Competition heats up between Transdev and Connexions

[TheGrandWazoo]

Not been on the forum lately but just got on a Coastliner to discover yet another fare increase notice. What is the reason this time? Disgraceful how much prices have risen on the service lately.

What? Another price rise since the one you mentioned on 25th June taking effect the following week?

 

[duncombec]

It appears from the news story on their website that this will primarily affect York city area tickets, rather than Coastliner (yes, their mistake in the header!):

http://yorkbus.co.uk/news.jsp?newsID=2433

CHANGES TO TICKETS FORM SUNDAY 9 SEPTEMBER
24-08-2018
From Sunday 9 September, we're making a small number of changes to our tickets.

Why are changes necessary?

Because over time, the costs to run buses have increased. We've shouldered these growing costs for as long as possible, but now we need to make some changes in order to make sure we can keep bringing you amazing buses.

Here's a summary of what's changing.

Day tickets
York Zone new price £4.30

Weekly tickets
York Week new price £16.50
York Plus new price £24.50 young person £12.70

Our Gold weekly ticket, which gets you travel on any Transdev bus across Yorkshire and Lancashire, will go up slightly to £37.

Monthly tickets
York Month new price £55
York Plus new price £85

Our Gold monthly ticket, which gets you on any Transdev bus across Yorkshire and Lancashire, will go up slightly to £110.

Singles and returns
The price of some single and day return tickets will go up slightly, but by no more than 10p for singles and 20p for returns.

There'll be no changes to our other tickets or passes.

BOB cards
We'll be removing the need for BOB cards, so after 2 September, young people will no longer need a BOB card to get 1/3 off fares in North Yorkshire.

Download our app and save with Transdev Go - and don't forget to follow us on Twitter @yorkbus

 

[Bungle965]

Because over time, the costs to run buses have increased. We've shouldered these growing costs for as long as possible, but now we need to make some changes in order to make sure we can keep bringing you amazing buses.

Surely with them investing in more modern buses, the cost to run the buses should actually decrease?
Sam

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Surely with them investing in more modern buses, the cost to run the buses should actually decrease?
Sam

Drivers get pay rises and that is then reflected in not just higher pay costs but also increases in NI, pensions. Also, fuel consumption on newer vehicles (with euro VI) can be less efficient and, of course, the fuel price itself has increased by 15% in the last year.

 

[Cesarcollie]

Surely with them investing in more modern buses, the cost to run the buses should actually decrease?
Sam

New buses are a lot of money - the depreciation and finance costs will be considerably more than the older vehicles being replaced.

 

[johntea]

Is anyone else having problems with scanning Transdev app tickets this week? It takes 5-10 goes for the ticket machine to return a success rather than a failure!

Worked fine previously, have noticed a lot of random connection errors popping up in the app too...

 

[SCH117X]

Connexions having are withdrawing their 38 Glenhow-White Rose Centre from 30 Sept and their Tadcaster-Sherburn service from 21 Oct whilst introducing from 29 Oct a 64 between Aberford and Leeds which is an existing First operated route.

 

[SCH117X]

Connexions statement re the 38 http://www.connexionsbuses.com/uncategorized/service-38-to-cease/

"Owing partly to competition and partly due to the impending Euro 6 Low Emission zone which will mean our buses need replacing, we are having to withdraw the Service 38 from 29th September.

This was not an easy decision as we have got some lovely loyal customers who use our buses – but in simple terms, it doesn’t make enough money to cover its costs now and certainly wouldn’t sustain the £200k plus per bus we would need to invest to keep the service running into the Low emission era.

For the final day, our friends at Black Prince are operating some historic vehicles in addition to the regular service on the 29th September. Details of this can be found here http://www.blackprincebuses.co.uk/event-page

We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for travelling with us"

 

[SCH117X]

Any news as to when the electrics are going to be in service?
Sam

Tweet this evening " the first of our pioneering, zero-emission buses hit the streets tomorrow". According to the yesterdays WYIS fleetlist only 4 of the 8 have arrived.

 

[theblackwatch]

Tweet this evening " the first of our pioneering, zero-emission buses hit the streets tomorrow". According to the yesterdays WYIS fleetlist only 4 of the 8 have arrived.

From pictures I've seen on Facebook, there is at least one in service today.

 

[johntea]

They're out and about, saw one for Pannal Ash earlier

 

[The Lad]

One was out at Ripley last week.
I think it was taking visiting managers back to Harrogate after a ride on the 36.

 

[Bungle965]

They are on pilot working at the moment, due to the charging station at Harrogate bus station not yet being operational meaning that they have to return to the depot to be charged. There has been a couple of breakdowns already, hopefully not to do with running out of leccy!
Sam

 

[Bungle965]

It seems the electrics were not out today, attempted 2 separate departures however they were replaced by standard Volvo's.
Of note Transdev have got an MCV bodied Volvo on loan, it has currently spent it's time on the 21 (a route that seems more suitable for a Solo!)
Sam

 

[SCH117X]

Of note Transdev have got an MCV bodied Volvo on loan, it has currently spent it's time on the 21 (a route that seems more suitable for a Solo!)

Theres a school run incorporated in the service which presumably dictates the size of vehicle used.

 

[Ginga]

Transdev blazefield made a profit of £1.1m . Which is pretty shocking as they have 400 buses . Return on capital is only 3.7% . They paid £2.8m for Rosso

 

[SCH117X]

So that would presumably be £3.9m if they had not bought Rosso.

 

[Ginga]

No profit for this year is £1.1m. The purchase of Rosso is post this balance sheet.

