Edinburgh Tour Operators: Bright Bus, Lothian (Majestic, Three Bridges) etc.

[Driver362]

Think the febrile atmosphere on this thread has got to a few people with overly partisan twaddle on both sides. Let's be grown up and honest about this...

• The idea that bus companies are doing anything underhand in putting dateless plates on vehicles is ridiculous. Both First and Lothian have done it and, as stated, many of the BBT arrived with said plates
• The idea that any fleet has a monopoly on breakdowns is clearly rubbish. The BBT fleet is clearly older and that may prevent more challenges but you're going to have maintenance issues even with newer fleet
• Lothian will obviously respond to the attack on their tours business and having on street sellers (aka touts) is perfectly understandable
• That Lothian will use staff from across their operations to support their tours operations is again entirely logical

I don't know if the comments on this thread are worthy of a moderator intervention but we're seeing some very skewed views and interpretations on what are widely accepted industry practices.

It was tounge in cheak re comments about lothian using Irish plates. When were on about partisan views you have a guy stating he hopes LC fail while on the other hand complaining about LC forcing people to the wall a d possible job losses

 

[Driver362]

The plates came with the vehicles. Nothing on first's part there, otherwise the President's would have them too!

My apologies I could have swore they had SC Edinburgh marks apart from one HSU xxx ? A daf I think it is?

 

[Jordan Adam]

My apologies I could have swore they had SC Edinburgh marks apart from one HSU xxx ? A daf I think it is?

Read the rest of the replies before posting and you'll see that has already been mentioned...

 

[CM]

The point i was making was that First retaining the plates rather than putting age hiding Irish ones on was perhaps a dig. However another member has stated one of the Ex-Lothian vehicles has a MXZ plate now so that it perhaps not the case.

No need to get in to an enraged tangent about it!

No enranged tangents here, simply posting a perfectly valid opinion...

 

[Driver362]

Enraged tangent?. Fact is I see them day in day out. Everyone I have seen has had there SC marks taken off and replaced with Ni ones. It was originally a wee tongue in cheek dig for previous posters commenting on ours, waste of money etc. But BBT do it's acceptable is the point I'm making. But it won't really matter what I think will it.......

 

[CM]

Enraged tangent?. Fact is I see them day in day out. Everyone I have seen has had there SC marks taken off and replaced with Ni ones. It was originally a wee tongue in cheek dig for previous posters commenting on ours, waste of money etc. But BBT do it's acceptable is the point I'm making. But it won't really matter what I think will it.......

Did I mention you in my post? No.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Enraged tangent?. Fact is I see them day in day out. Everyone I have seen has had there SC marks taken off and replaced with Ni ones. It was originally a wee tongue in cheek dig for previous posters commenting on ours, waste of money etc. But BBT do it's acceptable is the point I'm making. But it won't really matter what I think will it.......

More sane people see it for what it is, irrespective of the operator. It’s a non issue!

 

[Driver362]

Glad I'm not the only enraged insane one on here.

Did I mention you in my post? No.

Sorry you have lost me?

 

[Jordan Adam]

No enranged tangents here, simply posting a perfectly valid opinion...

Fair enough, the tone of your replies gave the impression at the time it was bothering you. But if you say it wasn't then it wasn't. Anyway lets move on...

Glad I'm not the only enraged insane one on here.

Sorry you have lost me?

Colin M was replying to me not you.

More sane people see it for what it is, irrespective of the operator. It’s a non issue!

Sane people exist?...

 

[Jordan Adam]

While BBT's has been well received by the public and on the whole are gathering good numbers. I'm still seeing quite a number of vehicles running with only 1 or 2 people or even empty. I'd mostly put it down to the time of day, but those empty buses will be taking any potential profit away from the busy ones.

The only reason i mention this is because you'd think at this time of year the tours would be decently loaded all day.

 

[KendalKing]

Nice cheap Irish plates hiding the age off the vehicle.

These buses were re-registered, when they were with Stagecoach.

 

[Jordan Adam]

These buses were re-registered, when they were with Stagecoach.

The Presidents are now gaining Irish plates.

 

[KendalKing]

The Presidents are now gaining Irish plates.

Do we know the new registration numbers, for these Presidents?

 

[SpeedbirdA350]

I'm still seeing quite a number of vehicles running with only 1 or 2 people or even empty. I'd mostly put it down to the time of day, but those empty buses will be taking any potential profit away from the busy ones.

I seen 2 yesterday, early afternoon on Lothian Road and one had 1 passanger on it, the other had none (that I could see). In contrast however, I seen a city sightseeing which had about 8 and a second sightseeing which had about 15 or so, so I assumed that it was more down to time of the day as that is poor for both.

Does anyone know how much roughly it would cost in fuel to drive a single loop?

 

[Cesarcollie]

I seen 2 yesterday, early afternoon on Lothian Road and one had 1 passanger on it, the other had none (that I could see). In contrast however, I seen a city sightseeing which had about 8 and a second sightseeing which had about 15 or so, so I assumed that it was more down to time of the day as that is poor for both.

