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Are you sure the Breezer hasn't been running? Or, have you just seen the open top bus on another route and not seen it tracking, so concluded it's not running?
Hulley's posted on social media that it wasn't running on Thursday or Friday, so that's pretty conclusive. Plus I can vouch that it didn't run yesterday (Saturday).
The service has never tracked since the route started for some mysterious reason.
Hulley's posted on social media that it wasn't running on Thursday or Friday, so that's pretty conclusive. Plus I can vouch that it didn't run yesterday (Saturday). The service has never tracked since the route started for some mysterious reason.
If there's no reliable tracking, it's hard for anyone (other than the operator) to say it didn't run at all on a given day. Sometimes a journey might be missed or a bus might only operate part of the route for some reason e.g. if there's been an accident or an emergency road closure.
If there's no reliable tracking, it's hard for anyone (other than the operator) to say it didn't run at all on a given day. Sometimes a journey might be missed or a bus might only operate part of the route for some reason e.g. if there's been an accident or an emergency road closure.
Indeed, but on the above three days it never ran at all, or at least in the case of Saturday if it did run it was covered in invisible paint or missed out Hathersage on every trip.
No mention from Hulley's that it's not running today, but I wouldn't be surprised if that's the case.
The weather is irrelevant. It's registered to run, so should run irrespective of the weather.
== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==
Hulley's posted on social media that it wasn't running on Thursday or Friday, so that's pretty conclusive. Plus I can vouch that it didn't run yesterday (Saturday).
The service has never tracked since the route started for some mysterious reason.
Hulley’s posted on social media that it wasn't running on Thursday or Friday, so that's pretty conclusive. Plus I can vouch that it didn't run yesterday (Saturday).
Surely three consecutive days of no service (and the rest of it) is worth reporting to the traffic commissioner?
Edit: I’ve looked through their Facebook page for such cancellations but found that their communication and attitude is woeful. This one in particular strikes me as less than professional
Due to this inconsiderately parked car our 173 bus is currently stuck in Cressbrook. If anyone has a recovery wagon or tractor nearby and wants to earn some cash please get in touch so we can get this idiot out of the way and our bus moving again.
They won't do anything for that. Gloucestershire Council reported Stagecoach West for dismal reliability (on some routes, it resulted in 80% of buses not turning up), nothing has been done. I've reported Stagecoach South Wales for cancelling 700 journeys per week, nothing got done. Traffic Commissioner is just the DFT giving their mates a highly paid role. They sure as heck don't do what they are meant to.
According to their own stats, in 2022-23 (I am assuming financial year), only 3 public enquiries have been called against operators for local bus service offences. 3! In a year! Given the dismal performance previously and given Hulleys previous shenanigans pre Covid and through Covid with the X57 and extremely short lived X1 service, they should have been called up a long time ago for public inquiry but failure to run services in accordance with the registered timetable, is so far down the list for traffic commissioners, it's a waste of time reporting any operator.
They won't do anything for that. Gloucestershire Council reported Stagecoach West for dismal reliability (on some routes, it resulted in 80% of buses not turning up), nothing has been done. I've reported Stagecoach South Wales for cancelling 700 journeys per week, nothing got done. Traffic Commissioner is just the DFT giving their mates a highly paid role. They sure as heck don't do what they are meant to.
According to their own stats, in 2022-23 (I am assuming financial year), only 3 public enquiries have been called against operators for local bus service offences. 3! In a year! Given the dismal performance previously and given Hulleys previous shenanigans pre Covid and through Covid with the X57 and extremely short lived X1 service, they should have been called up a long time ago for public inquiry but failure to run services in accordance with the registered timetable, is so far down the list for traffic commissioners, it's a waste of time reporting any operator.
Only evidence gathered by DVSA enforcement officers is admissible at a public enquiry, and the number of those was cut right back in Cameron's "red tape challenge", so only the worse cases get prioritised, and the majority are in road haulage.
Do we know whether the two 23 plate buses (The ADL and the Volvo) are permanent in the fleet, if they'll receive fleet livery, and if they've replaced anything?
Do we know whether the two 23 plate buses (The ADL and the Volvo) are permanent in the fleet, if they'll receive fleet livery, and if they've replaced anything?
The Breezer seemingly did not run re journeys 1, 10 or 11 as scheduled for Saturday 26 August. In which case probably all 12 journeys were cancelled. I am not certain whether any staff member is tasked with providing any updates. I gather there was a problem with the scheduled vehicle
A closed top Double decker Enviro 400 LJ09CCK operated the first 4 journeys on Sunday 27 August. Hopefully the other 8 journeys were also operated. Castleton did have some light rain impacting on all of the first four journeys. The first journey was four minutes late in arriving at Castleton and the second journey was four minutes late on departure from Castleton
The Breezer seemingly did not run re journeys 1, 10 or 11 as scheduled for Saturday 26 August. In which case probably all 12 journeys were cancelled. I am not certain whether any staff member is tasked with providing any updates. I gather there was a problem with the scheduled vehicle
A closed top Double decker Enviro 400 LJ09CCK operated the first 4 journeys on Sunday 27 August. Hopefully the other 8 journeys were also operated. Castleton did have some light rain impacting on all of the first four journeys. The first journey was four minutes late in arriving at Castleton and the second journey was four minutes late on departure from Castleton
Do we know whether the two 23 plate buses (The ADL and the Volvo) are permanent in the fleet, if they'll receive fleet livery, and if they've replaced anything?
