Transdev Melbourne News 2017

[josh01]

Meanwhile transdev 71 is at volvo springvale anyone know whats wrong with it

[Alstom 888M]

Transdev are buying a new Gemilang as a replacement for #384, which burnt out on the West Gate Freeway last year. Also 5 new Optares are also on their way, probably to get rid of the Plasmas.

[krustyklo]

Transdev and the TWU seem to be having a dispute, allegedly over Transdev trying to change shift conditions for drivers on the orbital routes outside of the usual EBA process. Maybe someone can explain the terminology?
From https://twu.asn.au/transdev-attacks-wor ... itlements/
TRANSDEV ATTACKS WORKERS’ ENTITLEMENTS
Key penalties, conditions and entitlements of Transdev employees are under attack.

Transdev is using a great deal of spin to claim that by introducing more casual and part-time workers, in preference to full-time employees, it will improve labour flexibility!

Transdev is also trying to con staff into believing that dispensing with Sunday Shift Workers Leave, introducing RDO’s into rosters and changing roster patterns will foster greater job satisfaction, security and a better lifestyle!

They also claim the changes will allow drivers to better manage fatigue, so they can spend more time with their (much poorer) families.

What?

This is coming from the same mob that is rostering staff to drive for up to 5 hours at a time. And, because most services are currently running late due to tight scheduling times and traffic congestion, drivers are getting back late for their meal breaks. As a result, we have received reports from the ridges that Transdev management have allegedly asked drivers to cut meal breaks short.

They are also attempting to force members to work 40 hours a week.

And, really, how can any worker put their trust and the family’s future in the hands of a company that cannot even put roster changes out on time?

Transdev unveiled its direct attack on worker entitlements at the same time the new Thomastown depot was opened. THE TWU DISPUTED THE PROPOSED CHANGES IMMEDIATELY BECAUSE OF THE VERY SERIOUS AND DANGEROUS PRECEDENT THEY WOULD SET.

At a meeting held on March 21 between the TWU and Transdev’s ‘Department of People and Culture Management’, the TWU rejected Transdev’s final offer to settle the dispute at Thomastown- this is because Transdev’s terms were unacceptable.

Transdev then informed the TWU it has every intention of rolling out their proposed 5 over 6 roster pattern throughout the Orbital operations at all Transdev depots. Orbital services do the loop around Greater Melbourne and operate out of North Fitzroy, Sunshine West, Keysborough and Thomastown and composite about 60-per-cent of Transdev’s services.

Transdev offered to faze in the 5 over 6 rosters at Thomastown over a two-month period, thus allowing drivers time to adjust the changes to their lifestyles (whether you want to or not).

Transdev further informed the TWU that this was the last opportunity to agree to its terms, or it will request the Fair Work Commission (FWC) to arbitrate on the matter. There has already been two conciliation hearings at the FWC without any satisfactory solution.

The TWU unequivocally rejects these proposed changes to our member’s conditions which are intolerable, and any changes Transdev wish to make to our member’s conditions should be done at the next EBA.

The TWU have also called on its members to raise these issues with non-members, because it is up to all Transdev employees to stand up and accept responsibility for their own futures and stop relying on the TWU and its members to fight for their rights.

We are stronger together, but there is also safety in numbers and the more workers that raise concerns about Transdev’s proposed changes, the more likely management will come to realise they are unwelcome. JOIN TODAY on this website, or call 1300 727 614.

[scott]

What is meant by the 5 over 6 roster system?

[Alstom 888M]

A 5 over 6 roster means drivers work 5 days out of 6 (Monday to Saturday) with Sundays to be worked as optional overtime, or potentially by casuals who are paid a slightly higher fixed rate (no weekend penalties).

Under the National Employment Standards, a shift worker is defined as a worker who is obliged to work Sundays. A shift worker is entitled to a 5th week of annual leave per year. Because Sundays are not compulsory, even though Saturdays are; drivers working a 5 over 6 roster miss out on the extra week of annual leave.

Sunshine West & Heatherton track (not orbital) drivers currently work like this, just as they did at Footscray & Sandringham, as well as under the previous operator: Melbourne Bus Link. Orbital drivers at all depots currently work 5 over 7 rosters; their roster includes compulsory Sundays, so they are given 5 weeks of annual leave instead of the usual 4.

