Wallpaper?
Yes it's a bus!
The new fleet of buses will service the Plympton, City Centre, Barne Barton route (21/21a).
Fleet? Initially there are just four new vehicles! Hardly a complete "fleet" for routes 21 and 21A.
The big launch and unveiling of the buses was held on 23rd of August at Plymouth Albion Rugby Club. The event also celebrated the start of an exciting partnership with between Plymouth Citybus and Plymouth Albion. The Albion players officially launched the buses on Friday afternoon, in the midst of the build up to their first home league match on 20th of September.
The new premium double deck buses feature leather seating, increased leg room and more designated space for buggies and wheelchairs. The buses are also wrapped in City Bus’ new premium City brand ‘RedFlash’, which was designed by local creative agency Bluestone 360.
At least it makes a change from the inevitable Ray Stenning!
According to the Plymothian Transit [PT] blogger, there were to have been eight new buses, but four are being painted blue for a Blue Flash route to Tavistock in competition with First.
More Reds are due later in the year. PT also tells fbb that these are the first new buses for Citybus in twenty years and the first significant batch in 30 years. Progress long overdue, then.
They do look posh!
But this all poses a problem.
How effective is a brand launch if only a small number of vehicles carry the new livery?
Will you have to wait for a new bus to get "there in a flash"? Do the new vehicles go faster than the old ones? How flashy is the flash at peak times?
Plymothian Transit has some much better pictures than the company web site offers, so take a butchers (here). They'll download in a flash!
fbb is sure that PT will monitor the new vehicles and the impact on routes 21 and 21A; and will provide a link as and when.
In he meantime, the good folk of Barne Barton and Plympton should (eventually?) all see a step-change improvement to their Plymouth Citybus travelling experience. Why are Barne Barton and Plympton being so blessed? Because Citybus is a kind, considerate, public-spirited local bus company?
Or because those are routes also served by First Bus?
In he meantime, the good folk of Barne Barton and Plympton should (eventually?) all see a step-change improvement to their Plymouth Citybus travelling experience. Why are Barne Barton and Plympton being so blessed? Because Citybus is a kind, considerate, public-spirited local bus company?
Or because those are routes also served by First Bus?
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GREEN FLASH
GREEN FLASH
Green flashes and green rays are optical phenomena that occur shortly after sunset or before sunrise, when a green spot is visible, usually for no more than a second or two, above the sun, or it may resemble a green ray shooting up from the sunset point.
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fbb commented upon this ugly brute in a previous blog. It advertises the York Story of Chocolate attraction.
The fbb gang visited yesterday and throughly enjoyed the experience. For £7 (oap rate, plus on-line discount). The first half is a guided tour intermixed with visual presentations and samples. The second half is a demo of how chocolate is made, firstly as a presentation, then in practice.
fbb particularly enjoyed the old adverts ('cos he remembers a lot of them).
Isn't it odd that Rowntree, Terry, Fry and Cadbury were all Quakers with high moral, ethical and social standards based on their Christian faith. And their chocolate is scrummy as well.
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Next Bus Blog : Tuesday 10th September
I think you will find that the Red Flash Enviros are the first DOUBLE DECK buses that Plymouth Citybus has bought New for twenty years. There have been plenty of new single deckers in the fleet during that time.
ReplyDeleteCorrect Petras409 : apologies for not making that clear!
ReplyDelete"In he meantime, the good folk of Barne Barton and Plympton should (eventually?) all see a step-change improvement to their Plymouth Citybus travelling experience."
ReplyDeleteAs a regular Plympton bus user I do hope that eventually the buses used by Citybus will improve. We used to have a reliable service of roomy single deckers which were well liked. Now we have, apart from four brand new buses, old, hand-me-down double deckers with very limited lower deck seating. And unfortunately, unlike the single deckers, these old double deckers seem to be constantly breaking down.