Monday 28 August. The first part of the Breezer journey that is 09:05 from Chesterfield to Baslow was cancelled. However, Hulleys arranged for a young staff member to be on the 09:20 170A Hulleys service from Chesterfield. They duly instructed intending passengers to join the 170A as far as Baslow. The young staff member was also making agreed phone calls to ensure that the Breezer was held at Baslow.
The Breezer was therefore 12 minutes late from Baslow. Not that it mattered. There was huge traffic congestion from Hathersage or rather from the Bamford turn to Castleton. Bank holiday Monday. Given the congestion, online journey planners were giving a journey time of over one hour by car for Hathersage to Castleton - a distance of less than six miles. The Breezer timetable allows 14 minutes for this journey. The Breezer bus driver was hesitating as to whether to terminate at the turning to Bamford. I alighted. The driver decided he would continue to Castleton and be at least 45 minutes late. Probably more given the need to navigate past any parked cars
Who are all of these car drivers who insist on jamming up the roads?
I did not stay around to see how much impact this 45 plus minutes congestion had on Hulleys attempting to run a useful bus service.
The Breezer bus service does get picked up by journey planners and would give a brilliant service were it not for motorists jamming the roads.
If there's RMT strikes affecting train services on a Bank Holiday Saturday and then the bus service connecting the stations to the local attractions is unreliable, it's no wonder people aren't using public transport.
It was Hope show today and during late morning and early afternoon the traffic around Bamford/Hope was dreadful. It cleared up early afternoon but then of course started to get bad again late afternoon after the show finished.
I was in Hathersage and Hope this afternoon and didn't see any Hulleys buses come past. I travelled by train myself (Northern was running well too and were busy I have to add!)
A look at the performance of First's service 272 Sheffield to Castleton does illustrate the state of play (and huge credit to First for running the majority of their service given the delays!). Buses were seeing some healthy loads out of Sheffield in the morning.
0850 Sheffield-Castleton due 0951 - departed Sheffield on time, arrived Castleton 10:37
0950 Sheffield-Castleton due 1042 - departed Sheffield 1 minute late, arrived Castleton 13:04
1050 Sheffield-Castleton due 1151 - departed Sheffield on time, arrived Castleton 13:41
1150 Sheffield-Castleton due 1242 - departed Sheffield on time, arrived Castleton 13:54
1250 Sheffield-Castleton due 1351 - departed Sheffield 1 minute late, arrived Castleton 14:15
1350 Sheffield-Castleton due 1442 - departed Sheffield 35 minutes late, arrived Castleton 15:14
1450 Sheffield-Castleton due 1551 - departed Sheffield 21 minutes late, terminated short of destination at Bradwell
1550 Sheffield-Castleton due 1642 - departed Sheffield 6 minutes late, arrived Castleton 16:46
1650 Sheffield-Castleton due 1751 - on time throughout
1850 Sheffield-Castleton due 1944 - departed Sheffield 11 minutes late
== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==
Monday 28 August. The first part of the Breezer journey that is 09:05 from Chesterfield to Baslow was cancelled. However, Hulleys arranged for a young staff member to be on the 09:20 170A Hulleys service from Chesterfield. They duly instructed intending passengers to join the 170A as far as Baslow. The young staff member was also making agreed phone calls to ensure that the Breezer was held at Baslow.
The Breezer was therefore 12 minutes late from Baslow. Not that it mattered. There was huge traffic congestion from Hathersage or rather from the Bamford turn to Castleton. Bank holiday Monday. Given the congestion, online journey planners were giving a journey time of over one hour by car for Hathersage to Castleton - a distance of less than six miles. The Breezer timetable allows 14 minutes for this journey. The Breezer bus driver was hesitating as to whether to terminate at the turning to Bamford. I alighted. The driver decided he would continue to Castleton and be at least 45 minutes late. Probably more given the need to navigate past any parked cars
Who are all of these car drivers who insist on jamming up the roads?
I did not stay around to see how much impact this 45 plus minutes congestion had on Hulleys attempting to run a useful bus service.
The Breezer bus service does get picked up by journey planners and would give a brilliant service were it not for motorists jamming the roads.
Bank holiday traffic aside, the Breezer would be a good service if Hulleys actually ran it as advertised.
Disrupted service today - it happens - but no posts on Hulleys social media to advise passengers and as normal that route doesn't have any live tracking data feeding the various apps, bustimes.org etc for passengers to know what is happening.