 

[158756]

No profit for this year is £1.1m. The purchase of Rosso is post this balance sheet.

And Rosso itself made an operating profit of just £40k from Match 2017-January18, and a loss overall.

 

[Cesarcollie]

So that would presumably be £3.9m if they had not bought Rosso.

No. The purchase of another company does not simply 'come off' the profit for the year. The price will have been made up of assets (primarily buses and sometimes property) and 'goodwill' - which is in simple terms a payment based on the value attributed to future profitability. Both will sit on the balance sheet and get written off over a period of time (the assets as depreciation over their remaining lives, the goodwill over a period of time largely determined by the group's policy).

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

And Rosso itself made an operating profit of just £40k from Match 2017-January18, and a loss overall.

Last years' accounts are not exactly representative, given that they were just for the 41 weeks to sale and there are considerable one-offs in there. Previous year was an operating profit 360k on 10m turnover.

Transdev blazefield made a profit of £1.1m . Which is pretty shocking as they have 400 buses . Return on capital is only 3.7% . They paid £2.8m for Rosso

That was the figure in the published accounts. However, surely there would have been money (above the line) that was funnelled back to CDD?

 

[SCH117X]

Whilst the new Electrics at Harrogate remain noticeably absent for most / all of the day they have been tarting up bus stop poles with red paint and bus stop flags the same shape as those used for the 36 in red with Harrogate Electrics to [destination] [Stop name] on them. Unfortunately at least one on the outbound 2A/2B route has the destination as Town Centre, not a simple case of the signs being on put up on the wrong side of the road as in the opposite direction there is a standard NYCC black bus shelter on which they no longer site a flag. As the 2B is Alex Hornbys local route it will be interesting to see how long it is before its corrected.

 

[Eyersey468]

New buses are a lot of money - the depreciation and finance costs will be considerably more than the older vehicles being replaced.

A new single decker is c.£170k and a new double decker c.£200k, it varies a bit depending which bus you buy and the exact spec etc, though outright purchases are rare, most vehicles are on HP or some kind of operating lease

 

[SCH117X]

Blazefield generally bought vehicles until they were looking to sell while Transdev lease them hence the fleet losing vehicles new since c2006 as they go off lease but retaining, and in some cases heavily refurbishing, pre c2006 vehicles until sold/scrapped - the retention, and rebuilding, of the early Geminis 3601-3612 for example whilst the 2006 3613 went off lease.

 

[158756]

Blazefield generally bought vehicles until they were looking to sell while Transdev lease them hence the fleet losing vehicles new since c2006 as they go off lease but retaining, and in some cases heavily refurbishing, pre c2006 vehicles until sold/scrapped - the retention, and rebuilding, of the early Geminis 3601-3612 for example whilst the 2006 3613 went off lease.

I don't doubt it makes sense to the accountants, but there's a lot of pre 2006 vehicles around getting a bit long in the tooth now. They don't seem to be making a dent in them with this year's orders, indeed reintroducing the B10BLEs in Burnley.

 

[SCH117X]

I don't doubt it makes sense to the accountants, but there's a lot of pre 2006 vehicles around getting a bit long in the tooth now. They don't seem to be making a dent in them with this year's orders, indeed reintroducing the B10BLEs in Burnley.

Personally I would far rather travel on a B10BLE which is nice and solid on the road than a B7RLE that bounces all over the place. The ones they have refurbished for Burnley are exceptionally smartly turned out. They obviously have an eye on replacements given the B8RLE demonstrator in use by Starbeck albeit seemingly restricted to the Knaresborough-Boroughbridge service and their are also a couple of Optare Metrocity demonstrators on loan to Rosso.

 

[Bungle965]

Personally I would far rather travel on a B10BLE which is nice and solid on the road than a B7RLE that bounces all over the place. The ones they have refurbished for Burnley are exceptionally smartly turned out. They obviously have an eye on replacements given the B8RLE demonstrator in use by Starbeck albeit seemingly restricted to the Knaresborough-Boroughbridge service and their are also a couple of Optare Metrocity demonstrators on loan to Rosso.

Perhaps they are finally moving away from the Versa, they seemed like the only operator that were still keeping that production line open.
I believe quite soon the Witch's Way buses are up for replacement as their lease on them is coming to an end, be interesting to see what double deckers they go with as the B5TL's don't appear to be cut out for motorway work.
Sam

 

[philthetube]

presumably if they wanted they would be able to extend the lease, at a lower price then leasing new.

 

[Stan Drews]

Perhaps they are finally moving away from the Versa, they seemed like the only operator that were still keeping that production line open.
I believe quite soon the Witch's Way buses are up for replacement as their lease on them is coming to an end, be interesting to see what double deckers they go with as the B5TL's don't appear to be cut out for motorway work.
Sam

The majority of the current Witch Way fleet are 63 plates, so a couple of years yet until their initial lease will come to an end. However, I'm sure the Transdev management will already have any potential replacements under consideration in their business plans.

 

[Stan Drews]

The sudden demise of the 492/493 last week didn’t appear to get the same level of ‘celebration’ that the recent end of the 38 received!
https://www.northyorks.gov.uk/bus-service-changes-and-news

492, 493 Tadcaster to Sherburn
From Monday 8 October to Friday 19 October only the Sherburn-in-Elmet to Tadcaster bus service is to be provided by the council after the contracted operator said it could no longer run the service.

ConnexionsBuses had already said it would not be able to run the 492, 493 and 494 service from 22 October and arrangements had been made for it to be operated by NYCC Fleet Services from that date.
https://www.northyorks.gov.uk/sites...Public transport/Service changes/492oct18.pdf