[scott]

From http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/one-i ... vrc0v.html


One in five Transdev buses run late as passenger numbers plunge
Adam Carey

If you think Melbourne's trams and trains are unreliable, spare a thought for bus passengers.

About one in five Transdev buses ran more than five minutes late last year. The bus operator is responsible for a third of Melbourne's bus network. Transdev has never met its contractual monthly punctuality target and has overseen an annual decline in ridership of tens of thousands of passengers on key routes.

Its overall on-time performance of 80.7 per cent is lower than Metro Trains, Yarra Trams or V/Line.

Transdev's results have not been released publicly. The Age had to use freedom-of-information laws to obtain them.

The data showed that last year, just 14 of Transdev's 46 routes hit the 85 per cent punctuality target signed up to by the company.

Routes that missed the mark included the three outer-suburban orbital smart buses – which were used by a combined 12.7 million passengers in 2016 – and most of the Doncaster area buses that serve Manningham in Melbourne's north-east, which has no trains or trams.

The worst performer of all was bus route 220, a busy cross-city route between Sunshine and Gardenvale, which ran just 67 per cent of buses on-time.
Transdev is at the halfway mark of a seven-year contract that Public Transport Victoria said would usher in a "generational transformation" of Melbourne's under-utilised buses, with better and more reliable services and increased passenger satisfaction.

Instead, it has mostly failed to meet the performance benchmarks in its contract, while its key proposal for improving performance – a new bus network with redrawn routes and timetables – has been blocked by the Andrews government.

Transdev was supposed to increase passenger numbers 5 per cent a year, but they have fallen significantly on many of its routes. For example, Melbourne's most used bus route, the 903 between Altona and Mordialloc, carried 5.18 million people in 2016, down from 6.03 million in 2014-15.

Melbourne's buses are the only public transport mode that has experienced a recent fall in passenger numbers.

One Melburnian who catches Transdev buses to and from work is architect Elise Houghton, who commutes each day via route 905 between the city and Templestowe.

Ms Houghton became so frustrated by late or cancelled buses that she complained to the Public Transport Ombudsman in November.

"I'd just returned to work as a new mum in my dream job and I was pretty keen to impress my employers," she said. "Working part-time hours, there was only so many times I could use the excuse that my bus didn't turn up, and it got to the point where it was embarrassing for me."

The government and Transdev negotiated a series of minor timetable adjustments in June, which triggered the 85 per cent performance target.

In 2013, the company won a competitive tender to operate many Melbourne routes in 2013, and signed a contract that included fines and bonuses based on punctuality, reliability and patronage targets, a unique arrangement among Melbourne bus companies.

Transdev admitted through the Ombudsman that it had struggled to run a reliable service late last year because it had a shortage of buses and bus drivers.

Ms Houghton said reliability had improved slightly since then, though she was still heavily delayed about once a week on average.

Public Transport Users Association president Tony Morton said Melbourne's buses struggled to run on time because they were not given priority on the roads, and struggled to attract passengers because they were infrequent and indirect.

"If we designed bus routes to grow patronage ... to make it work for everyone getting from A to B, just as trams work in the inner-city, more people would use them," he said.

Transdev said traffic congestion was the main cause of its buses running late.

"We continue to look at ways to improve our operations that will lead to more punctual and reliable services, and we were able to make some small timetable changes last year that took current traffic conditions into account," spokeswoman Kate Rasmussen said.

[Roderick Smith]

Melbourne Express, Wed.26.4.17.
9.36 Buses are also leaking this morning in the deluge. Route 279.
9.15 more route 279 fun - both emergency exists are leaking. Lots of wet seats.
https://twitter.com/robwise/status/8570 ... vs27g.html Rob Wise.

[Roderick Smith]

Roderick.

Melbourne Express: Friday, April 28, 2017.
Is this Melbourne's worst bus? ABC's Norman Hermant tweeted these pics of a heavily vandalised bus.
Norman Hermant‏ Transdev bus 375 (route 220) is a real urban warrior. Tagged, and lights not working.
But at least this bus is operational. James Adams tweeted that the last route 207 bus of the day ran out of fuel last night, leaving passengers stranded.
The 0.33 route 207 last bus of the night has run out of fuel at Kew Junction. Passengers were told to find alternative transport (there are none).
http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/melbo ... vu8hu.html
Just the no light photo from Norman, not the three showing graffiti: take his word for it.

