I don't think they are short staffed in Broadstone, the problem there is they have far too many commuter coaches, which are not allowed to be used on Expressway (this is an EU law about using public money to operate coaches on non PSO services so it's something entirely outside of Bus Éireann's control, not that it stops them from occasionally using commuter coaches on Expressway services, but it is technically illegal). Dublin Bus released a load of drivers to Bus Éireann already as part of their ongoing drive towards making their route network much more efficient, the problem is that Broadstone, like Capwell until early this year when we swapped SRs for VCs, has too many commuter coaches and not enough Expressway coaches for the services it operates.

It would be far better if other garages, like Limerick and Galway, both of whom have extensive commuter networks, took some additional commuter coaches and gave up their older Expressway coaches to Broadstone (Cork could do the same and reverse the trend of Broadstone keeping all the good stuff for itself and dumping all the rubbish down the country).

As for seeing SP53 on a local service, this could have been before the coach was on its scheduled Expressway duty for the day, this is common both in Cork and Dublin where an Expressway coach operates a local service before going off on an Express duty.

Capwell normally put it on some local service in the morning, and that makes perfect sense as why have an SR or a VC in service on a local route when an SP is available? It also is an example of good fleet management, instead of having two buses one for the peak hour local services and another for a service that does not start till later on in the day, why not get the one bus to do both duties? Cork always do this, yesterday they had VC300s on short distance local routes before the longer distance routes, which until a few years ago were classified as Expressway, began. VC318 was on the 252 (formerly the 044) yesterday but as it does not start till 1030 it was on the 245 before that kicked off! SP11 went to Charleville yesterday morning at 0610 and was back in time to do the 0925 to Galway, and would have done the 2055 back to Limerick that night!

I know Broadstone do the same thing, hence sometimes in the sightings section you will see Expressway coaches being sighted as on local routes too!

Sticking with Broadstone, while they don't need really newer coaches at all, as B'stone has by far and away the youngest fleet profile, with the oldest coach being only seven years old while Sligo have a 14 year old coach still in service! What they do need is more Expressway coaches, but older ones as spares, I mean Galway or Limerick could give them say VC300s in return for Broadstone giving them SCs.

That way the remaining commuter coaches would be properly used, because Broadstone's commuter coaches are all 07/08 reg, there are naturally lots of spares and it is absolutely daft stuff that not only are there plenty of spare 07/08 reg vehicles (I've heard there are 20 spare commuter vehicles in B'stone - surely that can't be right?), but it's been like that since those coaches were brand new too! Where else in the world would you find so many young coaches classified as spares?

Obviously because the VC300s are much older and not terribly good, no-one will want to use them so that will mean that all the commuter coaches there will have to be properly used, but when the SPs and LCs fail and need to go off the road, instead of Broadstone having to call in a private and pay a private bus company while at the same time paying its spare drivers to do nothing because the commuter vehicles can't be used on Expressway, Broadstone could just use the VC300s instead and not have to hire anyone in. The VC300s are only eight years old and are quite reliable so would be more than up to the task of covering when SPs and LCs are unavailable instead of the current scenario of there being hired in buses.

The only reason Broadstone should get new coaches next time around (and I hope they do get them, but because of this they should be made give up all the Tours vehicles if the Tours SPs are going on Expressway) is because of the cross border thing; anything for bought for cross-border services, Tours and Eurolines can be bought VAT free, so that is a big saving.

If Bus Éireann is to allocate them on Expressway in such a way that they can be bought VAT free, then Sligo will have to get three minimum for the 64 (though the 66 is also cross border but is low frequency and not long distance so I very much doubt that will get anything fresher), Galway will have to get two also for the 64, and Stranorlar will need nine for 30, 32 and 64 (three each for each route). Already you can see that is 14 of the 28 new coaches (assuming none are for Tours) allocated, and then Broadstone will need four or five for Eurolines (assuming they're keeping that), and that leaves you with 9/10, and there will be four for the 1 and five will just about cover the 30 and 32, though that leaves out the 33; if they were to not allocate anything for Eurolines then the 14 remaining coaches could be allocated for the 1 (four), 30, 32, and 33 (I think Broadstone's contribution for these routes is about seven/eight, can't remember) and that only leaves one or two, I suppose they could also go to Sligo for the 66, those coaches wouldn't be overly used but at least they would be bought for 20% less than what they otherwise might have been!