Tasmanian Bus Observations - Feb 2012

[royaltiger]

New month, new buses. The remaining K280s at Springfield (334-336) will be availalble for service from today. As a consequence the remaining VOV1s surviving in Hobart have been retired from traffic. When 142 comes of the road at 11.45 this morning they will pass into Hobarts passenger transport history.

[yoda]

Welcome back to the route #60!

http://www.metrotas.com.au/alerts/view/ ... ry%202012/

[Tas Bus Nut]

Possibly the LAST recorded photo of #142 IN REVENUE SERVICE - 10:48am service to Mornington Hgts

Also noticed today (as ALL the 5 NEW CB60s have now entered service) was the DESTO on #336. I returned to the depot
and advised the "desto programmer" and was advised the WRONG program was downloaded onto the bus. This
type of program, is for the flipdot Mobitec NOT the LED Mobitec. Hopefully it will be fixed, as it looks SH#T

[sharp77]

Possibly the LAST recorded photo of #142 IN REVENUE SERVICE - 10:48am service to Mornington Hgts

Well, how fitting to see the last of the VOV1s drive off leaving a puff of diesel on its way out

[royaltiger]

Possibly the LAST recorded photo of #142 IN REVENUE SERVICE -

In Hobart at least! The two up north cannot have much longer to go.

[sharp77]

Well,
Metro will be offering a Flat Rate weekend from Feb 11 to 13 in Hobart (Feb 11 and 12 for everywhere else) to try and get people to use buses.

Metro is offering everyone flat fares for travelling on its buses on the weekend of February 11th and 12th. The offer extends to February 13th in Hobart only for the Regatta Day public holiday.

Fares on all services are one low flat fare of $2 for adults per journey and $1 for student and concession passengers per journey.

The flat fare weekend is a chance for more people to use Metro services to experience bus travel.

This particular weekend is packed with major events and travelling on Metro buses provides a safe, convenient and enjoyable alternative to taking your own car.

Events over the long weekend include Festivale in Launceston, the Hobart Regatta, Hobart Cup and the Wynyard Made with Love market.

Metro is encouraging people to use buses not just to go to and from major events on this weekend, but to use regular services between other destinations – to see family and friends, go to the beach, go to shopping centres and so on.

The availability of the free fare services varies from region to region. As Monday February 13th is a public holiday in Southern Tasmania, the fare free services extend to this day in Hobart and surrounds. Standard fares apply to Metro services in Launceston and Burnie on Monday February 13th.

Details about transport arrangements specific to events will be posted here soon.

If I recall correctly, last year was a FREE FARE weekend so they must be trying to keep losses to a minimum. What makes them think more people will catch buses after this anyway? The buses are, in the general publics POV (and from what many people I know say on Facebook); dirty/scrappy, bland, and the patrons on a number of buses/routes aren't welcoming ... It seems Metro is a bit half-minded with this...

[yoda]

Last year was free to make up for the lack of services over the Christmas/new year break.

[Busnut704]

Hi all, just on another note. did they catch the person last week who was causing problems on the metro two way radio system. reason im asking is a freind of mine who a driver told me that someone hacked in to the system. if he did get caught throw the book at him..!!

[yoda]

The "official" word was interference from the Cruise Ship's.

As soon as authorised radio's needed to operate it cut out the other signal.

[Busnut704]

Yeah ok thats possible.. "offical" yes i got told it was someone out there with another radio interfering with the system. how is that possible when its surpose to be secure??

[royaltiger]

MAN 515 returned to Springfield from Burnie today. The driver told me it was a bouncy ride, but she is fast! It will see further service in Hobart. Picture tonight.

[Tas Bus Nut]

MAN 515 returned to Springfield from Burnie today. The driver told me it was a bouncy ride, but she is fast! It will see further service in Hobart. Picture tonight.

AND with that bus arriving, signalled the END of Hobart Coaches, as the LAST HC vehicle (#11) drove out the yard bound for Burnie @ 13:45
A once good company has now been dismantled and scrapped, by the powers that be

[royaltiger]

Here is 515 shortly after arrival at Springfield.

[Tas Bus Nut]

Wonder if it will keep those route numbers in it #514 is returning too (I believe)

[royaltiger]

Yes it will not be long before it comes down too. 508 has been prepared for disposal and is about to go.

[metro_tas]

sad, sad, sad days seeing those M.A.N's disapear they sure are a fun bus

[Z1-2110]

I had a ride on 514 yesterday. I was going to get a pic but, bloody peeps in the way. Must of thought i'm part of The Advocate.

[yoda]

Yeah ok thats possible.. "offical" yes i got told it was someone out there with another radio interfering with the system. how is that possible when its surpose to be secure??

It's not a digital system so anyone can communicate. It's just illegal to.

[Busnut704]

515 looks like they looked after her up North. Thanks Yoda, so its not like a digital system. My Brother whos a cop lives up here said they have something like it where if they lose there radio or need to know where they are they can track it. Also if they lose a radio it can be found and shutoff so no one can use it. maybe they might get something like that to stop it from happening in the future

[MetroTasCatcher]

As far as I know (which isn't a lot), Metro use a VHF radio system, which is not digital. All you have to do is find the right frequency and hey-presto, you're in.

Last thing I heard was TasPol were having a lot of grief with the new digital radio system rollout, and had to revert back to analog for a while. Not sure if they're back to digital now though... 999 might be able to enlighten us on the issue.

[sharp77]

As far as I know (which isn't a lot), Metro use a VHF radio system, which is not digital. All you have to do is find the right frequency and hey-presto, you're in.

Last thing I heard was TasPol were having a lot of grief with the new digital radio system rollout, and had to revert back to analog for a while. Not sure if they're back to digital now though... 999 might be able to enlighten us on the issue.

From what I've been told (so anyone feel free to correct me), Tas Police currently use a half and half digital and analogue system. Because nobody knows how to install or operate the digital equipment, they can't use it. They do, however; have channels that are encrypted through the governments EDACS radio network. The encrypted lines are mainly used by detectives.

You can listen to the Tas Police radio online, and a quick googling would find it.

[yoda]

515 looks like they looked after her up North. Thanks Yoda, so its not like a digital system. My Brother whos a cop lives up here said they have something like it where if they lose there radio or need to know where they are they can track it. Also if they lose a radio it can be found and shutoff so no one can use it. maybe they might get something like that to stop it from happening in the future

I do know our radio's have identifiers on each radio to show who is transmitting.
It also allows radio operators to contact an individual vehicle.

[stevegj52]

MAN 515 returned to Springfield from Burnie today. The driver told me it was a bouncy ride, but she is fast! It will see further service in Hobart. Picture tonight.

AND with that bus arriving, signalled the END of Hobart Coaches, as the LAST HC vehicle (#11) drove out the yard bound for Burnie @ 13:45
A once good company has now been dismantled and scrapped, by the powers that be

VALE Hobart Coaches a fine company gone and once operated by a true gentlemen Don Hazel. Metro wanted the route services but had to buy the company to do it,had no intentions to operate the coach side of the bussiness.finaly got their wish now, all gone but the coaches do live on with other operators.

[Tas Bus Nut]

#143 painted ALL-WHITE again, in preperation for it's new positiion as TRAINING BUS. Apparently driver trainer's seat being installed, whiteboard and such.
Not sure what else. Looks strange seeing it white again

[999]

MAN Midi (back end only, assuming in the 1 sec it caught my eye it is ex Metro) was seen parked in St Johns Avenue New Town on the left just near FSST Labs today. Forgot to look again after my visit to FSST to get anymore detail.