HCT Group in Administration (was Bristol Community Transport to cease trading)

[Flange Squeal]

I see from Twitter that former HCT Group vehicles appear to be making up a good amount of The Big Lemon’s fleet going forward. Recent tweets by John Bickerton appear to show at least Enviros YX17 NSN/O and NRU/Y being prepped for service.

https://twitter.com/johnbickerton/status/1575851831737356288

 

[Galaxy]

Did Phil Stockley get out in time?

 

[Callum15632]

I see from Twitter that former HCT Group vehicles appear to be making up a good amount of The Big Lemon’s fleet going forward. Recent tweets by John Bickerton appear to show at least Enviros YX17 NSN/O and NRU/Y being prepped for service.

https://twitter.com/johnbickerton/status/1575851831737356288

Do you know what other vehicles are gonna be in big lemons fleet?

 

[Dai Corner]

Did Phil Stockley get out in time?

He's listed as a Director of 12 HCT companies

Philip John STOCKLEY personal appointments - Find and update company information - GOV.UK

Free company information from Companies House including registered office address, filing history, accounts, annual return, officers, charges, business activity

find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk

 

[Citistar]

I see from Twitter that former HCT Group vehicles appear to be making up a good amount of The Big Lemon’s fleet going forward. Recent tweets by John Bickerton appear to show at least Enviros YX17 NSN/O and NRU/Y being prepped for service.

https://twitter.com/johnbickerton/status/1575851831737356288

I believe they have eight ex-HCT E200s in total for the Bristol services.

 

[Callum15632]

I believe they have eight ex-HCT E200s in total for the Bristol services.

What buses will be for the rest as it is 12 vehicles it says.

 

[johnnychips]

I apologise for perhaps appearing ignorant, but they say no question is stupid. Is this group that has gone bankrupt widespread? (Even though this thread is originally about Bristol). I just noticed that the Doncaster P + R hospital service, which I can see from my workplace, is no longer operated by Powell’s but by Wilfreda Beehive, even though the actual vehicles seem to be the same.

 

[Citistar]

What buses will be for the rest as it is 12 vehicles it says.

There are a couple of Lemon Solos around Bristol as well.

 

[PhilStockley]

Did Phil Stockley get out in time?

He's listed as a Director of 12 HCT companies

Thanks for asking, and yes, a couple of years ago when we very thin on the ground for senior people, I agreed to act as statutory director for most of the subsidiaries - as a consequence of which, even though my time with HCT came to an end just over a week ago, I now have the dubious pleasure of spending many hours and days embroiled in the legal niceties of umpteen closure processes. Not fun!

I have avoided making much comment publicly because it hasn't been appropriate, but the time will come when I can reflect openly on a fascinating six years, and particularly the ups and downs of the last two. I have only seen one recent summary that I fear has really nailed the issues.

What I would say is that the sales of large parts of the business to Stagecoach, First and Tower Transit, along with the not-widely-reported but broadly seamless transitions of our SEN transport contracts to HATS Group and London Hire, have been many months in the planning - far from the panic measures that some seem to have assumed - have preserved the overwhelming majority of jobs via TUPE, ensured service continuity for the overwhelming majority of customers and raised significant funds, and resulted in a much better outcome for suppliers/creditors than might otherwise have been foreseeable.

The only parts of the business to close without replacement have been those where we could not find a buyer at any price (even £1) and in those circumstances, however brutal it is, there are legal steps that one is obliged to take when a business cannot pay its way and there is no prospect of recovery. For the rest, administration is the final step to formalise closure once services/contracts/jobs have been squared away and are necessary only because the CIC structure means most of the disposals have had to be asset sales rather than entity sales.

So, not an outcome to celebrate by any means, but rather more orderly than some of the reporting would suggest.

I believe they have eight ex-HCT E200s in total for the Bristol services.

Indeed. They were leased from Siemens, and the lease term finished at the end of August, to coincide with the original planned finish dates for the Bristol tenders, so they were Siemens' assets and they have obviously struck a deal with the Big Lemon to sell/lease them on to them.

 

[Galaxy]

Good to hear you're well and all the best for the future, Phil.

Horrific times for the industry at the moment, but it's people like you we need to see it through to the other side.

 

[Marcus Fryer]

There are a couple of Lemon Solos around Bristol as well.

