tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7432323264902617108.post1311421836138419589..comments2024-03-25T22:17:35.616+00:00Comments on Public Transport Experience: It Exists To Make a Profitfatbusblokehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06833340546527596517noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7432323264902617108.post-51585335046029363062015-07-06T17:12:26.253+01:002015-07-06T17:12:26.253+01:00There are various bits of Norfolk and Suffolk wher...There are various bits of Norfolk and Suffolk where First withdrew and little suffered as a result. North from Norwich First now goes no further than Stalham but you'd never say Cromer and Sheringham had a poor bus service. In fact it's far better now than in the 1960sAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7432323264902617108.post-24337389031633687822015-07-02T21:49:08.414+01:002015-07-02T21:49:08.414+01:00"Bracknell is pretty poor bus territory, with..."Bracknell is pretty poor bus territory, with high car ownership and an uninspiring town centre people don't actually like visiting."<br /><br />Somewhat ironic that the closure has been announced in the week that construction really gets going of the new town centre, that will cause traffic gridlock when it opens fully in 2017.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7432323264902617108.post-88928006781994199822015-07-01T15:41:07.932+01:002015-07-01T15:41:07.932+01:00The sale of the Reckleford Depot and move to anoth...The sale of the Reckleford Depot and move to another site has been rumoured for about a year.<br />All maintenance apart from minor items has been done only in Weymouth for a few months now.<br />There are daily movements to and from the two locations which cannot help profitability. Ron Randall;https://www.blogger.com/profile/14946480150022424693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7432323264902617108.post-52380148043057167472015-06-30T18:21:12.644+01:002015-06-30T18:21:12.644+01:00I understand that the Yeovil site has been sold an...I understand that the Yeovil site has been sold and that an industrial unit has been obtained as a replacement. The operation there is profitable and will be more so with a smaller modern depot, but I understand only minimal engineering functions will be retained with buses going to Weymouth for anything more.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7432323264902617108.post-62620454791119903492015-06-30T14:02:12.216+01:002015-06-30T14:02:12.216+01:00Just a small point . . . . First in London was pur...Just a small point . . . . First in London was purchased by Tower Transit and Metroline, who run the operation as Metroline West.<br />fbb's point about wages and conditions is germane . . . . the "West" operation in Metroline is operated on quite different conditions; First London seemed to, when in doubt, pay over the odds to avoid industrial conflict, and this legacy is causing "difficulties" in combining the two operations, even after two years.<br />In Hereford . . . . First won a goodly slice of the tendered market only one year ago . . . one now surmises that the prices obtained might have been a tad low in the expectation of more buses spreading the garage overheads further. I reckon the PVR at Hereford is around 16 buses, which is a pretty big chunk for one operator to swallow. One wonders whether Hereford CC will take kindly to having to re-issue tenders again?<br />In Bracknell, I believe the depot site is valuable in property terms, and certainly the town centre is remarkably uninspiring for shoppers, with many empty shops. I'd certainly drive to Reading for electrical/clothes shopping etc. Reading Buses have taken the Bracknell-Reading service (for which I believe the buses were outstationed at the RB garage already), and there is Slough Garage relatively close by, so Bracknell was perhaps inevitably in the closure list.<br />Some interesting times ahead . . . . . I'd expect Yeovil to be next; only a PVR of around 10 buses, a garage in the town centre probably worth £££ for housing. What price Taunton . . . . I suspect that, between First and Webberbus, it's "who blinks first" (especially as all seems not to be well at Webberbus, with cancellations and unreliability of services seemingly the norm).greenline727https://www.blogger.com/profile/03033268278026535109noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7432323264902617108.post-22550834247185769932015-06-30T13:33:33.519+01:002015-06-30T13:33:33.519+01:00*is* the best option! D'oh*is* the best option! D'ohAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7432323264902617108.post-12662784631528653852015-06-30T13:31:58.486+01:002015-06-30T13:31:58.486+01:00Bracknell wasn't such a surprise to me - it on...Bracknell wasn't such a surprise to me - it only has three good routes, two of which can be run by Slough.<br /><br />The rest quite clearly is marginal at best, and with Courtney loitering with Solos in competition, I can't disagree that selling the 90 to Reading and running away isn't the best option.<br /><br />As fbb says, First will have issues with competition in having to pay higher wages etc etc than Courtney. It should also be remembered that Bracknell is pretty poor bus territory, with high car ownership and an uninspiring town centre people don't actually like visiting.<br /><br />The seemingly never ending re-tendering of the council services by Bracknell Forest Council can't help - as there's no stability. It's worth remembering of course that Go-Ahead threw in the towel on their Bracknell routes as well. You have to wonder whether the council were expecting First to abandon the town after they awarded absolutely everything to one operator, and whether they now have any regrets?