Bus Discussion (2019-)

[ajw373]

This morning I saw a bus (Volgren rigid don't know fleet number) on the Barton Highway turning right into Northborne Ave. It was displaying route 251 on the rear desto.

I followed it down to Antil Street and when we stopped at the lights I noticed the route was now showing as 58.

Anyone know why it would change like that? Something quirky with what I assume is a Summernats diversion for south bound buses or something else?

[Sylvan Loves Buses]

It was probably just dead running to Gungahlin.

[Sylvan Loves Buses]

sorry, i meant the city

[ajw373]

Your probably right. I just looked and buses are not diverting down the Barton this year. And come to think of it, it didn't stop heading down Northborne either.

But still a bit strange anyway.

[Sylvan Loves Buses]

Some drivers certainly do some strange things when dead running. I've seen quite the few myself over the past few years.

[Barry Drive]

ANNOUNCEMENT: This is the continuation of General Fleet Discussion, but just for buses. (There will be a separate topic for trams.)

This topic is for discussion of the buses themselves - where it does not fall into another topic (such as bus movements or all over advertising).

Conversations regarding the allocation of buses to particular routes have been moved to the Unusual bus allocations topic in The Playground.

[Sylvan Loves Buses]

514 suffered a front and side desto display failure this evening. The front shortly fixed its self up, but the side still wasn't working.

[Sylvan Loves Buses]

Back to normal school day network finally, can relax knowing my schedule has many Renault's in it again . With that in mind, I'll be keeping my eye out for the threatened fleet numbers during my outings if more are unseen by other's here, such as 928 this afternoon coming up from the Depot.

I also walked around the backside of T Depot today to take photos of anything special that caught my eye (other than 711, there weren't really any), capturing a few of the 2's and 3's around the back fence that aren't currently in service (100, 101, 105, 119, 912, 915, 941 of which I remember seeing).

due to this site's censorship policy, I will not be sharing which service.

You don't need to keep saying that.

[Barry Drive]

Reminder: this is NOT the correct topic for unusual sightings. Off topic posts will be (and have been) deleted.

[Bus 503]

Has anyone seen 491 in service lately? I haven't seen it or tracked it for a long time.

[triumph]

Has anyone seen 491 in service lately? I haven't seen it or tracked it for a long time.

What is a long time? I have a ride record on 9th November last year.

[Bus 503]

What is a long time? I have a ride record on 9th November last year.

I don't remember seeing it at all in January and February this year. Can't quite recall whether I saw 491 in December 2018—it's possible, but I don't remember ever seeing it then.

[Sylvan Loves Buses]

Yeah, I haven't caught it since August last year either, could've sworn I had seen it recently, but I can't remember every bus I've seen. I'll keep an eye out for it now, and check by the Depot next time I get the opportunity to legally have a good look around the back.

[Sylvan Loves Buses]

Found it!

[Bus 503]

Found it!

Thanks for the photo, Sylvan. Interesting that it was parked next to 381, which is another bus that I hadn't seem in service since February. Though I believe it recommenced service this week (please correct me if you have sightings of 381 between February 2019 and before March 13th, 2019).

I haven't seem 491 at all recently, so I am still asking for sightings of it in service.
Other buses I haven't seen and am looking for sightings of (in service) are 382 (no sightings since mid February), and 441 (have not sighted it this month).

[King of Buses]

Thanks for the photo, Sylvan. Interesting that it was parked next to 381, which is another bus that I hadn't seem in service since February. Though I believe it recommenced service this week (please correct me if you have sightings of 381 between February 2019 and before March 13th, 2019).

I haven't seem 491 at all recently, so I am still asking for sightings of it in service.
Other buses I haven't seen and am looking for sightings of (in service) are 382 (no sightings since mid February), and 441 (have not sighted it this month).

Everything except 491 has been seen around the place by myself in that period. They obviously have not been where you have though.

[Sylvan Loves Buses]

Still nothing of 491, but I have my own at the moment. I'm not in the City on Mondays, but has anyone noticed if 145 has been on the loops over the past 2-3 weeks? All I've been seeing is 135, 147 and 151 every day now since then.

Can't seem to find the post about bus names, so I thought I'd mention that I saw 538 having a name, don't remember what it was though sorry, other than something hyphenated.

Also a question that I must ask before it's too late. The stop buttons on the P2's between the front facing seats at the front have generally always been a red switch. Over the years I had noticed quite a few get replaced by white switches or white buttons. Which buses were these white switches/buttons from?

