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#61
Fleet / Re: Four CD Element 2s (748-75...
Last post by triumph - February 24, 2024, 03:17:59 PMThe 4 Launceston buses are on a 2 year trial and are equipped with telematics to aid data gathering for the trial. Be interesting to know if the 'software issues' are with the buses proper or the telematics.
Also Metro Tas is trialling 3 fuel cell buses in Hobart with a view to comparing the different technologies.
Whilst TC is getting on with it in regard to Yutongs, Metro Tas seems to be going about it a more measured way.
The interesting question is whether the issues with the TC Elements are related to the Metro Tas Launceston experiences.
At a recent public meeting a question was asked about the TC Elements and drew a rather vague reply from a Govt representative about commissioning and training. As they are not yet registered one might wonder about the progress of 'training'. I got the impression that service entry was still some time off. So 4 of the Renaults will not be retiring as soon as thought.
Also Metro Tas is trialling 3 fuel cell buses in Hobart with a view to comparing the different technologies.
Whilst TC is getting on with it in regard to Yutongs, Metro Tas seems to be going about it a more measured way.
The interesting question is whether the issues with the TC Elements are related to the Metro Tas Launceston experiences.
At a recent public meeting a question was asked about the TC Elements and drew a rather vague reply from a Govt representative about commissioning and training. As they are not yet registered one might wonder about the progress of 'training'. I got the impression that service entry was still some time off. So 4 of the Renaults will not be retiring as soon as thought.
#62
Fleet / Re: Four CD Element 2s (748-75...
Last post by Barry Drive - February 21, 2024, 04:24:10 PMQuote from: Barry Drive on January 24, 2024, 10:32:40 AMUPDATE: the 4 Tasmania Elements have been registered and will soon commence service in Launceston.Further update: the 4 Elements did enter service in Launceston, but have now been taken off the road due to "software issues'.
#63
Photo of the Month / Re: March 2024 - open for nomi...
Last post by Barry Drive - February 17, 2024, 05:15:12 PMLet's get things started:
Bus 720 at Gungahlin Place
Bus 418 at Tuggeranong Interchange
Bus 391 at Watson (bonus photo == offside MAN 18.320)
Bus 720 at Gungahlin Place
Bus 418 at Tuggeranong Interchange
Bus 391 at Watson (bonus photo == offside MAN 18.320)
#64
Fleet / Re: Renaults a go go: the fina...
Last post by Bus 400 - February 17, 2024, 04:20:28 PMThe below is a quote from the Reforms for the Disability Standards
for Accessible Public Transport 2002
Decision Regulation Impact Statement
Trains & trams have til 2032. Only Perth is 100%, but AFAIK, someone took the WA Government/PTA/Transperth to court.
I can only assume low staff has to do with migration. Capitalism needs a set increase in population to function. For atleast 12 months Australia didn't accept new migrants. There's also been about 10-20 years of public & private sector not wanting to pay to train new employees in technical skills. Expecting the young to go into debt to learn skills, with no guarantee they'll get into the industry. Why pay $20,000 to learn to weld (total guess) when you can earn $30,000 a month on OF or other social media.
for Accessible Public Transport 2002
Decision Regulation Impact Statement
QuoteThe Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (DDA) recognises the central role of public transport in everyday life. The DDA
makes discrimination on the basis of disability unlawful in the provision of public transport services, as it does in other
key areas of public life, such as employment and education.
Trains & trams have til 2032. Only Perth is 100%, but AFAIK, someone took the WA Government/PTA/Transperth to court.
I can only assume low staff has to do with migration. Capitalism needs a set increase in population to function. For atleast 12 months Australia didn't accept new migrants. There's also been about 10-20 years of public & private sector not wanting to pay to train new employees in technical skills. Expecting the young to go into debt to learn skills, with no guarantee they'll get into the industry. Why pay $20,000 to learn to weld (total guess) when you can earn $30,000 a month on OF or other social media.
#65
Photo of the Month / March 2024 - open for nominati...
Last post by Barry Drive - February 17, 2024, 10:46:55 AMNominations for Photo of the Month now open.
The rules:
● two* photographs may be submitted by each member, provided they have not been submitted before
◦ * a third photo may be submitted if it meets the criteria shown here. However you may only submit a maximum of 2 photos of the same bus or of the same location.
