STA Observations - January 2017

[Linto63]

Have noticed recently Waverley using 39 seat Scanias on route 380 services to Bondi Beach on Sundays that are full and standing when they leave Circular Quay. Is this because they also operate routes requiring shorts as part of their diagrams or just bad resource planning?

[BAMBAM]

Have noticed recently Waverley using 39 seat Scanias on route 380 services to Bondi Beach on Sundays that are full and standing when they leave Circular Quay. Is this because they also operate routes requiring shorts as part of their diagrams or just bad resource planning?

Could be utilising all resources as they can, may be a smaller bus but can perform all routes, and if that bus is free and a normal size isn't no reason why the shouldn't send it out.

[Linto63]

True, but being a Sunday there wouldn't be a shortage of full sized buses.

[boronia]

Same thing happens on the 400.

[Stu]

Have noticed recently Waverley using 39 seat Scanias on route 380 services to Bondi Beach on Sundays that are full and standing when they leave Circular Quay. Is this because they also operate routes requiring shorts as part of their diagrams or just bad resource planning?

There are a number of reasons: scheduling, replacement for a previous break down, keeping the same bus to run as from a previous block of work (run number) or an additional service being authorised to be operated by a driver as over time.

Some of these midi buses may have been scheduled as part of the additional summer services between City, BJI and Bondi Beach which occurs on Public Holidays such as Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Years Day, the 2 x extra Public Holidays over the 2016/2017 Christmas & NY holiday period, weekends* as well as *weekdays during school holidays that are predicted to have *temperatures above 35 degrees

[Frosty]

Did notice the extra services from Bondi Beach on Christmas Day. Surprised they managed to get drivers. Over the school holiday or on hot weekends I would suggest that they poach some m40 bendys for Bondi Beach serivces and use regular 12.5m buses.

Is this related or not to Bondi Beach serivces and W depot noticed most 400 runs past Eastgardens have been operated by K and the Scania L113TRBs.

I've noticed also recently there are hardly any long buses used on the L94 now off-peak. I thought the L94 had an exclusive roster

[Stu]

True, but being a Sunday there wouldn't be a shortage of full sized buses.

Depends on which time of the year and what is happening on a particular Sunday. When the additional summer services are operating at maximum capacity, W-Depot looks like the result of a weekday AM/PM peak (almost empty depot) with only has a minimal amount of standard size buses remaining, a mix of high floor and low floor. There needs to be a small amount remaining in reserve to cater for any break downs, proportionate to the amount of extra buses that were sent out on the road. Even a number of high floor Scanias are sent out to operate additional trips only on weekends.

When there is a special event or multiple special events happening in the East along with the operation of additional summer services, then R-Depot will supply some buses to assist with operating additional summer services as W-Depot would be able to supply such a high amount of buses and drivers.

W-Depot only operate a few trips of route 352 on weekends, this keeps W-Depot free to supply buses to special events in the Eastern Suburbs all year round. The route 352 on Saturday & Sunday will mostly be operated by both R-Depot and T-Depot. This also spreads out the work load and shifts more evenly across depots as a whole business.

Examples of additional services:
333-IN Nth Bondi to St. James Stn.
333-OUT St. James to Nth Bondi.
380-IN Nth Bondi to St. James Stn.
380-OUT St. James Stn to Nth Bondi.
380-IN Bondi Beach to St. James Stn.
380-OUT St. James Stn to Bondi Beach.
X81-IN Bondi Beach to Bondi Jct. Interchange.
X81-OUT Bondi Jct. Interchange to Bondi Beach.
382-IN Nth Bondi to Bondi Jct. Interchange.
382-IN Bondi Beach to Bondi Jct. Interchange.
382-OUT Bondi Jct. Interchange to Nth Bondi.
382-OUT Bondi Jct. Interchange to Bondi Beach.

[Linto63]

Some of these midi buses may have been scheduled as part of the additional summer services between City, BJI and Bondi Beach which occurs on Public Holidays

If additional services are deemed necessary, common suggest would be to allocate a full sized bus. IIRC the short Scanias were purchased for routes 326, 327, 355 and 361 that traverse tight streets, it does seem a bit counter productive to allocate them to major trunk routes.

