I took this picture because there are proposals for service 90 to be extended from Ripley to Derby as service 9.4 www.trentbarton.co.uk/news-and-media/travel-updates.aspx I think that this is a great idea. We will then have 7 buses per hour from Ripley to Derby which is the same as Saturdays in the 1950s when there was a 10 minute frequency on service 1 from Alfreton and an hourly service 44 from Chesterfield. Incidentally there was no through service from Derby to Mansfield in those days.
Whilst taking the picture I noticed that the bus had been standing with its engine running for several minutes and that it still had 10 minutes to wait before the scheduled departure time.
Most buses in the UK are now being fitted with devices to encourage drivers to drive economically. Is there scope for a similar device to switch the engine off if a vehicle has been stationary for perhaps a minute?
Richard Lomas
Richard Lomas