● photos must be "owned" by the person submitting it (if not, you must have the permission of the photographer to submit the photo - and identify the photographer)
● photos must be have taken legally - ACT Bus does not encourage or condone trespassing
● submitted photographs must prominently feature:
◦ public transport infrastructure (such as bus stop, bus station, bus depot, Light Rail line, tram depot) within the ACT / Queanbeyan region (location must be specified)
and/or
◦ a bus, tram or support vehicle from the ACT or Queanbeyan (taken within the region or a former ACT/Queanbeyan bus) where -
▪ the vehicle is in focus
▪ the fleet or registration number is identifiable (or supplied by photographer if not visible in photograph)
● photos narrower than 640 pixels (for landscape aspect) will not be accepted
If possible, please supply date or month of photo.
Refer here for full ACT Bus photo submission conditions.
Photos can be submitted by replying to this forum topic and attaching the image; to ensure consistency, photos must be displayed with a width of 640 (or height of 640 if a "portrait" aspect) - photos larger than 640 are required to use the option width=640 or height=640 in the image tag. For example: [img width=640] instead of [img].
To submit photos from Instagram, you must post a reply with a caption and paste the URL of the Instagram image. Photos not publicly visible cannot be submitted. We will not accept unhosted photos - they must be stored on a photo hosting site (such as Instagram, Flickr or Facebook).
Submissions close midnight 25 February, Australian Eastern daylight saving time unless fewer than 6 photos have been submitted.
Voting will commence on 26 February. Voting will close 1 March.
The winning photo will be loaded to the actbus.net website and posted to ACT Bus on Facebook and Instagram. The winner and runner(s)-up will also be included in the Photo of the Year vote. By submitting a photo, you are giving permission for it to be loaded onto the ACT Bus Gallery, and Facebook and Instagram pages.
The rules:
● two* photographs may be submitted by each member, provided they have not been submitted before
◦ * a third photo may be submitted if it meets the criteria shown here. However you may only submit a maximum of 2 photos of the same bus or of the same location.
● photos must be "owned" by the person submitting it (if not, you must have the permission of the photographer to submit the photo - and identify the photographer)
● photos must be have taken legally - ACT Bus does not encourage or condone trespassing
● submitted photographs must prominently feature:
◦ public transport infrastructure (such as bus stop, bus station, bus depot, Light Rail line, tram depot) within the ACT / Queanbeyan region (location must be specified)
and/or
◦ a bus, tram or support vehicle from the ACT or Queanbeyan (taken within the region or a former ACT/Queanbeyan bus) where -
▪ the vehicle is in focus
▪ the fleet or registration number is identifiable (or supplied by photographer if not visible in photograph)
● photos narrower than 640 pixels (for landscape aspect) will not be accepted
If possible, please supply date or month of photo.
Refer here for full ACT Bus photo submission conditions.
Photos can be submitted by replying to this forum topic and attaching the image; to ensure consistency, photos must be displayed with a width of 640 (or height of 640 if a "portrait" aspect) - photos larger than 640 are required to use the option width=640 or height=640 in the image tag. For example: [img width=640] instead of [img].
To submit photos from Instagram, you must post a reply with a caption and paste the URL of the Instagram image. Photos not publicly visible cannot be submitted. We will not accept unhosted photos - they must be stored on a photo hosting site (such as Instagram, Flickr or Facebook).
Submissions close midnight 25 February, Australian Eastern daylight saving time unless fewer than 6 photos have been submitted.
Voting will commence on 26 February. Voting will close 1 March.
The winning photo will be loaded to the actbus.net website and posted to ACT Bus on Facebook and Instagram. The winner and runner(s)-up will also be included in the Photo of the Year vote. By submitting a photo, you are giving permission for it to be loaded onto the ACT Bus Gallery, and Facebook and Instagram pages.
#66
Fleet / Re: Renaults a go go: the fina...
Last post by triumph - February 16, 2024, 01:23:54 PMAnother element to complete the picture was when the mandated date for removing non-disability compliant vehicles, etc. was introduced?
To be fair, it should be noted that plenty of other public transport systems are struggling in this space, For example many high floor trams in Melbourne, train station access in Sydney and Brisbane, etc..
The impact of Covid disruption and speed of demand recovery has proved to be much greater than, I think, was anticipated a couple of years ago. It has highlighted the interlocking nature of industry and society both locally and internationally, and the risky and fragile nature of some previously lauded (particularly by conservative elements) efficiency/economic practices - such as 'just in time' delivery in the manufacturing process, reliance on cheaper overseas resources, failure to train and employ school leavers sufficiently, etc..
An interesting question I haven't heard asked and rhetorically 'Why is there now a worker/skills shortage greater than pre-covid, when the then conservative Government provided the generous Job Keeper programme'?
To be fair, it should be noted that plenty of other public transport systems are struggling in this space, For example many high floor trams in Melbourne, train station access in Sydney and Brisbane, etc..
