Re: Boo Hiss to Hillside

["John Wayman" <trecker@optusnet.com.au>]

Not every bus is on the road every day. Buses (like trains and trams) have
regular days in the workshop. It is possible to occasionally use these
vehicles to cope with an emergency or peak demands where this situation is
anticipated in advance.

The Met requires that there be a spare bus available for each bus route. An
operator of many routes such as Ventura or Grendas thus have many spare
buses - to cover breakdowns and out of service periods.

But it is impossible to send out vehicles after the wheels have been removed
or the motor is dismantled. The mechanics are often regarded as emergency
bus drivers.

Vehicle maintenance must be done at some time, despite operators preferring
vehicles to be available 100% of the time!

Cheers
John Wayman



"Chris Brown" <brownst@alphalink.com.au> wrote in message
385a097a.27598484@news.alphalink.com.au">news:385a097a.27598484@news.alphalink.com.au...
> On Fri, 17 Dec 1999 12:13:59 +1100, Railvic <railvic@primus.com.au>
> wrote:
> >Just remember, when obtaining buses during peak hour, it is vertually
impossible
> >as majority of them will be making their regular runs.
>
> I'm not sure that this is entirely true.  Remember the cup day weekend
> last year, when the Boronia tunnel connection was not completed in
> time, so the railway remained closed for the Wednesday and until about
> 9.30am on the Thursday?  Enough buses were found then (mostly from
> Ventura) to replace train services between Ferntree Gully and
> Bayswater.
>
> I am assuming (and it may be a rather big assumption) that the only
> reason that buses were not found sooner was a lack of bus drivers.
>
> Regards,
>
> Chris Brown
>