Recent posts

#31
Fleet / Re: Renaults a go go: the fina...
Last post by Barry Drive - February 16, 2024, 11:27:54 AM
I'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The last of the Mercedes-Benz O.305s was withdrawn in Nov 1999, at which point there were 360 buses in service (of which 258 were PR100.2s).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.
#32
The Playground / Re: What PT did you get today?...
Last post by triumph - February 16, 2024, 11:07:14 AM
Mon 12/2/24
482 (R3)
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Wed 14/2/24
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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)
#33
Fleet / Re: Renaults a go go: the fina...
Last post by Barry Drive - February 15, 2024, 10:56:25 AM
Quote 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
#34
Fleet / Re: Renaults a go go: the fina...
Last post by Sylvan Loves Buses - February 13, 2024, 11:10:02 AM
Quote from: Barry Drive on February 08, 2024, 11:57:20 PMThis will (or should) result in all Renaults being withdrawn by years end
These 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.
#35
Infrastructure / Re: Woden Depot Discussion
Last post by Barry Drive - February 09, 2024, 07:54:13 PM
Quote from: Barry Drive on November 12, 2022, 10:55:33 AMBut there still isn't a published contract.
To correct the record: as mentioned here, the 2018 contract is still valid and has been varied multiple times. The current value is $30m, but there will be a further variation soon to include the 50 or so bus chargers.

There has also been a contract (worth $5.9m) with ActewAGL to provide a high voltage connection to the Wanniassa sub-station.



I went past the Woden Depot building site recently. Was quite impressed with how much has gone up, especially since it was just a vacant lot for so long.
#36
Fleet / Re: 26 Scanias: 2022-24
Last post by Barry Drive - February 09, 2024, 11:21:59 AM
The contract is actually with Scania Finance, since it's a leasing agreement.

The question of damages (or compensation) for late delivery was an interesting thought, but it's not covered by the contract. If anything, TC are saving money by the late deliveries, since they are only required to pay for a bus once it's been received. There are also no penalty provisions, since no payment occurs until delivery.

The contract does include provisions for termination due to late deliveries. Which makes me think that Scania won't try to increase the lease charges because TC might instead opt to enforce the termination clause. (And that clause might still be under consideration.)

As I've said previously, I don't believe the Renaults are that expensive to maintain nor are they especially prone to breakdowns, in comparison to other buses. The main disadvantage is that keeping the Renaults in service results in Irisbuses being used more. (Because once a Renault is withdrawn, the shift can be reassigned to an Irisbus, thus reducing the usage of both buses.)

As for how many buses are on the production line, who knows? But it's quite possible all have had some work started which makes it difficult to transfer elsewhere.
#37
Fleet / Re: Renaults a go go: the fina...
Last post by Barry Drive - February 08, 2024, 11:57:20 PM
Quote from: Barry Drive on February 06, 2024, 12:12:09 PMThe Yutong contract may start delivering buses mid-year, so IF they prioritise the withdrawal of the Renaults before the Scania gas buses, we might have the Renaults fully withdrawn in about August/September.

In Question Time on Wednesday, the minister did confirm that buses delivered under the Yutong contract will be used to withdraw Renaults (rather than Scania L94s, if there are still Renaults in service at the time).

Although there hasn't been a public delivery schedule, previous comments have suggested they will supply 30 buses a year. So my assumption is that in 2024 there will be a minimum of 15, since deliveries are expected to commence in July.

This will (or should) result in all Renaults being withdrawn by years end, one way or another.
#38
Fleet / Re: 26 Scanias: 2022-24
Last post by triumph - February 08, 2024, 08:54:23 PM
Quote from: triumph on February 06, 2024, 09:44:57 PMIt is not surprising that the Minister this time is being vague, ...
An associated question, apparently not addressed by the Minister, is does the sharing of risk conditions in the procurement documents give rise to any additional payments to Bustech, or the application of deductions against Bustech? ...

From the reported Minister's statement, Scania, not Bustech, is the primary contractor. So the reference to payments should probably more properly relate to Scania in lieu of Bustech. A further complication is that they are leased buses. So costs incurred by TC from sustaining the Renaults and the hard to quantify community cost of keeping non-disability compliant buses in service, may be practically unrecoverable. Likewise the additional costs incurred by the supplier are very likely largely unrecoverable via varied lease charges.
Another rhetorical question, given a comment a while back about Scania taking back chassis, is, are the Scania products (chassis) available, with the delay issues resting with the body builder (Bustech)? Up to now I had understood that this was the case.

 
#39
Fleet / Re: 26 Scanias: 2022-24
Last post by Barry Drive - February 08, 2024, 05:05:17 PM
Quote from: Barry Drive on February 06, 2024, 12:12:09 PM(A transcript will be provided later.)
I've posted a brief transcript here: https://www.actbus.net/yet-more-delays-in-delivery-of-new-scania-buses/

Most of the rest of the statement was about minimising the usage of PR100.2s, which is also unchanged from last time.

The Minister was deliberately vague since he's still awaiting a revised delivery schedule from Scania.

In Question Time yesterday, the question was put "why should Canberrans believe you this time?" - which was not answered. He would have been better asking "why do you believe what Scania are now telling you, given their track record so far?", but regrettably the opposition is more concerned with point scoring than actual fact finding.
#40
The Playground / Re: What PT did you get today?...
Last post by triumph - February 07, 2024, 09:05:23 PM
Sat 3/2/24
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Mon 5/2/24
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727 (R3) again

Today
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330 (57)
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596 (R3)