[King of Buses]

Can't seem to find the post about bus names, so I thought I'd mention that I saw 538 having a name, don't remember what it was though sorry, other than something hyphenated.

Katie-Pillar

http://actbus.net/action-buses-with-given-names/

[Sylvan Loves Buses]

Don't really know where to put this, but...

Some idiot tried to steal a drivers cash bag from bus 505 at Woden this afternoon, got nabbed by the TC officers straight away before he could get away (unfortunately breaking the door in the process) and very soon arrested with every TC officer type you could think of on the scene within about 15 minutes of the incident, including Tuggeranong's TC officers for some reason, not like the 7 who were already there and 5 police officers were enough.

[Toyota Camry]

There has been reduced utilisation of Renaults during this present school holiday break; Tuggeranong is only operating low floors during the day, however PR100.2s are still running from Belconnen during the off-peak. I am suspecting that with the commencement of the new network with reduced bus requirements, that Tuggeranong may become a 100% fully low floor, air conditioned depot at all times; Belconnen may still operate some PR100.2s during peak periods.

[Barry Drive]

I am suspecting that with the commencement of the new network with reduced bus requirements, that Tuggeranong may become a 100% fully low floor, air conditioned depot at all times; ...

The new network has reduced bus requirements?

What's your source?

[Sylvan Loves Buses]

Northbourne avenue... *cough* what? I said nuh-tin'.

[Toyota Camry]

The new network has reduced bus requirements?

What's your source?

My source is the Canberra Times; there is no additional funding allocated to bus services, however service kilometres are now spread out further through the week. This means there will be a reduced bus requirement on weekdays, and an increased bus requirement on weekends compared to present; this leaves the Renault PR100.3s in particular extremely likely to disappear after next Friday.

[Busfanatic101]

My source is the Canberra Times; there is no additional funding allocated to bus services, however service kilometres are now spread out further through the week. This means there will be a reduced bus requirement on weekdays, and an increased bus requirement on weekends compared to present; this leaves the Renault PR100.3s in particular extremely likely to disappear after next Friday.

Funding ≠ Service Kilometers
Hence such an argument does not necessarily hold.

[Sylvan Loves Buses]

this leaves the Renault PR100.3s in particular extremely likely to disappear after next Friday.

I seriously doubt this will be the case during peak, there's a lot of rapids more now than ever, I'm sure there's going to be a few if not most Renault's out. Still, I've been wrong before, we'll just have to wait and see.

[Barry Drive]

My source is the Canberra Times; there is no additional funding allocated to bus services, however service kilometres are now spread out further through the week.

My efforts to find such a report in The Canberra Times have been unsuccessful.

However, in this forum in the ACT Budget topic, the following was reported:

Additional $5.378m in 2018/19 for employee expenses related to additional staff for new network and Woden Depot operations
Additional $1.975m for increased costs due to new network (fuel and maintenance);

Since the new network will commence later than was expected when the budget was prepared, I would expect less than that will be spent. (And there should be an adjustment in the upcoming budget.)

But it is not true that there is no additional funding, nor "cut backs" as is frequently being stated on social media. The real reason why certain services have been removed (such as 3 80 81 88 101 and Xpressos) appears to be no capacity to operate them with available resources (when you factor in all of the additional Rapids and more frequent day time services).

[Sylvan Loves Buses]

Seems I'm not the only one disliking the new network, there's several buses so confused and distraught, several displays and tail lights weren't working on Scanias, 502 was running a R1 and 528 smelt like a Renault artic... chaos!

[Busnerd]

Please explain how a bus can be confused and distraught, it is a machine not a living thing.

[Buzz Killington]

528 smelt like a Renault artic... chaos!

A common complaint on social media yesterday. I trust they're looking into this as a priority.

[Sylvan Loves Buses]

Oh don't worry, they are, I called this morning to make sure they were aware of the issue.


Turns out the R1 is programmed into all the buses, or that's at least the impression I got from the obscurantistic driver who was driving 502 this evening, as he had it up again cause he wanted to have some fun before his last run.
"Ding ding, I'm a tram" is the front display with a train icon on the back and on the side. The things drivers have to do to have fun now days...

[Sylvan Loves Buses]

530 sounded horribly wrong last night, engine change or what?

[Bus 503]

Still no sign of 491 this month, yet nothing new has been added to its page on the Fleetwiki. I'm presuming it's having some sort of major issue, considering that it has not been in service for most, if not all, of 2019.
Any sightings would be welcomed.

[Snorzac]

I saw it moving around the depot under its own steam on tuesday, that does not however mean it has been in service.

