Re: Federation Line Transport Link.

["David Bennetts" <davibenn@pcug.org.au>]

> 
>   Too old?? I read that one too and it made me think. If the artics
> are getting old what about the rest of the fleet? The 4 or 5 Mercedes
> Benz 0305G's are getting old so to the rigid versions, and are being
> sold off. But the Renault/Mack's which make up the bulk of the Artic
> fleet are mostly around 10 years old, with about 5 only about 5 years,
> which IMO is not all that old. I do agree with the sentiment that they
> are a little too long for ACTIONS plans.
> -------------------------------------------------------
> |  Ashley Wright, Sydney Australia	              |
> |  ajwright@ozemail.com.au    or                      |
> |  a.wright@student.canberra.edu.au                   |
> |                                                     |
> |  www:  http://www.ozemail.com.au/~ajwright          |            
> -------------------------------------------------------

I agree they're not old buses in relative terms.  I think there are more
maintenance problems with the artic buses, I believe they have the same
motor as the rigid buses, but they are turbo-charged to deliver more power.
 The main problem is the delay in boarding at interchanges, particularly
during peak hours, using the ticket validators on the bus which are quite
slow, even when the passengers board through the rear door.  If validating
machines were to be installed on the ground at the major boarding points,
then passengers boarded from a fenced off area, this problem could easily
be overcome.  I think that replacing articulated buses with smaller ones on
the trunk routes will be a backward step, resulting in more overcrowding
and discomfort for the passengers.

David Bennetts
Canberra



>