[Stu]

^ The midi buses can carry almost as much as a standard size bus so it should be no big deal that a few people miss out on boarding the service especially when here are numerous additional services in operation. At least they are accessible and all have dedicated areas for luggage. The timetabled services have priority of having the most appropriate bus (standard size accessible) scheduled to operate, additional buses would not have this sort of priority.

It would be counter productive to schedule the Scania gas buses as they are less suitable for this type of work between City, BJI & Bondi Beach under the additional services scenario as they are not accessible, the vast majority do not have the luggage bin opposite the centre door and there is the dividing pole at the front door that can restrict movement of passengers with large back packs (for the beach). However, these buses will continue to be scheduled if necessary until they are replaced in the near future.

When the 333 operates with additional services during special events, R-Depot will supply rigid buses are scheduled and not artic buses, naturaly one would assume that artic buses should be supplied although there is one main reason. There is no guarantee that all of the additional artic buses would be operating at full capacity for every single trip therefore cost becomes a factor.

[boronia]

TV and wi fi for STA buses

https://www.facebook.com/9NewsSydney/?h ... ED&fref=nf

Of course we have had wifi and TV on buses in the past, not so successful.

[boronia]

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/n ... 4c10df3d79

Might be better to put the wi-fi at bus stops to help fill in the time waiting for the next bus to arrive.

[Fleet Lists]

See photo of proposed livery for the buses in the tial

[moa999]

I assume the content sponsors are funding this, but I don't see it working apart from on select long routes.

Those who are most likely to use it are also those likely to have the biggest data plans.
And I assume it relies on 4G itself, so be likely to be slowed if say 10ppl on a bendy logged in

[moa999]

And the 'cost' of free data
http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/nsw-greens-qu ... tnkjv.html

[ed24]

And the 'cost' of free data
http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/nsw-greens-qu ... tnkjv.html

This is the only way such a WiFi roll-out could be economically justified. I don't think it is above and beyond what any other free WiFI does.

[boronia]

http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/sydney-buses- ... to5zn.html

Note the Transdev bus used to illustrate the article.

[Daniel]

The first of the next order, 2825 a B7RLE CB80 was recently noted on the road near Volvo Chullora.

[Linto63]

Any idea of how many B7RLEs are on order? Presumably the same specification as the 100 delivered a few years ago.

[Frosty]

Volvo B7RLEs surprised I thought Volvo moved onto the B8RLE. Guessing they are standard 12.5m buses.

[Daniel]

12 units with essentially the same spec as the previous deliveries.

[stajourneyman]

One can only assume that these B7s would be for either Burwood or Mona?

[Fleet Lists]

What is such an assumption based on?

[stajourneyman]

1. That the STA policy for fleet allocations these days seems to be that depots are generally allocated either Volvos or Scanias.
Given that both Burwood and Mona are 'Volvo' depots that would rank them as prime candidates.

2. Neither of the two depots have received a new bus in ages.
In fact, so far back that (apart from a Mona B10 repaint) their fleets are entirely in the old corporate livery.

3. Every other STA depot has a sizeable number of newer buses than these two depots.

4. The average age of the Burwood vehicles has to be getting very close to the 12 year limit.
I would say that Mona is probably not too far behind them in that regard.

[Frosty]

I hope these Volvo with the CB80s would have one of the Opal Readers placed on the left hand side. There is also one flaw with the seats on them it's the 2+2 flip up seats up front. As it's impossible to fit two prams in one of them or two wheelchairs. Essentially what you have is often one pram or wheelchair taking up 4 seats unlike other models which vary between 2-3 seats. Also you cant fit 4 people across on them Ive only ever seen at most 3 people sit since 4 is tight.

But Mona or Burwood don't have B7RLEs at the moment would be weird having a small fleet of 12 based at one these.

[boronia]

Both Opal readers should be inside over the wheel arches.

Having one in the entrance just slows down boarding, and people get confused which side the second one is on, slowing things down more.