MAN 11.190 in Port Pirie.

[The Inspector]

A couple of pics of a little MAN a long way from home.
http://www.busaustralia.com/gallery/dis ... pos=-18073
http://www.busaustralia.com/gallery/dis ... pos=-18074
http://www.busaustralia.com/gallery/dis ... pos=-18138

[Bus Suggestions]

Good pics The Inspector. What brand of destos does it have? The one in Perth had Southport destos.

[The Phonj]

Southport SCC2000; likely exactly the same as Swan Transit's 2001.

[Route 506]

Great shots The Inspector. I don't know if 1711 is still up there or has been retired/transferred

[The Inspector]

This is the only one up there

[Heardy_101]

Don't recall there being any place around Pirie called Full No Pick Up.....

[Tim Williams]

This is typical of regional South Australia, totally underfunded by an incompetent Labor government, so the poor people out in the country have to put up with old Adelaide Metro cast-offs!

The SA Government should look at the way things are done in regional and rural NSW, but probably there are such small numbers of votes in this that they will not bother. No wonder people in the country areas feel short changed!!!!

[Heardy_101]

It gives Port Pirie a decent local bus service that takes people from the "suburbs" of Pirie to do their shopping. I wouldn't say it's a cast off at least it's something.

You do realise that this particular bus is on loan to Spencer Gulf Coaches who in turn run this service, probably without subsidies?

[Tim Williams]

Good Morning,

I am familiar with regional town bus services, having owned and run a NSW bus company with a regional town service for over 30m years and I doubt that this Port Pirie service could operate without some form of revenue support (otherwise known simply as a subsidy). If this anything like any other regional town service, fares collected would probably not even cover the driver's wages (plus on-costs), let alone fund vehicle running and ownership (capital) costs.

Anything though is better than nothing, but my point is that it is a pity and unfair that large sums of money are spent on dubious large projects in Adelaide - $160m on the O-Bahn tunnel and now $70-$80m on tram extension works, all the road and bridge works, plus the new RAH, when the country areas have to make do with lesser/older equipment and minimal services (public transport, hospitals and other infrastructure) through lack of government support.

It is amazing how an extra $10m has been found to speed up the tram works, simply so that a "ribbon cutting event" will occur before the next election. In any event the extension along North Terrace and the significant disruption it will cause is happening during major shift from the old RAH to the new one is very poor timing!!

Don't get me wrong, I am pleased to see the tram line extended, providing does continue on, in the not too distant future, to form a city loop, as promised. It is just the timing of this current extension and the other money being lavished around at present (as a last minute panic attempt for the current incompetent government to gain electoral support) - all this when very little is spent in country areas. AS I have said before, there are comparatively few people living outside the Greater Adelaide Metropolitan Area, so a government desperate to gain re-election is not going to spend up in the country areas = older buses and minimal services.

[Tim Williams]

My apologies there is a typo in the first paragraph - I have been operating buses for over 30 years not 30m (million) years!!!

I should have added that a few years ago we were approached by a large regional town in SA (cannot name through confidentiality agreements etc.) to tender for their town and surrounding areas services. A detailed costing exercise was undertaking and operating budgets were produced and this operation would have required a significant state government or local authority subsidy just to maintain the current standard/style of operation. Whilst we were unsuccessful and I suspect that is because we didn't come in with a "bargain basement" figure, I believe the exercise was of benefit to the local people in confirmation of what they were doing was more or less on the mark.

[Heardy_101]

Afternoon Tim

I must apologise for my initial response. Your initial comment probably could have been worded better.

30million years is a long time....Lol.

Anyways, I digress.

I must wholly agree with what you say. Millions are being spent on a tram extension to a Hospital that will soon be closed (hopefully they plan for the future and actually leave room at the terminus to extend further when the time is right). Millions are also being spent to save 3mins on the O-Bahn.

Yet if you live in the outer metro or regional areas, one must suffer.

Sadly the current Govt does not see past North Tce, Gepps Cross or the Heysen Tunnels.

[Tim Williams]

Thanks for your comments Mitchell - yes 30 million years is certainly a long time!!

[The Inspector]

Sadly the current Govt does not see past North Tce, Gepps Cross or the Heysen Tunnels.

How can they see Gepps Cross if they can't see past North Terrace