Standby bus

[BreeddekalbL]

In my town we have the concept of a standby bus which is there are buses stationed at various points around the town and when ever a breakdown or the bus needs to be swapped out the bus nearest to the need goes and does that, the thing is when nothing is happening the bus just sits there at the point its stationed at till its needed. Just asking does the MTA have a similar concept or no?

[Amtrak7]

I'm not sure, but I don't think so. In your town, do the protect/standby buses have waiting drivers too?

[contor]

They did a few years back, if I remember correctly.

But I don't think they have it anymore.

[BreeddekalbL]

I'm not sure, but I don't think so. In your town, do the protect/standby buses have waiting drivers too?

 

yes

[SevenEleven]

Depends on the situation. I've seen one operator swap buses with one from the depot as he was finishing/starting a trip on the B67.

[QM1to6Ave]

Hahahaha, no. If a bus breaks down, or a B/O calls in sick, in most cases, it is too bad for you.

[Gotham Bus Co.]

In my town we have the concept of a standby bus which is there are buses stationed at various points around the town and when ever a breakdown or the bus needs to be swapped out the bus nearest to the need goes and does that, the thing is when nothing is happening the bus just sits there at the point its stationed at till its needed. Just asking does the MTA have a similar concept or no?

 

 

Back in 1997, when the MetroCard transfers were first introduced, there were quite a few "As Assigned" runs (at least one per depot) which were supposed to be used to relieve overcrowding. It quickly led to rampant abuse, with "As Assigned" drivers arranging to never actually be assigned. In some cases, dispatchers would swap buses so that the designated "As Assigned" bus would show revenue without the "As Assigned" driver having to work.

[Stengel Depot]

Well at Stengel depot some of the 6am sld's pull out buses and they will use them as swing buses up in the main and roosevelt area until it is needed to replace a road call bus or a dirty bus. Also dispatchers will ask a handful of operators that r pulling into the depot to instead park there bus on 39th or 38th ave and secure it. Those buses will be spare buses also.

[BreeddekalbL]

Well at Stengel depot some of the 6am sld's pull out buses and they will use them as swing buses up in the main and roosevelt area until it is needed to replace a road call bus or a dirty bus. Also dispatchers will ask a handful of operators that r pulling into the depot to instead park there bus on 39th or 38th ave and secure it. Those buses will be spare buses also.

explain what sld means?

[Acela Express]

Yes, it's called "swing" buses which the SLD (Surface Line Dispatcher) will have at their post in case of a breakdown, or just pull a bus out to hang out inside instead of the cold weather. It's often on the B41 you'll see swing buses parked at the corner of Avenue N & Flatbush Avenue (northbound) - usually 1 or 2. Kings Plaza will have a bus from time to time, but not often; and you'll see swing buses at the Junction for the 44 at Flatbush & Nostrand Aves...

[MrTransitMan]

That's kind of how It is where I live. Here, its called Stubs, It varies by day depending on how many extra drivers are available. Some days there's no stubs at all system-wide. Those operators get a stub number being they don't have an assigned block number and then will sit at major end terminals where assigned and wait to be called. They normally cover trips if a bus is running late, and do a bus change incase a breakdown. If service is real bad like last week cause of snow, a regular operator who was done with his normal run called in dispatch to see if they needed any help and that's when they turned him into a stub, that's the first I seen that happen and the most stubs I seen in a day, there was 4 including that regular operator. I always wondered if MTA had something like this? Here our drivers are grouped as Regular Operators, NRA's, Vacation Floaters, and then Extra List. How are they grouped at MTA?