Brightbus/MASS

[Robertj21a]

The owner of Brightbus has decided to close the business down in July, due to his ill health. Given the number of school children they transport all over South Yorkshire I guess there will be a number of other operators needed to take over all that work. There will also be a large quantity of tri-axle deckers available !

 

[ECML180]

Very sad, though it will be interesting to see what develops. Anyone fancy buying a few deckers and giving it a go?

 

[J-2739]

That's rather sad, I loved seeing ex-Chinese buses going around South Yorkshire. Now I don't know where they will go.

Could cause issues for the school kids as well.

 

[90sWereBetter]

Forgive me for being a bit dumb, but surely the owner would want to pass the business on to one of his next-of-kin or a business partner, rather than close up shop?

 

[johnnychips]

Forgive me for being a bit dumb, but surely the owner would want to pass the business on to one of his next-of-kin or a business partner, rather than close up shop?

Apparently not:

http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/break...ay-across-south-yorkshire-to-be-cut-1-8522212

But managing director Mick Strafford is closing the firm at the end of the academic year in July. Along with the loss of service, 90 members of staff also face redundancy. Mr Strafford, aged 55, of Thorpe Salvin, said he is winding up the firm due to "ill health" and added that he did not want to sell the company he founded to another transport operator.

 

[Andyh82]

Typical click bait headline there "School buses to be cut" and going with an angle that kids are going to be stranded due to services being axed. Instead of reporting that a firm is closing down and in all likelyhood SYPTE will probably just retender them.

 

[ECML180]

To be fair I think a number of the buses will literally be cut (up) given their age.

And in honesty I suspect a number of services will disappear forever. I would guess some are commercial and unlikely to be kept (if others are scrambling to pick up services the contracted ones may be more easy/certain), other contracted ones are possibly on borrowed time and it may be a convenient opportunity to lose/shorten/alter routes.

 

[jonathan01n]

I know this company, because I lived in Sheffield for a year. Those buses are from the ex-cmb and kmb. Involving Dennis Condors and Leyland Olympians.
I shall post some photos up later.

 

[Y961 XBU]

Has anyone got a current fleetlist for this operator?

 

[NorthernSpirit]

I'm suprised that Mr Mallinson of Tate's Travel (cough cough) Stanley Gath Travel hasn't decided to jump in for the tenders.

 

[woodhouse122]

Has anyone got a current fleetlist for this operator?

up to date PDF fleetlist for brightbus available on the SOES website http://www.sheffieldomnibus.uk/fleet-lists.html

 

[Observer]

I'm suprised that Mr Mallinson of Tate's Travel (cough cough) Stanley Gath Travel hasn't decided to jump in for the tenders.

There won't be any tenders yet. The company closes in July, at the end of the school year.

 

[ECML180]

I'm suprised that Mr Mallinson of Tate's Travel (cough cough) Stanley Gath Travel hasn't decided to jump in for the tenders.

Plenty of time for that! Powells must surely be in for a shout too?

 

[johnnychips]

Plenty of time for that! Powells must surely be in for a shout too?

Powell's did have one or two old deckers, though I haven't seen them for a bit, but nothing on the scale of the gigantic Brightbuses. As somebody said, a lot of routes are commercial, transporting kids from home to not necessarily their nearest school (which the councils won't pay for unless it's Catholic) where there is sufficient demand.

First have extended a morning 14 from Edlington through Doncaster to the McAuley School in Cantley and a return move after school, though they seem to be anticipating the demise of Brightbus well in advance.

 

[ECML180]

Powell's did have one or two old deckers, though I haven't seen them for a bit, but nothing on the scale of the gigantic Brightbuses. As somebody said, a lot of routes are commercial, transporting kids from home to not necessarily their nearest school (which the councils won't pay for unless it's Catholic) where there is sufficient demand.

I suspect a fair few MASS buses will probably go up for sale, I believe they have some ex-First triaxles so even First might be interested in some! If Powells are happy with a couple of 'oddballs' then it would probably make for a nice earner, especially if they proved a fit around their other stagecarriage work. As you say the councils aren't willing to pay, budget squeezes may mean the end of tendered services (as we know them), so if any operators do decide to take on some of the MASS work then they will have to go for a healthy commercial run (which is likely to sustain itself) or a 'certain' contract that the council will promise for a few years.

First have extended a morning 14 from Edlington through Doncaster to the McAuley School in Cantley and a return move after school, though they seem to be anticipating the demise of Brightbus well in advance.

How recent was this, and was it in competition/replacement or just possibly coincidence? Never heard of it, though I admit I am not as up to date as I used to be!

 

[johnnychips]

Didn't realise myself it had been from January

https://travelsouthyorkshire.com/timetablefinder.aspx?searchtext=14

so perhaps it was just tacked on to the 14 to provide extra capacity from McCaulay to town. As the 14 goes all round the houses in Balby and Warmsworth, the arrival in Edlo is about 20 minutes later than the Brightbus.

 

[Y961 XBU]

up to date PDF fleetlist for brightbus available on the SOES website http://www.sheffieldomnibus.uk/fleet-lists.html

Ahh thanks for that

 

[plarailfan]

I would like a trip on one of their tri-axle vehicles. Do they run on stage carriage routes anywhere, or are they all school buses ?

 

[Andyh82]

I would like a trip on one of their tri-axle vehicles. Do they run on stage carriage routes anywhere, or are they all school buses ?

Only school buses, they are obviously not DDA

 

[plcd1]

If you wanted to snap their vehicles in action, even just leaving their garage, do they all head out the same direction heading north through the industrial estate or do they go north and south? I assume they head off between 1430 and 1500 for pm journeys. Their website shows an incredible roster of services being run on a typical school day.

How amenable are they to letting in enthusiasts into the garage to take some snaps? I'd try to arrange this in advance but won't waste my time if they're know to be "unfriendly". I do appreciate it's a working site and has the usual range of hazards you'd find in a bus garage.

I've been looking on Streetview and local maps to get the lay of the land and ot looks like a 19B or 20 bus from Rotherham get closest. Any relevant info would be appreciated.

 

[carlberry]

I would like a trip on one of their tri-axle vehicles. Do they run on stage carriage routes anywhere, or are they all school buses ?

They are all school buses however they are all on Traveline so show up in journey plans.

My assumption from that is that they should available to the public (i.e. if somebody asks Traveline for a journey plan and it suggests these buses they're going to be annoyed to turn up and find they're not public journeys). However I suspect they're not!

 

[ECML180]

Only school buses, they are obviously not DDA

My assumption from that is that they should available to the public (i.e. if somebody asks Traveline for a journey plan and it suggests these buses they're going to be annoyed to turn up and find they're not public journeys). However I suspect they're not!

From what I know, they've been making big steps towards DDA but whether all services are open or closed door I don't know.

 

[Harpers Tate]

I suspect they are registered, (mostly) commercial, stage services and as such, can't deny a normal person from boarding. Now as to whether you'd want to share your bus with 600* schoolchildren, well - each to their own.


* exaggeration

 

[Observer]

I believe they have been exempted from DDA by reclassifying them as coaches to remove the standing on them.