The impact of Covid disruption and speed of demand recovery has proved to be much greater than, I think, was anticipated a couple of years ago. It has highlighted the interlocking nature of industry and society both locally and internationally, and the risky and fragile nature of some previously lauded (particularly by conservative elements) efficiency/economic practices - such as 'just in time' delivery in the manufacturing process, reliance on cheaper overseas resources, failure to train and employ school leavers sufficiently, etc..
An interesting question I haven't heard asked and rhetorically 'Why is there now a worker/skills shortage greater than pre-covid, when the then conservative Government provided the generous Job Keeper programme'?
#67
Fleet / Re: Renaults a go go: the fina...
Last post by Barry Drive - February 16, 2024, 11:27:54 AMI've dug out the numbers.
When the last PR100.3 was introduced (in Oct 1996), there were 391 buses in service.
After the last Dart was introduced (in Feb 1998), there were 372 buses in service.
The last of the Mercedes-Benz O.305s was withdrawn in Nov 1999, at which point there were 360 buses in service (of which 258 were PR100.2s).
When the Irisbus Agora Lines entered service in Feb 2004, the fleet count was 351 buses with 230 being PR100.2s.
So in 20 years, we've added over 100 buses to the fleet and gone from 32 low floor buses to 440 - but somehow it's a terrible thing that we fell short of fully retiring the PR100.2s by 15 buses? Maybe the better option was to not expand the fleet so much.
When the last PR100.3 was introduced (in Oct 1996), there were 391 buses in service.
After the last Dart was introduced (in Feb 1998), there were 372 buses in service.
The last of the Mercedes-Benz O.305s was withdrawn in Nov 1999, at which point there were 360 buses in service (of which 258 were PR100.2s).
When the Irisbus Agora Lines entered service in Feb 2004, the fleet count was 351 buses with 230 being PR100.2s.
So in 20 years, we've added over 100 buses to the fleet and gone from 32 low floor buses to 440 - but somehow it's a terrible thing that we fell short of fully retiring the PR100.2s by 15 buses? Maybe the better option was to not expand the fleet so much.
#68
The Playground / Re: What PT did you get today?...
Last post by triumph - February 16, 2024, 11:07:14 AMMon 12/2/24
482 (R3)
660 (R3)
Wed 14/2/24
713 (57)
709 (R3)
468 (R8)
008 (R1)
452 (57)
Yesterday
406 (R2) Diverted Northbourne Ave to Vernon Circle due Multicultural Festival setting up and related closure of London Circuit, but found traffic still using London Circuit. No warning until entered Northbourne Ave. Driver dropped Legislative Assembly stop bound passengers in Northbourne Ave. just prior to crossing London Circuit.
725 (R3)
482 (R3)
660 (R3)
Wed 14/2/24
713 (57)
709 (R3)
468 (R8)
008 (R1)
452 (57)
Yesterday
406 (R2) Diverted Northbourne Ave to Vernon Circle due Multicultural Festival setting up and related closure of London Circuit, but found traffic still using London Circuit. No warning until entered Northbourne Ave. Driver dropped Legislative Assembly stop bound passengers in Northbourne Ave. just prior to crossing London Circuit.
725 (R3)
#69
Fleet / Re: Renaults a go go: the fina...
Last post by Barry Drive - February 15, 2024, 10:56:25 AMQuote from: Sylvan Loves Buses on February 13, 2024, 11:10:02 AMThese words have been uttered by various people every year for the last 2 decades and yet here we stil are.Last 2 years, at most. (Yes, I'm aware it was hyperbole.)
The thing is, despite what some critics say, the problem of there still being low floor buses in service has two underlying causes:
1. Back in the late 1990s, the government of the time reduced the bus fleet by retiring more buses than were delivered. And then once the last of the Darts were in service, kept withdrawing buses without replacements.
From 1998 until 2004 we did not add one single new bus in service. Had we bought even a small quantity of low floor Mercs or Scanias back then, we would have met the DDA rule by 2022.
2. When the Irisbuses entered service in 2004 (yes: it's now been 20 years), there were around 400* buses in the fleet. Starting with the Irisbuses, ACTION has introduced 443 new buses to the fleet since 2004. So part of the problem was that although they've purchased enough buses to renew the fleet in 20 years, they failed to buy sufficient buses to expand the fleet.
* exact number to be added later
#70
Fleet / Re: Renaults a go go: the fina...
Last post by Sylvan Loves Buses - February 13, 2024, 11:10:02 AMQuote from: Barry Drive on February 08, 2024, 11:57:20 PMThis will (or should) result in all Renaults being withdrawn by years endThese words have been uttered by various people every year for the last 2 decades and yet here we stil are. What a joke all this has become hahaha.