Does anyone know how much roughly it would cost in fuel to drive a single loop?

I don’t know how long the loop is, but a Trident or B7 on stop/start hilly work will probably do 5mpg, and fuel is currently circa £1 per litre (excluding VAT as buses are zero rated), or £4.55 per gallon. So about 91p per mile. But fuel is only one cost - there’s drivers, tyres, engineering, insurance, etc etc.

 

[Driver362]

As a comparison I reset fuel comp on a 10.5 m B5 hybrid and done a round trip Whitburn to Whitburn on a 275 and light back to deans and avraged 12.2 mpg. Appreciate this is not town driving and fuel comp might not be 100% accurate either and nor is on stop start hills etc but there is a good cross section of roads on 275.

 

[SpeedbirdA350]

Thanks Cesarcollie and Driver362 for that info

 

[In Focus]

Oh dear. Go to any major tourist city and you'll find touts flogging tour tickets.

Different thing being "well staffed" and being "over staffed" to try and intimidate any competition though .
Already stated Lothian have increased street sellers (more wages out of taxpayers cash) since BBT began .

 

[In Focus]

Yes, but I as of yet don't recall any 2016 B5TL tour bus breaking down, recently..

Unbreakable buses ,wow that will catch on quick ,no mechanics required

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Different thing being "well staffed" and being "over staffed" to try and intimidate any competition though .
Already stated Lothian have increased street sellers (more wages out of taxpayers cash) since BBT began .

To be fair, they are defending their business in the same way that First are defending theirs in West Lothian.

 

[In Focus]

While BBT's has been well received by the public and on the whole are gathering good numbers. I'm still seeing quite a number of vehicles running with only 1 or 2 people or even empty. I'd mostly put it down to the time of day, but those empty buses will be taking any potential profit away from the busy ones.

The only reason i mention this is because you'd think at this time of year the tours would be decently loaded all day.

At the kind of fares being paid it only takes a few really busy ones and even a handful on a tour makes it viable, slightly different at £10 or £29 on a bus at 20% capacity than same capacity paying £1.70 or travelling on a concession scheme.

 

[In Focus]

To be fair, they are defending their business in the same way that First are defending theirs in West Lothian.

First though cannot just go out and pay thousands of pounds of someone else's money to staff operations though.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

First though cannot just go out and pay thousands of pounds of someone else's money to staff operations though.

This is what happens...

Lothian are a business. They are owned by shareholders, like many businesses. If they're successful, they pay a dividend to said shareholders and the rest goes into investment and retained profits. They are financing this through their profits, generated elsewhere in the business.

First are also a business. They too are owned by shareholders. They haven't been successful so dividends haven't been paid for some time. They are financing their battle through their profits, generated elsewhere in the business.

That is it.

 

[GusB]

Different thing being "well staffed" and being "over staffed" to try and intimidate any competition though .
Already stated Lothian have increased street sellers (more wages out of taxpayers cash) since BBT began .

Will you please stop peddling this nonsense? The wages aren't paid from taxpayers' cash. The company is an arms-length business that returns a dividend to the taxpayer!

 

[CM]

First though cannot just go out and pay thousands of pounds of someone else's money to staff operations though.

Neither do Lothian, they pay a dividend TO the shareholders (ie East, Mid and West Lothian Councils and Edinburgh City Council). Now either you can't grasp that or you are just being ignorant and unwilling to acknowledge and accept it. I'd personally go for the latter.

 

[winston270twm]

Different thing being "well staffed" and being "over staffed" to try and intimidate any competition though .
Already stated Lothian have increased street sellers (more wages out of taxpayers cash) since BBT began .

How exactly are "more wages coming out of taxpayers cash" ??

Lothian is a profitable commercial business, the local councils are shareholders, which receive a dividend. So it's actually completely the opposite.... and money is going back in.

 

[In Focus]

This is what happens...

Lothian are a business. They are owned by shareholders, like many businesses. If they're successful, they pay a dividend to said shareholders and the rest goes into investment and retained profits. They are financing this through their profits, generated elsewhere in the business.

First are also a business. They too are owned by shareholders. They haven't been successful so dividends haven't been paid for some time. They are financing their battle through their profits, generated elsewhere in the business.

That is it.

Do you still believe in the tooth fairy as well ?

 

[CM]

Do you still believe in the tooth fairy as well ?

You clearly have an issue with people posting facts.

 

[In Focus]

All these fanboys that actually think Lothian region and the transport for Edinburgh does not underpin the finances of the network!!

Oh dear should make the LCB accounts an interesting little debate then .

 

[In Focus]

You clearly have an issue with people posting facts.

I have an issue with people fabricating nonsense and rdfusling to believe transport for Edinburgh (and now west lothian and east Lothian) is not owned by Lothian and therefore tax payers hard earned cash .