Bus Companies & Private Plates
Discussion
GoneAnon said:
Coaches are very expensive so a private plate is a cheap way to make a coach look younger than it is.
Never heard of them moving plates around their fleet, though - that sounds like an extra expense the operators don't need.
The local operators coaches are all <5 years old though. Plates are regularly swapped round every month according to the 'Enthusiasts' section of their website.Never heard of them moving plates around their fleet, though - that sounds like an extra expense the operators don't need.
A local bus company round here has recently changed all the panels on its busses and bought private plates for them, to make them look brand new. They even have the new front end of the Wright Gemini 2s but underneath they're still the old same Volvo B7s underneath.
To the Joe public they look brand new, it's only because I work in the trade that I know different.
To the Joe public they look brand new, it's only because I work in the trade that I know different.
Its simple stuff, its just makes the coaches ageless.
The company near me has most of their fleet on private plates, they're pretty much all used on school contracts and i'll bet there would be some parents kicking up if they realised their kids were travelling on 20 year old coaches regardless of how well maintained they are.
The company near me has most of their fleet on private plates, they're pretty much all used on school contracts and i'll bet there would be some parents kicking up if they realised their kids were travelling on 20 year old coaches regardless of how well maintained they are.
Nickyboy said:
Its simple stuff, its just makes the coaches ageless.
The company near me has most of their fleet on private plates, they're pretty much all used on school contracts and i'll bet there would be some parents kicking up if they realised their kids were travelling on 20 year old coaches regardless of how well maintained they are.
True enough. Although I always get a kick out of sitting behind the driver on those really old buses with manual gearboxes. When they're really experienced, it's incredible how smoothly they manage to drive.The company near me has most of their fleet on private plates, they're pretty much all used on school contracts and i'll bet there would be some parents kicking up if they realised their kids were travelling on 20 year old coaches regardless of how well maintained they are.
Nickyboy said:
Its simple stuff, its just makes the coaches ageless.
The company near me has most of their fleet on private plates, they're pretty much all used on school contracts and i'll bet there would be some parents kicking up if they realised their kids were travelling on 20 year old coaches regardless of how well maintained they are.
I'm sure one of our local bus operators is still using the same private plate coaches they took me to school on 15 years ago which were about 20 years old then!The company near me has most of their fleet on private plates, they're pretty much all used on school contracts and i'll bet there would be some parents kicking up if they realised their kids were travelling on 20 year old coaches regardless of how well maintained they are.
SebastienClement said:
calibrax said:
Can't see them doing that. Maybe they mean that they swap the routes between different vehicles so the private plates are seen more.
No, they have a whole page with stuff like "Bus 398 now reg A10 EYD | Bus 420 (formerly A10 EYD) now reg xxxxxx" etc...Is it EYMS by any chance?
Lots of reasons to swap plates around:
• Hide vehicle age
• Contract-related (i.e. a group of Park & Ride buses may have plates ending in 'PAR' etc)
• 'Local' plates fitted (one operator in Cornwall usually fits most vehicles with local plates - WK/WL prefix - when they're bought).
• Sell one vehicle or re-allocate to another area and want to keep the plate.
Lots of reasons to swap plates around:
• Hide vehicle age
• Contract-related (i.e. a group of Park & Ride buses may have plates ending in 'PAR' etc)
• 'Local' plates fitted (one operator in Cornwall usually fits most vehicles with local plates - WK/WL prefix - when they're bought).
• Sell one vehicle or re-allocate to another area and want to keep the plate.
BMR said:
I'm sure one of our local bus operators is still using the same private plate coaches they took me to school on 15 years ago which were about 20 years old then!
Ours still is and i left school in 1993, they sold a Plaxton Viewmaster last year and i was very tempted to buy it for nostalgias sake, it was only up for £3k 
gtdc said:
That takes niche to a new level.
Fill your boots 
...http://www.oxford-chiltern-bus-page.co.uk/arcindex...
Accelebrate said:
gtdc said:
That takes niche to a new level.
Fill your boots ...http://www.oxford-chiltern-bus-page.co.uk/arcindex...
http://www.busandcoachforum.net/viewtopic.php?f=39...
And there's some interesting discussions on these there niche forums...
http://www.busandcoachforum.net/viewtopic.php?f=2&...
http://www.busandcoachforum.net/viewtopic.php?f=2&...
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