Bus Maintenance

[Snorzac]

Does anyone know how often buses go in for maintenance. 342 has done my 313 every morning since the new network began, except for 2 days. I also see it every afteroon and on most weekends both saturdays and sundays. Is it because it's a new bus and it doesn't need as much maintinace or is it the same with all buses. Also is there something wrong with 947 or 948 as one of the MK2 going your way buses has being outside belco workshops for a few days. Pretty sure it's 948 could we be seeing our first .2 with a bike rack?

[Buzz Killington]

im sure one of the drivers can enlighten us (if you don't want to do so publicly, please feel free to post in the drivers lounge and i will relay it here)

[lukeo25]

i saw bus 342 on athllon dr on monday afternoon with workshop road test on the desto

[Snorzac]

It did the 313 run on Monday. I missed it though. This morning 360 came instead. The last time 342 didn't come was the second monday of the new network when 369 came instead.

[seat cover]

Unsure of ACTION's Standard but depending on the brand and model industry normally is either 5000 or 10000k. This normally grows from minor service to a major service every 40000k to 50000k.

Road transport would have a recommendation in its accreditation if it is similar to NSW and VIC

[Snorzac]

either the driver just doesn't like 342 anymore or it is having some major matinaence done because it wasn't on Friday when 361 came or today when 330 came

[Busnerd]

oh yes, because drivers can just change buses if they dont like them anymore...for all you know, it got taken into the workshops to get a light bulb replaced, and now its no longer in the same bay anymore so the driver takes whatever bus is at the front of the row which happens to be 360...

[Lockie]

oh yes, because drivers can just change buses if they dont like them anymore..

A little off topic, but how do they determine such things? Are specific buses designated to routes (apart from scania/iris for 300 etc.), or are they assigned to drivers, who are then assigned to routes? I have always wondered this.

[Snorzac]

Maybe that is another Q for one of the ACTION drivers

[belcodriver]

Regarding assigning buses, if you start in the morning the supervisors tell you which bus to take - which for some drivers/shifts is generally the same bus. If you start mid-afternoon 2ish-330ish I think there's a 'yard dog' who tells you which bus to take, which will generally be a different one each day. The current yard dog is a driver who has finished his driving for the day. AFAIK at Tuggeranong they have a supervisor out in the shed assigning buses in the arvo.

Shift cards have printed on them the type of bus required for the shift or segment of shift as follows:

Midi > Dennis Dart
Std > PR.2 or PR.3
PR.3 > PR.3 the odd school run where the 4 more seats than on a 2 are believed necessary.
IRIS > IRIS
CNG Bus > Scania
Articulated > PR.180

300s generally have Irises or Scanias designated on the shift card, 3s (assuming they are the same as when they were called 34s) have Darts/Scanias, particular school runs and Xpressos have artics and most other runs could have any of Pr.2/Pr.3/Iris/Scania. Tuggeranong weekend shifts are all meant to be done with Scanias but I don't know if they always have enough available.

[Sir Pompously]

Scania's are in abundance in Tuggeranong, and seem to have them out on all routes done by the depot on a weekend (I think they have plenty to cover their shifts, as I can go past there and see spares in the shed). We often seen others like .2's and the odd .3 out with the Irisbuses and Scanias, and they are basically from belco doing our services over here.

[Jack Bauer]

If you start mid-afternoon 2ish-330ish I think there's a 'yard dog' who tells you which bus to take, which will generally be a different one each day. The current yard dog is a driver who has finished his driving for the day. AFAIK at Tuggeranong they have a supervisor out in the shed assigning buses in the arvo.

Ahh reminising...

When I used to tag along on night shifts I rarely saw the "yard dog" around and we used to just head straight to C5 or the other bays where the .3s sat and take whatever bus he wanted (this is back when all you needed was a standard to do a 300). Although I recall seeing him once and he was like yeah take whatever you want. There probably a lot stricter now?

When I tagged along for a day shift once (it was like the second earliest start) in the school holidays (when there's no shift buses) the nice lady supervisor was charged with dishing them out and she already knew what bus we wanted haha.

[belcodriver]

Forgot to add that if you are starting or changing buses after about 330 at Belco you can take whatever bus you want.

[Barry Drive]

Route 3 is not designated to low floor buses. It can be done by any bus type. But route 934 is supposed to always use low floor buses.

Tuggeranong depot does not have a yard dog - when you take a bus in the afternoon a supervisor will note which bus you have taken but he doesn't assign you a bus. Or at least that's what I did when at Tuggie.

Forgot to add that if you are starting or changing buses after about 330 at Belco you can take whatever bus you want.

Of course the choice will be fairly limited at that time.

[Busnerd]

Were you in 302 tonight martin?

[Barry Drive]

I'll have to double-check, but yes I was driving 302 on Monday 8/9

[Irisbus Rider]

On a 111, we believe.

[Jack Bauer]

352 was out not to long ago doing a test run with a mechanic.

[Snorzac]

112 and 788 have being doing do mechanic runs today

[Irisbus Rider]

Paul won't be happy they're tinkering with his bus!