centrebus holdings sold to arriva

[radamfi]

Metro also agree. This is in fact the main reason they are pushing for Quality Contracts.

They are continuing to procrastinate. I'm now very sceptical about their commitment to QCs.

 

[robertclark125]

Operators should be allowed to. Here's why. What if you live in an area served by one operator, and their day ticket is, say £4, but the PTE says you can only buy their multi operator ticket at £7.50? That's a £3.50 increase, so it doesn't benefit the public in that aspect. It is, supposidly, a competitive marketplace.

 

[radamfi]

Operators should be allowed to. Here's why. What if you live in an area served by one operator, and their day ticket is, say £4, but the PTE says you can only buy their multi operator ticket at £7.50? That's a £3.50 increase, so it doesn't benefit the public in that aspect. It is, supposidly, a competitive marketplace.

This only applies in a deregulated environment, which is the exception rather than the rule. Inevitably the single operator tickets are bound to be cheaper, as there is a need to split the revenue for joint operator tickets. In the more usual regulated environment, where the authority pays a private operator to run the service, or where privatisation has not occurred and the authority runs the service itself, the question does not arise.

 

[AndyHudds]

They are continuing to procrastinate. I'm now very sceptical about their commitment to QCs.

I've said it before and I'll say it again,Metro haven't got the balls to go through with QC's. If they had intended to implement them, we'd have known about it by now, instead of all this posturing and hollow threats.

 

[34D]

I've said it before and I'll say it again,Metro haven't got the balls to go through with QC's. If they had intended to implement them, we'd have known and about it by now, instead of all this posturing and hollow threats.

I do agree.

 

[Deerfold]

Operators should be allowed to. Here's why. What if you live in an area served by one operator, and their day ticket is, say £4, but the PTE says you can only buy their multi operator ticket at £7.50? That's a £3.50 increase, so it doesn't benefit the public in that aspect. It is, supposidly, a competitive marketplace.

At the moment the organisation that sets the prices of multi-operator tickets is majority owned by operators...
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

I've said it before and I'll say it again,Metro haven't got the balls to go through with QC's. If they had intended to implement them, we'd have known about it by now, instead of all this posturing and hollow threats.

I think Metro would love to. The politicians have to make the decision though.

 

[NorthernSpirit]

Nope, just the Arriva branded services. Then again, for an extra 90p you can have a MetroDay- I've never understood why operators in West Yorks bother advertising their own day tickets, as they're usually not much cheaper than the MetroDay. The only one I ever bother with is the Firstbus Halifax&Hudds Dayrider- which at £3.70 is fine if I'm staying within those areas. If I need to go further afield I'd just get a Metroday anyway.

I didn't know that you could purchase Stagecoach tickets on FirstGroup buses! Do they sell Brighton & Hove Supersavers too? Going down in a few weeks, might buy one in advance.

 

[Deerfold]

I didn't know that you could purchase Stagecoach tickets on FirstGroup buses! Do they sell Brighton & Hove Supersavers too? Going down in a few weeks, might buy one in advance.

Lots of companies have/had tickets called Dayriders. NCT in Nottingham had them. The First one is currently correctly known as a FirstDay, however awful that sounds.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Lots of companies have/had tickets called Dayriders. NCT in Nottingham had them. The First one is currently correctly known as a FirstDay, however awful that sounds.

Quite right- I used the term 'DayRider' as I'm remembering when they were first introduced in the area- by Yorkshire Rider!

 

[Tetchytyke]

All the stops? Are you sure? What timeframe?

Not all the stops did, and which ones did seemed to be utterly random, but many of the bus stop flags in West Yorkshire did have numbers on. The 679, which ran infrequently around Shipley, had the number on each flag but the flags in Wrose didn't.

They only went when Metro changed the flags to "buses towards ...", which is next to useless. I was out in the wilds of south Wakefield a few weeks ago and the flags on both sides of the road said "buses towards Wakefield". Very helpful...not.

They are continuing to procrastinate. I'm now very sceptical about their commitment to QCs.

I think they're waiting to see what Nexus make of it before pushing for them, which is a shame.

Love the YEP article covering the Centrebus name change though:

Services that have previously run under the Centrebus and Huddersfield Bus Company names will now operate as part of the Yorshire Tiger brand.

How in the name of all that's holy can you misspell Yorkshire?

 

[radamfi]

I think they're waiting to see what Nexus make of it before pushing for them, which is a shame.

Metro began their process years before Nexus.

 

[Polo Mint]

Yorkshire Tiger, hmm not bad actually.

Could Arriva be going down the route of different branded operations and management structures for each area like Go-Ahead?

 

[34D]

Yorkshire Tiger, hmm not bad actually.

Could Arriva be going down the route of different branded operations and management structures for each area like Go-Ahead?

We'd be guessing, but isn't it just Tiger, Wardle and London that don't carry corporate livery?

 

[Robertj21a]

We'd be guessing, but isn't it just Tiger, Wardle and London that don't carry corporate livery?

Wardle is already losing their red livery. Recent acquisitions are in Arriva corporate livery.

Robert

 

[Deerfold]

Yorkshire Tiger, hmm not bad actually.

Could Arriva be going down the route of different branded operations and management structures for each area like Go-Ahead?

I don't think so or it'd make sense to include the overlapping Wakefield-based operations.

I think it's probably destined to remain a low-cost operation - one that doesn't accept other Arriva tickets.

 

[Polo Mint]

I don't think so or it'd make sense to include the overlapping Wakefield-based operations.

I think it's probably destined to remain a low-cost operation - one that doesn't accept other Arriva tickets.

So it would be Arriva version of Magic Bus competing against First Group in West Yorks, but with the existing Arriva monopoly routes continuing as Arriva? Very interesting, isn't First West Yorkshire FirstGroups most profitable bus subsidiary? I wonder how they will react to this, is this a threat?

