Ride quality of First buses

ALONG with the deteriorating bus services (recent letters pages), have others also noticed the poor ride quality of the buses operated by First?

Recently my elderly friend recounted another noisy jerky ride which caused her great difficulty in standing, particularly when the bus was travelling at any sort of speed or turning corners, on her journey to Haxby.

Perhaps the buses should take a leaf out of their rail division operated by Transpennine Express and use their ride quality machine called AmbiMon which records noise and vibration. It was specifically introduced for low-speed passenger transport on the Underground in London and Glasgow.

It was then used by First TPE on the Pennine sections of the railway routes as the machine can be adjusted to suit any required ride.

It should be able to monitor road surfaces enabling First Group to not only rectify their old equipment, but also sort out the potholes for the council.

Lisa Dunster, Appleton Roebuck, York.

Comments(9)

pedalling paul says...
11:33am Mon 29 Oct 12

Not First's job to "sort out" potholes for the Council. First could use the AmbiMon to identify and report potholes, via their formal links with CoYC.
There's an equivalent reporting system for cyclists at www.fillthathole.org
.uk/

ColdAsChristmas says...
6:01pm Mon 29 Oct 12

pedalling paul wrote:
Not First's job to "sort out" potholes for the Council. First could use the AmbiMon to identify and report potholes, via their formal links with CoYC. There's an equivalent reporting system for cyclists at www.fillthathole.org .uk/
Not to mention the ridiculously high number of humps placed on our roads Paul. Add to that, some idiot wants to spend a fortune we don't have on 20mph signs for our gridlocked City.
Talking of road safety, the humps do a lot of damage to vehicles and for the record there are an awful lot of cyclists about after dark with no lights.
I believe that cyclists should ride in single file on the road, therefore, why do our naked cyclists ride six or more abreast (No pun intended) on their annual exhibition?

Buzz Light-year says...
7:31pm Mon 29 Oct 12

Too many people use "gridlocked" when they mean "congested"

Like saying you have flu when it's just a cold, or saying someone is dead when they are just asleep.

Even that chaotic evening rush hour last month when floods closed Fulford Rd wasn't gridlock.


ColdAsChristmas - You have an unhealthy interest in naked cyclists. You talk about them nearly as much as windmills.
Your unwillingness to see it for what it is implies you could be perhaps intellectually lacking, incredibly prejudiced or maybe even freaky perv-tastic?
Why are you so obsessed with a once-yearly organised and sanctioned protest event?

Magicman! says...
12:56am Tue 30 Oct 12

The main reason First buses ride badly is because they are built on the Volvo B7 chassis, which is the poor relation to much superior B10. As an example, the Transdev single deck vehicles with registrations such as Y---HRN are based on the Volvo B10 - these have decent suspension and comfortable seating; if you then get off one of these and get onto a First service like the 5 you are then on a B7, with thin hard seats and equally hard suspension which makes the bus feel as though it's on run-flat tyres.

The First double deck buses appearing in new colours with "york" fleetnames on the side are based on the Volvo B9, which is an improvement to the B7 but still not as good as the B10.

Consider too that most of First's B7-based buses are now 10 years old, along with First's famous "run it into the ground until it dies" handling of vehicle operation, and that will also explain the rough ride.

ColdAsChristmas says...
1:09am Tue 30 Oct 12

Buzz, I'll be glad of the day I don't need to mention the disgusting parade of naked cyclists on our streets. At that point I won't remind you of York's lax attitude to public decency on a Saturday afternoon. If wanting decency on our streets makes me a perv then what does it make you for your stance on this?
I see what you mean about exaggeration though, like saying we are having global warming when it's actually freezing! You asked for it.

Buzz Light-year says...
7:34am Tue 30 Oct 12

Buzz, I'll be glad of the day I don't need to mention the disgusting parade of naked cyclists on our streets.[/quote
Would you be as disgusted if they were marching? On motorcycles? Segways? Mobility scooters?

Buzz Light-year says...
7:35am Tue 30 Oct 12

I'll try again.

Buzz, I'll be glad of the day I don't need to mention the disgusting parade of naked cyclists on our streets.


Would you be as disgusted if they were marching? On motorcycles? Segways? Mobility scooters?

ColdAsChristmas says...
1:45pm Tue 30 Oct 12

Buzz, They can have their protest on whatever they wish to travel on as long as they keep their private parts private.
Now, how does suggesting this make me a perv?
Maybe you can also tell me what happened to York Council's wind turbine that has been taken down. I admit to having an obsession with these giant and inefficient blots on the landscape!

Buzz Light-year says...
10:45pm Tue 30 Oct 12

Dude, I just happen to think people who are so freaked out by the sight of the human body that they have to complain again and again on websites months after the fact may be more than a little neurotic in one area or another.
That would be the human body that we all possess and which we all have to face each and every day of our lives.

Having a problem with that is like a badger not liking stripes or being a vegetarian tiger.

It really does suggest an underlying prejudice or latent perversion.


Why would you ask me about the council's (not giant at all) wind turbine? It has nothing to do with the ride quality of First buses or with naked cyclists.
I'm nothing to do with the council and as such have no knowledge whatsoever about the way they run their depot.

Is that a windmill in your pocket or are you just pleased to see me/deranged?

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