Tables on new 'Vantage' Buses

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JamieLei
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Tables on new 'Vantage' Buses

Post by JamieLei »

A new brand for FirstBus has been created in Greater Manchester for the busway to Leigh, carrying passengers over a surprisingly long distance for a bus (about twice the distance of Manchester-Stockport). But what strikes me most is that the buses will have tables on them upstairs, similar to longer distance trains.

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http://www.firstgroup.com/greater-manch ... ium-busway
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Re: Tables on new 'Vantage' Buses

Post by Redirect Left »

Dread to think how much FirstGroup will want for that. They recently (probably back a year or so now) did up their buses with an awful smelling faux-leather layout and the prices mysteriously went up 25p the week after the first one was out of the depot, so who knows how much extra a table is :p
Last edited by Redirect Left on 13 Mar 2016 02:43, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Tables on new 'Vantage' Buses

Post by JamieLei »

The official press release says that the fares will be the same.

I don't know how the commercials work exactly on the Manchester busway, but there's probably some sort of fee to be paid to the infrastructure owner (Greater Manchester Combined Authority?); putting on snazzy buses may have been some way to win some quality points on top.
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Re: Tables on new 'Vantage' Buses

Post by Kevo00 »

Ahh buses - the only industry where profits can rise while customer numbers fall.
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Re: Tables on new 'Vantage' Buses

Post by Pilot »

Saw some of these buses in Manchester today, very fancy. Operate as Routes V1 and V2 (to Leigh and Atherton), starting at Stevenson Square, which is in the Northern Quarter, before stopping outside the Piccadilly Wetherspoons, and heading down the new 'Bus Priority' Portland Street. Not exactly sure how they get the the Guided Busway from there, should have had a ride whilst I had my First Day ticket, but was more concerned about getting home and setting up my new phone. Besides, would have probably cost extra to use that service anyway!
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Re: Tables on new 'Vantage' Buses

Post by audigex »

JamieLei wrote:The official press release says that the fares will be the same.

I don't know how the commercials work exactly on the Manchester busway, but there's probably some sort of fee to be paid to the infrastructure owner (Greater Manchester Combined Authority?); putting on snazzy buses may have been some way to win some quality points on top.
I was thinking about this the other day: my suspicion is that the increased speed and reduced traffic of a partial-busway route means you can potentially run fewer buses for the same service frequency, so you're saving on some of the capital + staffing costs as a minimum (and probably some fuel too)
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Re: Tables on new 'Vantage' Buses

Post by Pilot »

audigex wrote:increased speed
I've been keeping an eye on the local media (Manchester Evening News and such), and the only times that the bus travel times have exceeded the 50 mins that they're doing with the busway, is during Rush Hour traffic, and even then, it rarely reached the 1 hour 20 minutes journey time quoted by TFGM when opening it.

Source: http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/ ... w-11118746

Of course, the people in Manchester want the Metrolink instead, but, as someone who has access to the Metrolink every day, I don't quite see what the big deal is. When using the old railway between Manchester and Altrincham, I would have much rather it had an actual railway, with improved service, and the occasional semi-fast (stopping Manchester - Sale - Altrincham, then onto Chester). In my opinion, the Guided Busway should have been reopened as an Electrified Railway as far as Leigh.
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Re: Tables on new 'Vantage' Buses

Post by ZestHusky »

I'm surprised Guided Busways are still a commo proposal, you think in today's age we'd have worked out a cheaper way to Construct Railways. For how much it must have cost for the Busway I wonder how much more a railway would have actually been..

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Re: Tables on new 'Vantage' Buses

Post by Pilot »

ZestHusky wrote:a cheaper way to Construct Railways
We have, their called Trams :wink:
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Re: Tables on new 'Vantage' Buses

Post by Redirect Left »

Pilot wrote:
ZestHusky wrote:a cheaper way to Construct Railways
We have, their called Trams :wink:
and Manchester already has a pooload of them. Although they seem to drive around and if they arrive at timetabled times its just coincidence
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Re: Tables on new 'Vantage' Buses

Post by Pilot »

Redirect Left wrote:
Pilot wrote:
ZestHusky wrote:a cheaper way to Construct Railways
We have, their called Trams :wink:
and Manchester already has a pooload of them. Although they seem to drive around and if they arrive at timetabled times its just coincidence
Indeed, that's correct! I believe we have 114 in Manchester now, with 112 Operational (I think one of the original batch is yet to turn a wheel in anger!).

Timetables and Manchester Trams aren't a thing I believe. I swear their Control just say "Go this way and that way, and stop at each station. The Passengers won't know any different, the Departure boards go off GPS positions anyway!" :lol: :lol:
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Re: Tables on new 'Vantage' Buses

Post by Translink »

Looks quare fancy! The only time I seen a table on a bus was on a minibus airport transfer. Seats look fairly similiar to the ones we have on Goldline coaches over here in NI.
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Re: Tables on new 'Vantage' Buses

Post by Translink »

ZestHusky wrote:I'm surprised Guided Busways are still a commo proposal, you think in today's age we'd have worked out a cheaper way to Construct Railways. For how much it must have cost for the Busway I wonder how much more a railway would have actually been..
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Re: Tables on new 'Vantage' Buses

Post by ZestHusky »

Translink wrote:
ZestHusky wrote:I'm surprised Guided Busways are still a commo proposal, you think in today's age we'd have worked out a cheaper way to Construct Railways. For how much it must have cost for the Busway I wonder how much more a railway would have actually been..
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OMG :D you could be one of two ;3; You just commented on my last video didn't you?

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Re: Tables on new 'Vantage' Buses

Post by Translink »

ZestHusky wrote: OMG :D you could be one of two ;3; You just commented on my last video didn't you?
I did indeed, I commented on almost every one of your videos.
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