least through the centre of town and have a nice obvious corridor.

Hmmm...

[grahame]

With all the short termism for the bottom line on buses, I have to wonder at the costs elsewhere in the First group - does it really take 100 people to design a triangle?    Would any of them be capable of driving a bus?

From the Guardian

Avanti West Coast will also have a new logo: an orange triangle. According to the train operators, the triangle was designed by an independent creative team of more than 100 people working in two locations: an old pickle factory in London and a theatre in Amsterdam.

The triangle, First Trenitalia said, symbolised how their train service will bring communities across England, north Wales and Scotland closer together.