[OpsChic]

Spotted Transdev Artic 118 running a "906X" service coming into Warrandyte Bridge on Friday.

Sign in the window said
"906X
Not Stopping at Eastern Fwy
and Middleborough Road"

IMG_1994 copy.jpg

The articulated buses cannot stop at the Middleborough Rd exit or any other freeway exits because they are too long for the bus stops and overhang onto the road either infront or behind causing safety issues. Hence why they have to be skipped.

[scott]

Two Volgren bodied MB 0405NH units have been acquired from Panorama, not yet numbered but regos are 1812AO and 8243AO, one is a 1998 model, other one a 2001 model. A good buy.

Source: Transdev and Panorams fleetlists

[1whoknows]

They have been bought for rail replacement so are unlikely to see normal route service.

[MAN 16.242]

8243AO is 802
1812AO is 803

[josh01]

Has transdev relocated buses again ????
i have notice there are less designline buses and bubbles on 901 & 902 not sure about 903 .

i have not seen a bubble in a while since the new volgrens have came in service

dart buses are still around but are coming uncommon very rare to see one



thanks
josh

[Richard1207]

Has transdev relocated buses again ????
i have notice there are less designline buses and bubbles on 901 & 902 not sure about 903 .

i have not seen a bubble in a while since the new volgrens have came in service

dart buses are still around but are coming uncommon very rare to see one



thanks
josh

I noticed that too and the 903 also has less of them. A few weeks ago I caught the 903 from Northland to Doncaster and back without seeing any Designline or bubble buses during the trip.

[stajourneyman]

Do they have a route that runs to Simsmetal?

[jarf]

^ The 903 goes right past

[krustyklo]

Has transdev relocated buses again ????
i have notice there are less designline buses and bubbles on 901 & 902 not sure about 903 .

i have not seen a bubble in a while since the new volgrens have came in service

Noticed the same, presumably the new Volgrens and Gemilang deployments have replaced them.

dart buses are still around but are coming uncommon very rare to see one

Would respectfully disagree, usually a good way to tell the difference between 902s and 907s on Doncaster Rd is that the 907 still runs a lot of Mercedes and Designline buses. See plenty of Merecedes and Designlines whilst changing buses in Templestowe as well watching them on 905s on Foote St.

The 903 seems to be a mix of lots of things, including Volgren Volvos as well as the usual Designline buses and Custom Scanias.

School buses seem to also be a good source of Smartbus liveried vehicles, usually Designlines and Mercedes for what that is worth...

[krustyklo]

I noticed that too and the 903 also has less of them. A few weeks ago I caught the 903 from Northland to Doncaster and back without seeing any Designline or bubble buses during the trip.

So what did you see?

[MAN 16.242]

Route 903 along with Gemilangs also gets many of DART Scanias. While many of MANs that run on 903 now appear more commonly on DART runs

[Richard1207]

I noticed that too and the 903 also has less of them. A few weeks ago I caught the 903 from Northland to Doncaster and back without seeing any Designline or bubble buses during the trip.

So what did you see?

I saw a bit of everything except the Gemilang buses. I still haven't seen one on the 903, but I've seen a few of them on the 901 and 902.

[Comeng64]

I noticed that too and the 903 also has less of them. A few weeks ago I caught the 903 from Northland to Doncaster and back without seeing any Designline or bubble buses during the trip.

It seems that they are mainly using their Designlines (both types) on DARTs now and the Scania/Customs are on orbitals. Haven't seen an O405NH/Custom on an orbital for a while either and I've seen 701-710 on DARTs. The Gemilangs and Optimuses seem to stick to orbitals now and I've seen them on 901, 902 and 903.

That's just my limited observations though so don't hold me to it.

[Matty G]

The changes to the allocation of Smartbuses actually took place around 12-18 months ago... the reason, SERVICE RELIABILITY!

As the Mercs are continually breaking down and becoming less reliable, they were moved back onto Doncaster local and DART runs- where they are closer to the depot, should they break down or become defective.

