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Transdev Blazefield

Andyh82

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It's one of the issues when you elect to go with route branding to that extent (rather than just having some vinyls on a standard livery). The arguments on that are long standing. TrentBarton, in the rare times I head through their territory, seem to execute it better than most.

What helps there is that Trent Barton don’t have the secondary school/tenders fleet, as that is covered by Notts & Derby. If you include that fleet you regularly see buses in various old Trent Barton branded liveries being used.

It’s worth noting Transdev generally make good older liveries. The Coastliner deckers at Rosso have revived matching blue Rosso fleetnames and branding, so they look decent.
 
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SCH117X

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They are nominated for three awards at this years UKBus Awards (19 Nov)

Environment Award - The Harrogate Bus Company, Harrogate Electrics
Making Buses a Better Choice - Transdev Blazefield transforming Rosso
Sustained Marketing Excellence - Transdev Welcome to Coastliner Country
 

TheGrandWazoo

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What helps there is that Trent Barton don’t have the secondary school/tenders fleet, as that is covered by Notts & Derby. If you include that fleet you regularly see buses in various old Trent Barton branded liveries being used.

When I was in the area the other day, even the N&D fleet was seemingly pretty much in that livery with the exception of one coach in overall white.

They are nominated for three awards at this years UKBus Awards (19 Nov)

Environment Award - The Harrogate Bus Company, Harrogate Electrics
Making Buses a Better Choice - Transdev Blazefield transforming Rosso
Sustained Marketing Excellence - Transdev Welcome to Coastliner Country

Got a list of all the nominees in the categories?
 

Andyh82

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TheGrandWazoo

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Those were a couple of years ago and don’t know if it’s any better now; I didn't see anything like that. Can only say what I saw (with all N&D in fleet colours) though did see the coach around but on driver training duties.
 
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cnjb8

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SCH117X

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Due to road works today Transdev today terminated most of the 24s to Pateley Bridge short at Glasshouses yet when the UCI Championships were on and the road beyond Glasshouses was closed for a period they cancelled the service. Theres a lot of flak being aimed at the organisers and the Council yet some of the decisions were out of their control and a lot of Transdevs cancellations were questionable in the extreme at the time and todays short workings simply amplify that more.
 

Andyh82

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TfGM are stating that daytime Journeys on the R1, service R2, Sunday journeys on the R3, Services R4, R5, R7, R9, B1, B2, B3, B4 are now operated by ‘The Burnley Bus Company’. Other services in Rochdale are still run by ‘Rosso’

In reality everything is still run by Rosso branded buses, but why have they moved some services to the Burnley licence?
 

Alexbus12

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TfGM are stating that daytime Journeys on the R1, service R2, Sunday journeys on the R3, Services R4, R5, R7, R9, B1, B2, B3, B4 are now operated by ‘The Burnley Bus Company’. Other services in Rochdale are still run by ‘Rosso’

In reality everything is still run by Rosso branded buses, but why have they moved some services to the Burnley licence?

They've actually debranded the solos and theres no longer trace of the Rosso name on it. Bit odd, does anyone know why?
 

RustySpoons

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Apparently Rosso is disappearing in all but fleet names only. The reasoning I've heard is because it's 'one less set of accounts to file every year'.

There seems to be a growing amount of discontent with some of the Rosso drivers because of these changes.
 

overthewater

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What did there expect? Its standard practice elsewhere in the UK.... only reason to have separate accounts is to ring fence losses..
 

Andyh82

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Any employee at any business that is going to be restructured would be nervous and office gossip would whip up the worst scenario, this isn’t unique to Transdev, Alex Hornby or the bus industry.
 

overthewater

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There is Big difference between being restructured and what is actually going on. Lothian country staff better watch there back then.... since its Accounts were merged into Main lothian ones.
 

158756

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What did there expect? Its standard practice elsewhere in the UK.... only reason to have separate accounts is to ring fence losses..

Perhaps they expected the same situation as the rest of Transdev's Northern operations - separate accounts for Blackburn, Burnley, Keighley, Harrogate and Coastliner.

This did look on the cards though, since they got rid of Rosso's proper depot and started running a lot of the buses from Blackburn and Burnley, which have plenty of space because of the constant cuts. I'm not sure Transdev were thinking of franchising when they bought Rosso, so I'd be concerned if I worked at Rochdale.
 

Stan Drews

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Perhaps they expected the same situation as the rest of Transdev's Northern operations - separate accounts for Blackburn, Burnley, Keighley, Harrogate and Coastliner.

