Jumbo buses struggling with Canberra Streets

I’m astonished no-one has mentioned monorails yet.

Agree with Beau Locks on the midget seating – I always have to sit in the disabled/old people’s sideways seats if I want to emerge from the bus with kneecaps still intact…

The buses are getting too big.

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

The original purpose of purchasing the 14.5m vehicles was as an articulated bus replacement. Artics are used heavily on School Runs and higher capacity Xpresso runs (Aswell as charters), however the 14.5’s are not authorised for use on school runs (At this stage) and have a set list of routes they can operate (In service and Out Of Service). Basically, they needed a wheelchair accessible high capacity vehicle and they failed simply because you cannot replace a high capacity artic with a not as high capacity 14.5 with many limitations. Replace Artics with Artics, they can be used on any route without problems (14.5m Steer Tags are better than a 14.5 non steer tag, ride Route 400 in Sydney and you will see what I am talking about). The trailer follows the front of the bus, and there is not as much tail swing.

The Intertown (Now Blue Rapid) needs higher capacity vehicles, which apart from being rejected from other routes, the 14.5’s are being used on. If ACTION have to sacrifice bike racks for capacity, then so be it. A vehicle longer than 12.5m will never recieve a bike rack, so no matter what high capacity buses they purchase none will get one. The purchase of High Capacity Vehicles is more than just the Intertown, it is about school, charter and peak express work all of which require the capacity that a standard 12.5m vehicle will never be able to offer (Grail, find an extra driver for each extra service you propose and you may have a deal). They also need them to replace the ailing Renault/MACK PR180.2’s (High Floor artics) which are really showing signs of wear due to heavy use on the Intertown network pre ’98, which have never been refurbished (Unless you count the removal of the third Centre door) and are slowly heading into retirement with their use on School, Peak and charter services (And getting slower by the day).

Why don’t you just use two shorter busses?

You’re aware that each bus requires a separate driver, right?

Dear ACTION: You only use the long busses for peak hour intertown services.

Why don’t you just use two shorter busses?

It’s crapulous that they’re ordering busses that can’t take bike racks: it’s the intertown routes that the long busses will be primarily used on that are exactly where racks needed most. We’ve survived quite well without bendy busses for ages now: why do we need new higher capacity busses?

And on a related matter, why does the council insist on fitting out all the green busses such that only midgets can comfortably sit in them? Is TAMS staffed exclusively by short people? Perhaps none of them actually use busses. Either way, they really are a shite fitout, and it is an issue peculiar to Canberra (along with not being able to use the rear doors).

che said :

che said :

when are the bike racks going to be fitted?

I have my doubts that they will be, the bike racks make the smaller busses overlength once they are down. That is why the drivers hated them when they were introduced.

These new busses are built over the 12.5m maximum length already & adding a rack will make them worse.

I am a bit peeved actually as they are using them on the runs that I usually use. Interestingly they have not been using the old articulated busses on these particular runs.

Pedal Power is working towards keeping the racks so we will see what happens. It would be a massive shame if we lost them.

You are correct, the 14.5m steer-tags will never be fitted with bike racks as it is currently illegal due to the length of the buses. Add in that the buses are only allowed on certain roads in the ACT because of their excess length, I don’t think ACTION will be funding any additional changes to road configuration for the extra 2 or so metres the racks add to the length of the buses.

gospeedygo said :

The drivers have trouble enough as it is negotiating roundabouts in Nicholls. They never fail to jolt me out a daydream about [i]not[/i] being on a bus.

I wouldn’t be caught dead in Nicholls, but I imagine they are the type of roundabout that is designed for buses to drive over, like the one near the Mitchell cemetery.

che said :

when are the bike racks going to be fitted?

I have my doubts that they will be, the bike racks make the smaller busses overlength once they are down. That is why the drivers hated them when they were introduced.

These new busses are built over the 12.5m maximum length already & adding a rack will make them worse.

I am a bit peeved actually as they are using them on the runs that I usually use. Interestingly they have not been using the old articulated busses on these particular runs.

Pedal Power is working towards keeping the racks so we will see what happens. It would be a massive shame if we lost them.

when are the bike racks going to be fitted?

Probably never, it’s kinda like putting it on a bendy bus?