Steer Tags and diesel MANs

smitho · June 05, 2009, 05:21:11 AM

I gather a trial ST bus is scheduled in ACT 6 &7 June for trials around difficult roundabouts etc.

Delivery of first 10 MANs from CCin SA scheduled early October, facilitating mid Oct start up of the final term Redex services trial...

Buzz Killington · June 05, 2009, 11:29:00 AM

6 and 7 June, eh? Sounds like we need to keep an eye on the depots today to see if we can spot it come in

Bus 400 · June 05, 2009, 01:17:11 PM

Well nothing at Tuggeranong Depot when I left at lunch time. Going back later anyway.

Irisbus Rider · June 05, 2009, 06:37:04 PM

MAN's in October! Wow, that is more realistic, but too far off for ACTION ATM.

ST? State Transit? Oh, Steer Tag, gotchya.

A CC bodied K280 would be nice. Just to prove to ACTION how gutless they rerally are ha ha.

Snorzac · June 05, 2009, 09:09:37 PM

I was discussing with a few drivers the other day at the layover that if they are that short on buses why not buy some Merc 0305s off the STA to give them a few extra buses until they have enough new ones to get rid of them.

Irisbus Rider · June 05, 2009, 09:17:16 PM

As also discusseed with other drivers, the ex-STA buses are not to ACTION spec, they don't even have heaters!
ACTION are better off either buying the Fearnes Irisbuses that are currently for sale (not popular with drivers lol), or getting ex-ACTION O305's. Plenty out there for sale.

Snorzac · June 05, 2009, 09:22:37 PM

No John, No!! Not IRISBUSES that eas also discussed with the 3 drivers. I don't even know the third one but he knew what he was talking about. The other 2 are board members.

Irisbus Rider · June 05, 2009, 09:31:34 PM

ACTION are desperate, right? Well, why not a few more Iris'.
And no, I'm not just saying that because I like them lol.

Snorzac · June 05, 2009, 09:37:32 PM

The could at least get something reliable. The last thing they need is something that is going to break down on the constantly. Remember that if we get the o305s it would only be for a few months and from what I have heard they are pretty reliable.

Irisbus Rider · June 05, 2009, 09:43:09 PM

The O305s are solid rock, reliable as anything, and yes, they would be ideal.

It would be interesting if ACTION lost 2 or 3 buses, then they'd be in a bigger pickle. But the bottom line is, it can't go on like this. Typical ACTION reaction though, Öh, it's alright'.

Bus 400 · June 05, 2009, 11:02:35 PM

Would it be a good idea for ACTION to copy Transperth in their practise of keeping the older buses for a while in a lock up? As in recent months Transperth has needed the extra buses, so some really old buses have come back into service (& I mean really old as 0305's are regulars & some buses are older then them-kinda).

But I am surprised that the trial would be conducted on a long weekend, but I would guess that the TWU Rep's would be present?

smitho · June 05, 2009, 11:24:20 PM

Here is an extract from last month's (May) budget committee hearings (it is possible the dates quoted for the ST bus trials are wrong; doing trials on the Saturday of a long weekend does seem surprising) :-

MR COE: How is the steer tag acquisition going?
Mr Elliott: The total fleet acquisition?
MR COE: The steer tag bus acquisition?
Mr Elliott: Interesting. We have a steer tag coming down on the 6th and 7th of next
month to do a bit of testing around the streets of Canberra. We are working with our
roads and transport regulation people just to make sure that it is fit for purpose and
will do the job that we want. The draft contract for the MANs has been sent to them
and we hope to be in production, with them coming out of, I think, the Adelaide plant
of Custom Coaches, within a couple of weeks. The first tranche of buses will be
standard rigid MANs. We should have 10 by the end of September; they take two
weeks to commission and they will all be on the road on 11 October, we trust.
MR COE: Are Procurement Solutions managing any of that?
Mr Elliott: Procurement Solutions are handling the contracting side of it with us, yes.
We have a procurement officer; that is the way we do things, yes.

Bus 400 · June 05, 2009, 11:31:07 PM

I thought that a Hillsbus 14.5 came to Canberra last year for that reason? Also in a newspaper article a few weeks ago someone in ACTION mentioned that the contract for the 100 buses had been finalized.

But I have been informed that Custom Coaches are the ones building the 14.5 Scania's & standard MAN buses

Snorzac · June 05, 2009, 11:40:22 PM

Gee, Elliot sure is ambitious there.

Bus 400 · July 07, 2009, 01:26:32 PM

Quote from: smitho on June 05, 2009, 11:24:20 PM
Here is an extract from last month's (May) budget committee hearings (it is possible the dates quoted for the ST bus trials are wrong; doing trials on the Saturday of a long weekend does seem surprising) :-

Mr Elliott: Interesting. We have a steer tag coming down on the 6th and 7th of next
month to do a bit of testing around the streets of Canberra.

Going by yesterday, it looks like someone had their months wrong.

smitho · July 07, 2009, 08:50:38 PM

Looked over red Metrobus ST yesterday around 10am while it was laying over @ City West.

Blokes from ACT Roads, ACTION back room boys and some characters who looked like they may have come from Sydney (judging by their purple faces and looks of discomfort in the frosty Canberra cold) were hovering around drinking coffee. They were all in Party Frocks (high viz jkts) so I guess they were travelling together in the bus.

Bus visits the two depots (inviting drivers to have a squiz) later in the week.

Busnerd · July 07, 2009, 09:06:03 PM

If someone had told me it was going down there I would've given a quick tidy up before hand, it looks its usual disgraceful self!

Bus 400 · July 07, 2009, 09:30:30 PM

Do you know what days/times it might be at the depots smitho?

smitho · July 09, 2009, 10:58:41 PM

Quote from: TP 3000 on July 07, 2009, 09:30:30 PM
Do you know what days/times it might be at the depots smitho?

No, I was pretty busy at the time and didn't register all the details....but recall both time slots were in the mornings of consecutive days.

Simes · July 30, 2009, 12:07:16 AM

Quote from: Irisbus Rider on June 05, 2009, 09:17:16 PM
As also discusseed with other drivers, the ex-STA buses are not to ACTION spec, they don't even have heaters!
ACTION are better off either buying the Fearnes Irisbuses that are currently for sale (not popular with drivers lol), or getting ex-ACTION O305's. Plenty out there for sale.

Mind you they could buy back some Renaults

Busabout are getting rid of the Sydney and Wagga ones, Caringbah was trying to sell one as well as Sawtell Coaches

Although considering the only real difference between a late mkIII (with ABS) and an ACTION O305 is a pissy little heater down the back on the nearside, why not?
Then again it could just make certain bus sales people think that 5 to 8k is what an O305 is worth (despite there being a yard full of them)

Irisbus Rider · July 30, 2009, 04:35:46 PM

Quote from: Simes on July 30, 2009, 12:07:16 AM
Mind you they could buy back some Renaults Busabout are getting rid of the Sydney and Wagga ones, Caringbah was trying to sell one as well as Sawtell Coaches

Ha yeah, a possibility, that didn't cross my mind. Just depends on how quickly the MANs get here, and if RedEx will be implemented in October, will need approx 40 additional buses for RedEx alone. Should be fun.....

Buzz Killington · July 30, 2009, 05:11:51 PM

Delay the MANs, i wanna see ACTION buy some used buses again!