This did look on the cards though, since they got rid of Rosso's proper depot and started running a lot of the buses from Blackburn and Burnley, which have plenty of space because of the constant cuts. I'm not sure Transdev were thinking of franchising when they bought Rosso, so I'd be concerned if I worked at Rochdale.

They didn’t “get rid of Rosso’s proper depot”. It wasn’t included in the sale. However, don’t let the facts get in the way of your story!
 

158756

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They didn’t “get rid of Rosso’s proper depot”. It wasn’t included in the sale. However, don’t let the facts get in the way of your story!

Like anything else in business, the depot would have been available at the right price. Selling it for furniture manufacturing won't have made the council a fortune. Consolidating the three depots to two is the big obvious cost saving in the takeover.
 

Alexbus12

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They are leaving the fleet very soon

I understand that, but it makes zero sense to debrand them now, when they can be done closer to the time of removal. Just seems odd that they debranded them the day before the service changes.
 

TheGrandWazoo

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Like anything else in business, the depot would have been available at the right price. Selling it for furniture manufacturing won't have made the council a fortune. Consolidating the three depots to two is the big obvious cost saving in the takeover.

Wasn’t it that Rossendale Council wanted to retain ownership as part of a commercial property investment strategy so it provides a steady revenue stream to the council?
 

Alexbus12

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Wasn’t it that Rossendale Council wanted to retain ownership as part of a commercial property investment strategy so it provides a steady revenue stream to the council?

I believe that was the case, but my understanding is that it's now been sold to a furniture company.

Edit- https://www.lancs.live/news/lancashire-news/haslingdens-former-rosso-bus-depot-16526280
Haslingden's former Rosso bus depot set to become furniture manufacturing unit
Foremost Furniture has applied for planning permission following the sale by Rossendale council

A former bus depot could be turned into a furniture manufacturing business.

Foremost Furniture has submitted a change of use planning application to Rossendale council for the former Rosso bus depot at Knowsley Park Way, Haslingden.

The depot closed in April last year, when the council announced they intended to sell the site, after selling Rosso Bus to the Transdev Blazefield group of companies for £3.7 million.

Foremost Furniture is currently based at Carrs Industrial Estate, Haslingden, where it has been since 2011.

In the planning application, sales director Haydn Creer says it would create ten new full-time jobs and five new part-time jobs, in addition to the firm’s current 60 full-time and five part-time employees.

The depot is currently vacant and the application, if approved, would see trade reinstated.

A public consultation on the application will run until Friday, July 19, with a deadline for the decision of August 22.

In the planning statement, published last week, consultee Rossendale council’s economic development team said they are in support of the application.

 

Stan Drews

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Wasn’t it that Rossendale Council wanted to retain ownership as part of a commercial property investment strategy so it provides a steady revenue stream to the council?
That was exactly their theory. The fact that they may have subsequently realised it wasn’t quite the cash cow they thought it was, is irrelevant regarding the sale of Rosso.
 

TheGrandWazoo

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That was exactly their theory. The fact that they may have subsequently realised it wasn’t quite the cash cow they thought it was, is irrelevant regarding the sale of Rosso.

So it’s a case that Transdev didn’t need the depot (with spare space at neighbouring depots).

Rossendale Council wanted to retain it as part of a property portfolio.

Subsequently, a local firm has outgrown its manufacturing base and needs additional space and are prepared to spend the money on premises close to their existing base by buying said site so retain their staff’s skills.

Is that it?
 

Stan Drews

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So it’s a case that Transdev didn’t need the depot (with spare space at neighbouring depots).

Rossendale Council wanted to retain it as part of a property portfolio.

Subsequently, a local firm has outgrown its manufacturing base and needs additional space and are prepared to spend the money on premises close to their existing base by buying said site so retain their staff’s skills.

Is that it?
Well, those are the facts. However, you haven’t added any anti-Hornby or anti-Transdev spin.
 

njlawley

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Should Blackburn and Burnley be seperate? There is alot of overlap.
I've always found it odd that they were two separate companies, right from the very beginning. Even if they wanted figures separate, all that needs to be done is for each area to be a separate "cost centre", and everything could even be on two licenses (one for each TC area).
 

TheGrandWazoo

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... Cringe, then again, not as bad as the Trax name.. Could someone explain what Trax is actually meant to symbolise.

Does it have to symbolise anything? Top 10 retail brands in the UK do include things that are readily apparent - Dairy Milk or McVities but what do Kit Kat or Lego actually "symbolise"?

It doesn't have to be the Rochdale and District Automobile Service Co to be effective marketing.
 

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