 

[Deerfold]

So it would be Arriva version of Magic Bus competing against First Group in West Yorks, but with the existing Arriva monopoly routes continuing as Arriva? Very interesting, isn't First West Yorkshire FirstGroups most profitable bus subsidiary? I wonder how they will react to this, is this a threat?

Although that's possible I suspect it's more likely to continue as it is, being better placed than Arriva to pick up contract work.

 

[34D]

Although that's possible I suspect it's more likely to continue as it is, being better placed than Arriva to pick up contract work.

Centrebus WY was considered the lowest of the low of all the ops in WY. A firstgroup senior manager told me at the start of the year that they were going to "kick centrebus out of Leeds" and in the July service changes, this basically happened.

Someone will doubtless have a list of what they retain, but it can't be much more than 61 62 63 and (for a few more months) the airport services.

 

[Deerfold]

Centrebus WY was considered the lowest of the low of all the ops in WY. A firstgroup senior manager told me at the start of the year that they were going to "kick centrebus out of Leeds" and in the July service changes, this basically happened.

Someone will doubtless have a list of what they retain, but it can't be much more than 61 62 63 and (for a few more months) the airport services.

There's the 757.

They've got a lot in Halifax and Huddersfield, most of it taken from First (and the commercial services from HJC which beat former First commerical services) - I'd be impressed if First win much of it back - certainly on services which overlap Centrebus seem to get higher passenger loads (I know I'd rather get the 528 from Ripponden to Halifax than whatever rustbucket First have put out on the 560).

Their services in Leeds did seem to be run by more ramshackle buses - I don't know how much of this was down to the tender specifications but when they won the contracts in Calderdale there was an influx of rather pleasant new buses and they seemed to be run by an operator who cared a bit about their appearance.

I note First have just lost the retendered Hebden Bridge and Todmorden minibus networks to TLC (to start January) and are replacing the commercial 591 and 593 with increasing the number of services an hour to Todmorden from 4 to 6.

 

[YorkshireRider]

and (for a few more months) the airport services.

Are they losing the airport services? I thought they did a good job on them, First were a joke when they ran the 757.

 

[TAS]

We'd be guessing, but isn't it just Tiger, Wardle and London that don't carry corporate livery?

Also New Enterprise & TGM (inc. Classic, Network Harlow, Network Colchester, sxconnect & Stansted).

 

[Deerfold]

Are they losing the airport services? I thought they did a good job on them, First were a joke when they ran the 757.

The contracts are to be relet (and enhanced?) from April. I don't think the operator has been decided yet. (The Menston-Pool-Aiport service will be cut back to Pool from January).

 

[NorthernSpirit]

I note First have just lost the retendered Hebden Bridge and Todmorden minibus networks to TLC (to start January) and are replacing the commercial 591 and 593 with increasing the number of services an hour to Todmorden from 4 to 6.

I wonder where TLC would have an outbase depot In Calderdale, as they would have to travel from Bradford to Hebden Bridge / Tod everday.

 

[Welshman]

According to the Hebden Bridge website, TLC is planning to open a depot in the "Upper" Calder Valley.

But it doesn't say where!

http://www.hebdenbridge.co.uk/news/2013/235.html

 

[NorthernSpirit]

I would have thought that they could have bought the FirstGroup outstation at Eastwood but that is where the service 589 vehicles are based. Unless the 589 is retendered then I don't know where the new TLC depot would be.

 

[Deerfold]

I would have thought that they could have bought the FirstGroup outstation at Eastwood but that is where the service 589 vehicles are based. Unless the 589 is retendered then I don't know where the new TLC depot would be.

Is the 589 a tendered route?

 

[34D]

The contracts are to be relet (and enhanced?) from April. I don't think the operator has been decided yet. (The Menston-Pool-Aiport service will be cut back to Pool from January).

Enhanced? Last I heard, the airport had pulled the funding so the whole lot was likely to be slimmed down.

967 changes are (supposedly, along with all Wharfedale services) to be consulted on early in 2014 - though from what you've said it is a foregone conclusion of course.

Edit - I see this has appeared in the papers http://www.wharfedaleobserver.co.uk...rport_link_axed_in_limited_bus_service_plans/

 

[Deerfold]

Enhanced? Last I heard, the airport had pulled the funding so the whole lot was likely to be slimmed down.

967 changes are (supposedly, along with all Wharfedale services) to be consulted on early in 2014 - though from what you've said it is a foregone conclusion of course.

The 967 changes have been recorded here:

http://www.wyita.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyre.../Item6BusServicesScrutinyMins3October2013.pdf

Can't seem to find the other comments...

 

[Welshman]

To return to the Hebden Bridge network, it will be interesting to see what happens when TLC takes over these services in the New Year.

I gather the company intends to use new Optare Solos, but of the same type and size as the older ones which have been causing the problems recently.

Hopefully, by being new, they will not break-down as often as the older ones, so one major problem should be alleviated, but if they are of the same size, will they still not have problems negotiating the sharp left turn at Mount Skip from Dodd Naze to Old Town?

I gather that at present, because of this turn, the Old Town circular services operate only in the clockwise direction, i.e. down from Old Town, via Mount Skip, to Dodd Naze.

And yet the new service, posted for consultation on the Metro website, proposes the Old Town services go out to Crimsworth via Dodd Naze and Old Town and return the same way - i.e. that buses will regularly traverse the Mount Skip turn in the up as well as the down direction.

 

[NorthernSpirit]

Is the 589 a tendered route?

Last time I checked it was a shared tender betwen Metro, LCC and GMPTE (now TfGM). So if its changed I don't know about it.