H is for Hospital

[Richard Ratcliffe]

Over the past few days I have noticed vehicles on the Arriva service 3 (Maidstone Town Centre to Hospital) using a modified dot matrix display which includes a capital "H"  in front of the "3"   Noted on 4283 and 6402 at least and one other unidentified car.   Additionally yesterday I noted an MMC400 on the 6X (could have been 6500) with a similar modified display "H 6X"  One assumes the use of "H" on the specific hospital parking shuttle routes H1, H2 and H3 has been so successful in communicating to travellers going to the Hospital that any route travelling to one of the two hospitals now bears this additional route number information.  Bit hit and miss though - I have also seen buses on the "3" without the "H"

Will try and get a photo!

Richard Ratty

[Richard Ratcliffe]

Further to all that 6402 was noted again on service 3 today WITHOUT an "H" in the dot matrix display.  What is going on?

Ratty

Sent from Outlook for Android

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From: mdekb...@googlegroups.com <mdekb...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Richard Ratcliffe <rb...@btconnect.com>
Sent: Friday, November 28, 2025 10:40:10 AM
To: Invicta Group <mdekb...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: [Invicta] H is for Hospital

 

Over the past few days I have noticed vehicles on the Arriva service 3 (Maidstone Town Centre to Hospital) using a modified dot matrix display which includes a capital "H"  in front of the "3"   Noted on 4283 and 6402 at least and one other unidentified car.   Additionally yesterday I noted an MMC400 on the 6X (could have been 6500) with a similar modified display "H 6X"  One assumes the use of "H" on the specific hospital parking shuttle routes H1, H2 and H3 has been so successful in communicating to travellers going to the Hospital that any route travelling to one of the two hospitals now bears this additional route number information.  Bit hit and miss though - I have also seen buses on the "3" without the "H"

Will try and get a photo!

Richard Ratty

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[Chris]

I haven't seen these displays myself yet, but as an educated guess... 

A lot of modern blinds allow for additional characters such as these to be included - I'm also aware of a shopping trolley and a gravestone used on the displays for Hams 285, and the shopping trolley on Brookline's 479 (see example of that in my picture here: https://groups.google.com/g/mdekbusclub/c/QrUYpnI5V3Q/m/HHTVmlxTCgAJ). 

I would guess that the blindset has been updated and whoever now has responsibility for them at Arriva has found they can do it too. Can't comment on why a vehicle had one one day but not the next, though - perhaps the update was rescinded, or there are options available, one with, one without. (Although as 6402 likely has an aged blind, I'm surprised it could handle it to begin with). 

Chris

[Richard Ratcliffe]

As you say Chris, lots of tunes can now be played on these displays - witness the "Jack Daniels" display on 4143 posted on here earlier today!

Ratty

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From: 'Chris' via Invicta Bus & Coach Newsgroup <mdekb...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: 04 December 2025 21:08
To: Invicta Bus & Coach Newsgroup <mdekb...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: [Invicta] Re: H is for Hospital

 

To view this discussion, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/mdekbusclub/1baaa194-ddb2-45de-b390-b4404f723b73n%40googlegroups.com.

[NRS]

2484 seen in Tunbridge Wells this morning.