[Sylvan Loves Buses]

Yeah, I've only been seeing it sitting in the depot next to what's left of 887. I'll see if I can ask someone in TC what's going on.

[Bus 503]

I think I saw 491 today turning into Alexander Street from Mugga Way at 16:30.
I was quite far away from it, so I couldn't see the fleet number, but what caught my eye was an all green back with a circular shape (presumably the 75th bus aware).
I'm not sure of any buses that run services at that time and along Mugga Way, so regardless of whether it was 491, I'm not sure what the bus was doing (charter?).

[King of Buses]

I think I saw 491 today turning into Alexander Street from Mugga Way at 16:30.
I was quite far away from it, so I couldn't see the fleet number, but what caught my eye was an all green back with a circular shape (presumably the 75th bus aware).
I'm not sure of any buses that run services at that time and along Mugga Way, so regardless of whether it was 491, I'm not sure what the bus was doing (charter?).

491 is back in service, so quite possibly. As for why it was out there at that time, it may have been operating a (very late) school run? Or else dead running after completing a school service? Regardless of what it was doing, I saw it at Woden probably about an hour before you saw it, as well as again sometime later this evening.

[Sylvan Loves Buses]

Yep, and it passed me this evening when I was waiting at 2651 to go to Mawson. I'll still try to find out why it was sitting beside 887 for several months for you though.

[Toyota Camry]

900 is presently being prepared for departure from Fyshwick depot as of 10:53am; mechanics are presently in attendance whom are attending to it, as is the orange "ACTION" liveried Transport Canberra tow truck.

[Snorzac]

Most likely off for a quick trip down the road to access recycling!

[Sylvan Loves Buses]

900 is presently being prepared for departure from Fyshwick depot

Of course you're can never rely on what a bus driver tells you, something made clear to me by Barry Drive... even though before this forum, my eyes, ears, mum, news and bus drivers were my only source of information.
Last night the driver I was with told me one of his colleagues said 40 Renaults would be returning to service soon. I straight away replied by saying, they already have, like the one you're driving (937), have been brought back out for the new network. He then said from Fyshwick, so now I'm not so sure.

Whahahaha, I'm confused now!

[Barry Drive]

Last night the driver I was with told me ... 40 Renaults would be returning to service soon ... from Fyshwick.

It's good to question what you hear.

It's highly unlikely to be true, since there are only 32 Renaults at Fyshwick and Tuggeranong (and not all may be suitable to resume service). It's also not likely to happen "soon", since the 2019 network is in place and there is no need for additional buses, and nowhere to house and maintain them.

What is true (as mentioned before) is that Transport Canberra intend to order 40 buses for next year. It is also true that when Woden Depot ever gets built, they may look at returning some Renaults - but that will depend on when Woden opens, when the next network will commence and how many of the 40 new buses have been commissioned. It may also depend on when (or if) the much hyped new ticketing system is ready.

[Bus 503]

Well, I'm now looking for sightings of not 491, but 492.
I haven't seem it at all in June and up to now.

[King of Buses]

Well, I'm now looking for sightings of not 491, but 492.
I haven't seem it at all in June and up to now.

It's out there. Don't worry about it.

[Sylvan Loves Buses]

401 Button for stop has pleasant 2 tone warble, a real contrast with unnecessary loud 'screech' of the Volgren bodied buses.

Yes, those are so horribly painful to sit up the front and hear.
Always found it strange how a few Gas Scanias had their button tones switched though, well glad they never did it 343 .

[Sylvan Loves Buses]

Just saw 492 going up Athllon Drive on a R4.

Any other buses you haven't seen for a while of which coincidentally I haven't either but KoB see all the time?

[Toyota Camry]

121 is currently operating an R4; due to this site's censorship policy, I cannot state which trip. This is rare on multiple accounts.

[Sylvan Loves Buses]

I saw 378 doing one to Belconnen yesterday evening. Very unusual to see the gas MAN's doing R4's too.

[Bus 503]

According to Nextthere, 318 is operating an R7 at the moment. Oddly though, it isn't tracking on AnyTrip.

[Barry Drive]

I'm not familiar with Nextthere or Triptastic, but I do know that Anytrip matches timetabled trips with buses. So it will only show buses when they are linked to timetabled trips, but not dead running or other instances of not being in service.

And moving further off topic, Anytrip has been modifed to exclude "ghost buses" from tracking.

[Sylvan Loves Buses]

Saw 380 for the first time in a while yesterday morning, broken down typically. I also saw a peculiar desto on 339, 'rVice' filling an 8th of the screen. One of those random desto glitches, or was it heading to Los Santos?