Smartbus routes 901-903 are seen as the priority, due to the length of the routes, so a more reliable fleet is required. They are allocated the "better" buses- the Volvos, your DART Scanias, Gemilangs and more recently, the Optimuses. You won't see bubbles on 901 and 902, but you will see some on the 903 and more commonly on the DART system.

DART services also get a mix- Mercs, Volvos, Scanias, Bubbles (an increase), and Gemilangs primarily.

Just remember, the Smartbus fleet is shared across a number of depots.
A bus that leaves from, for example, the Thomastown depot on any given day may end up at another depot that evening... and another depot the following night. At the moment, buses are just rotated through. Not all buses return to their originating depot. That being said, you may see more of a certain type of a bus on a route on any given day.... and again, it all comes down to depot availability and how it is allocated..... but the general rule of which I speak above is usually observed.

Hope this clarifies a little further...

[MAN 16.242]

The changes to the allocation of Smartbuses actually took place around 12-18 months ago... the reason, SERVICE RELIABILITY!

As the Mercs are continually breaking down and becoming less reliable, they were moved back onto Doncaster local and DART runs- where they are closer to the depot, should they break down or become defective.

Smartbus routes 901-903 are seen as the priority, due to the length of the routes, so a more reliable fleet is required. They are allocated the "better" buses- the Volvos, your DART Scanias, Gemilangs and more recently, the Optimuses. You won't see bubbles on 901 and 902, but you will see some on the 903 and more commonly on the DART system.

DART services also get a mix- Mercs, Volvos, Scanias, Bubbles (an increase), and Gemilangs primarily.

Though not common sometimes you may see a bubble on 901 & 902. If happen usually as result of how buses are parked or have no other smartbuses available.

As for DART though can still see some of the Scania/Custom Smartbuses, these meant be for 903 so they no where near as common on DART as they once were. Futher more as DART runs are mixed in with normal track runs it means get fair few ptv livery buses on them
too


The list below list main type buses for each route but should only be taken as a guide. Given buses can end up at other depots each night and shortages in peak, etc

DART: Mercedes/Custom CC550(Smartbus and PTV livery), MAN/Desginline (Smartbus livery), MAN/Custom CB80s(Smartbus livery), The 4 Doncaster artics. Added in the mix is various PTV livery buses due to how rosters work with mixing DART with non DART runs. The use of Scania/Gemilang as well as other Smartbuses still happen but not as common as before as most these they try to keep for the Oribital runs.

Route 901 & 902: Volvo/Volgren(Smartbus), Mercedes/Volgren(Smartbus Livery), Scania/Gemilang(PTV Livery), Scania/Volgren(PTV Livery)

Route 903: Scania/Custom(Smartbus Livery), Mercedes/Custom Evo II(Smartbus Livery), Scania/Gemilang(PTV Livery), plus some MAN/Desginlines though not much as before.

[Heihachi_73]

Bubbles most certainly still appear on the 901, as do the older Designlines on the odd occasion. The only thing I never see on the 901 are the Custom Scanias e.g. CB60, CB80 or the others mostly found on the DART runs. Most of the time it's the traditional CR228L/Volvo in SmartBus silver or one of the orange Optimus/Gemilangs where they didn't even bother with the SmartBus livery.

I rode an ex-MBL CR227L on a 907 run a few weeks ago, which did nothing but rattle as the sideways seats kept hitting the walls and vibrating when the engine RPMs dropped to idle.

I gather it's the same with Ventura where you never saw for example a Northcoast running a Lilydale-based service, the (former) blue buses always stayed on the traditional Ventura runs like the 737. Even today most of the Lilydale buses still have Invicta branding on the seats or the Grenda pattern. The only Lilydale oddity was their single bubble 858, which was actually a Scania chassis rather than MAN, and the only bubble delivered in white instead of blue.

[Leyland B21]

Are we forgetting that other routes apparently require Smartbus livery. Like routes 600, 922, 923. Sorry for the sarcasm but as I work in Cheltenham, I see more Smartbus livery on these routes than non Smartbus. Lately I have seen all from CB60 / CB80, Volgren Mercs and Scania, Designline and Bubbles traversing Charman Road. Hence Heatherton Depot must have excess Smartbus livery vehicles available as I have not seen a 903 in recent times not in Smartbus livery either. But Smartbus livery is definitely less common on 901 and 902 as stated previously and as I have observed too.

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