Looking at bustimes.org, it seems the E200 are running on the 505 and the Solos are running on the 515 & 516. The 516 is only hourly (was every half-hour when BCT ran it), so only requires one bus. The 506 has one E200 and one Solo.

 

[volvob12]

The BBC are reporting that “Every route operated by BCT has now been reinstated as before.”

Dan Norris seems to agree and that they’ve all been saved, which may be true for the West of England Combined Authority area, but no sign of any replacement for the 53-55 yet?

New operator saves cancelled bus routes in Bristol

The 505, 506, 515 and 516 in Bristol are run by operator Big Lemon.

www.bbc.co.uk

A new operator has started running four bus routes that stopped after the collapse of Bristol Community Transport (BCT).
Big Lemon runs several routes in Brighton and started running the 505, 506, 515 and 516 in Bristol earlier.
"We're looking forward to meeting our passengers. It must have been difficult without these services running," said Big Lemon CEO Tom Druitt.
Every route operated by BCT has now been reinstated as before.
"We've managed to save all services cut by Bristol Community Transport - a big win for Bristolians.
"Buses matter. They allow local communities to thrive and are so, so vital in helping us meet our ambitious net-zero targets locally" said West of England Metro Mayor Dan Norris.
The routes connect the following areas:

• 505 - Long Ashton Park and Ride to Southmead
• 506 - Broadmead to Southmead
• 515 - Imperial Park to Stockwood
• 516 - Broad Walk to Hengrove Park

The Big Lemon will also pick up the Dial-a-Ride services previously operated by BCT.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

The BBC are reporting that “Every route operated by BCT has now been reinstated as before.”

Dan Norris seems to agree and that they’ve all been saved, which may be true for the West of England Combined Authority area, but no sign of any replacement for the 53-55 yet?

New operator saves cancelled bus routes in Bristol

The 505, 506, 515 and 516 in Bristol are run by operator Big Lemon.

www.bbc.co.uk

On the regional BBC breakfast bulletin, they did mention the North Somerset ones were still outstanding.

 

[Citistar]

The BBC are reporting that “Every route operated by BCT has now been reinstated as before.”

Dan Norris seems to agree and that they’ve all been saved, which may be true for the West of England Combined Authority area, but no sign of any replacement for the 53-55 yet?

I'll go for the minor technicality of the daytime Mon-Sat 516 having been every 30 mins with HCT and now hourly with the Lemming.

 

[NorthernSpirit]

I apologise for perhaps appearing ignorant, but they say no question is stupid. Is this group that has gone bankrupt widespread? (Even though this thread is originally about Bristol). I just noticed that the Doncaster P + R hospital service, which I can see from my workplace, is no longer operated by Powell’s but by Wilfreda Beehive, even though the actual vehicles seem to be the same.

It may well be that Wilfreda Beehive have bought x amount of vehicles from CT Plus to run the service, as the Solos that WB previously used on stage work were owned by SYPTE and leased out.

 

[Snow1964]

Why are town councils wasting their time investigating routes which already exist? Not only would duplicating existing services be a complete waste of resources at a time when they are already scarce, but this fawning over Big Lemon is completely disrespectful to the providers who are already engaged in operating them. As with so many of these projects, it appears to be being pushed forward by people who have no interest or regard for what already exists, they just want to destroy it and replace it with their vision of something better.

There is something going on south of the West of England Combined Authority area, now seems the demise of HCT has led to The Big Lemon, alongside Wiltshire Council Area Board and Option 24/7 (an official partner of Wiltshire Council) doing electric bus surveys

Whilst this remains a speculative spin off following HCT demise, will post in this thread, but if it actually starts then probably needs a thread of its own

Bradford on Avon Town Council, the Wiltshire Council Area Board, Big Lemon, and Option 24/7 are working in partnership to gauge the potential for a community-owned, electric bus service.

Cllr Tim Trimble, chair of the Sustainable Travel Committee and Wiltshire Councillor, said: “I am very excited about this opportunity to bring sustainable public transport around the town. Also, for residents to have their say on where they want the buses to run.

Councils working together launch electric bus survey - Bradford on Avon Town Council

People in and around Bradford on Avon are being asked for their views on a solar-powered electric bus service.

bradfordonavontowncouncil.gov.uk

Survey closes 8th January.

 

[GusB]

As this company is now defunct, it's time to wind this thread up. Please feel free to continue discussing former HCT services in the relevant operator threads. If there is no existing thread (please use the forum search to check first), you're welcome to start a new one.