<br /><br />I've not seen any Courtney registrations go through of late, other than the tendered services they're taking on and changes to their commercial, competing services.<br /><br />Courtney will have a big task on their hands now, as they've already had to expand significantly to take on the won council work.<br /><br />Their competing services are 'creaming the profit' jobs rather than rival all day services, i.e. while First run regular services, their 171/172 routes have the most unclockface timetables I've ever seen (0704, 0740, 0824, 0909, 0947, 1023, 1109, 1147, 1223... etc off the bus station on the new timetable!).<br /><br />There's a lot to cover - they're running one bus an hour on the 194 with two buses, that'll need to be at least half-hourly to avoid a backlash, so an extra two buses there.<br /><br />191 Bracknell - Windsor needs two buses I think.<br /><br />Then there's a good handful on the Bracknell town routes above what Courtney run on the 171/2.<br /><br />So it could be a real struggle to take it all on, but what other operator will? They could face a bit of a backlash if they don't manage to increase their competiting services to a satisfactory level, given it was them who caused all the aggro in the first place!<br /><br />They could face even more problems if Reading decide to run straight into Bracknell rather than going round the estates, as it will leave more coverage needing to be served.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7432323264902617108.post-539745915137940402015-06-30T13:24:02.082+01:002015-06-30T13:24:02.082+01:00BEYOND WHAT ALTERATIONS HAVE ALREADY BEEN REGISTE...BEYOND WHAT ALTERATIONS HAVE ALREADY BEEN REGISTERED FROM SUNDAY 2 AUGUST 2015 and SUNDAY 23 AUGUST 2015?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7432323264902617108.post-31388313820290577172015-06-30T13:10:06.596+01:002015-06-30T13:10:06.596+01:00Which one next?
Plymouth or Yeovil?Which one next?<br />Plymouth or Yeovil?Ron Randall;https://www.blogger.com/profile/14946480150022424693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7432323264902617108.post-37035541961210883262015-06-30T10:24:42.422+01:002015-06-30T10:24:42.422+01:00Re: Clive C above. One problem than first may face...Re: Clive C above. One problem than first may face is inherited terms and conditions fo employees dating back to National Bus Company days. These will almost certainly be significantly more expensive than, say, for Courtney. First also have substantial group overheads to be paid for by takings from their constituent companies. There are advantages and disadvantages of being one of the big boys.<br /><br />There are more Wiltshire "changes" to come.fatbusblokehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06833340546527596517noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7432323264902617108.post-55844757079934948442015-06-30T09:09:09.842+01:002015-06-30T09:09:09.842+01:00This looks like a nationwide tidy up exercise of n...This looks like a nationwide tidy up exercise of no hope areas, where local operators have taken over.<br /><br />Bracknell - Courtney have taken 100% of the contract services at Bracknell from 13th July much of it from First. <br /><br />Wiltshire - First Westbury out-station closure - <br />quote from First "After 1st August First will no longer operate on services 30 (Frome Town Service), service T1 (Trowbridge town service) nor the daytime journeys on Service 234. We understand that service 30 will be taken over by Frome Minibuses and that Wiltshire Council have issued a tender for a replacement to the T1 in Trowbridge. 234 is covered already by a more frequent service provided by Faresaver who will be adding a Saturday service to their operation. <br /><br />There will be no job losses as a result of these changes as the staff at First's Westbury outstation will be redeployed to other duties."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7432323264902617108.post-21659013690646278432015-06-30T08:55:00.965+01:002015-06-30T08:55:00.965+01:00I think there were several registrations by Courtn...I think there were several registrations by Courtney in recent days on the VOSA website.<br /><br />Where First (and others) pull out of places like this does the network actually decline once another operator/s come in to replace them? Its not something I have looked at. If not or there is only minimal change one must ask why First are so less able to make it work! Clive Chttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02059026405966912480noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7432323264902617108.post-47401731518433763412015-06-30T08:40:24.316+01:002015-06-30T08:40:24.316+01:00I would be surprised if DRM are the main beneficia...I would be surprised if DRM are the main beneficiary of Firsts withdrawal in Hereford, they aren't actually that big a company and largely run in from the countryside to the east of the city. The Yeomans Canyon/Lugg Valley combine would be the more likely, it is much larger and runs a number of local services around Hereford already though it may be a mix of operators spreading the work around to be able to take it all on.<br /><br />Whilst Courtney are the only other operator in Bracknell currently it remains to be seen how much they can take on, to replace First is going to require a huge increase in the fleet size and there are always concerns about funding these big jumps in fleet size without compromising the long term future of the business.dwarfer1979noreply@blogger.com