Over the last few weeks the Breezer service has been cancelled on a significant number of days due to no driver being available and the Breezer open top bus has run on a random other route. Then on some recent days when a driver has been available for the Breezer route and it has run it has been with a normal bus because the Breezer open top bus isn't available!
It often isn't providing the open top service promoted to visitors and it isn't reliably providing the transport links for the locals. The Breezer was a great idea but Hulleys simply do not seem to have the resource to deliver it. The unreliability has become a joke and Hulleys is getting a bad reputation for it.
Sadly issues seem to be spreading to other routes too, for example the last Hulleys 271 of the day from Sheffield to Castleton on Friday was cancelled between Sheffield and Dore Moor, where the bus randomly started the route, leaving behind all the commuters in Sheffield! No information put out for passengers.
Tuesday 29th August 2023 This summer has seen not just one new open top bus route in the glorious Derbyshire Peak District but two: Hulleys of Baslow’s Breezer and Stagecoach’s Peak Sightseer. Thes…
Looking over the published accounts is quite revealing. They have -ve assets of and liabilities in excess of their assets. So if they went bang tomorrow, some people aren't getting paid.
Rare for an operation to have negative asset values - but this one is burning cash rather fast. May explain the fleet turnover as bills want paying all of a sudden. The profit and loss account figures at the bottom are in brackets, always a good sign as that means they're losses!
If you look at the first line of the balance sheet, the total value of vehicles/premises is almost £477,000, but the monies the company needs to pay within 12 months is £644,400, difference of £167,400. Director seems to be doing ok with his loan, though!
I can attach a screengrab of the PDF but when I try to copy and paste it comes out in something approaching Chinese...!
Looking over the published accounts is quite revealing. They have -ve assets of and liabilities in excess of their assets. So if they went bang tomorrow, some people aren't getting paid.
Rare for an operation to have negative asset values - but this one is burning cash rather fast. May explain the fleet turnover as bills want paying all of a sudden. The profit and loss account figures at the bottom are in brackets, always a good sign as that means they're losses!
If you look at the first line of the balance sheet, the total value of vehicles/premises is almost £477,000, but the monies the company needs to pay within 12 months is £644,400, difference of £167,400. Director seems to be doing ok with his loan, though!
I can attach a screengrab of the PDF but when I try to copy and paste it comes out in something approaching Chinese...!
I am not an accountant, but suspect that holding company accounts don't tell much. The large sum for Fixed Assets is represented by "shares in group undertakings and participating interests" (which looks to be a 100% interest in Henry Hulley & Sons Limited) and those assets have exactly the same value as the year before, so are presumably based on some historic cost rather than a current valuation. Net assets are £40k smaller than a year earlier.
It's an outside possibility - but the business is reliant upon cashflow, and that loss to end of 2022 is around £5k a week. So as long as someone is prepared to continue funding the operation no doubt it'll continue. You could surmise that the frequent changes of services are in some way attempts to control the cashflow by not spending money. This open top service as a prime example. If it goes out it burns fuel and costs drivers wages. If the bus doesn't run they don't have those costs, and the driver can be redeployed elsewhere.
Obviously it should operate as it's registered to do so. The same observation can be made on fleet turnover, there's a lot of buses coming and going from the fleet after brief stays.
We are dealing with a set of abbreviated accounts here, so all that will be shown is a balance sheet rather than a profit and loss account. I'm sure there will be one in existence for internal use, but all the company needs to provide by law is an abbreviated set of accounts. A lot can be hidden in those. I'm going on the profit and loss figure shown at the bottom of the 2022 balance sheet, which shows the £300k loss. Essentially that means the costs of operating the buses is £300k higher than the income received (revenue/turnover).
I wouldn't be surprised to a see a smaller loss on the profit and loss account (that can mean someone spent the profit ahead of the end of the year, like on a new bus or two rather than pay the tax that would fall due from the profit. Known as tax avoidance and legal - evasion isn't...)
Without knowing what the Director of the company knows, anything else is speculation. All we know is that - right now - the company is able to meet its debts and obligations. When a company can't meet its obligations than the directors have to take action. Trading whilst insolvent is a serious offence in the UK.
I wouldn't be surprised to a see a smaller loss on the profit and loss account (that can mean someone spent the profit ahead of the end of the year, like on a new bus or two rather than pay the tax that would fall due from the profit. Known as tax avoidance and legal - evasion isn't...)
From memory, Hulley's tends to be one of those companies which have a high turnover of buses, maybe for these reasons. Other companies, e.g. Southdown PSV and Go-Coach of a similar size have a low turnover of buses - the Southdown fleet I think has been unchanged for around 4 years.
Hulleys have a questionable practise when it comes to fleet. They buy ageing buses that have been absolutely hammered, spend a lot on repaints and repairs and replace them after six months. Wouldn’t it make more sense to buy fairly recent second hand buses, and use them for a much longer time?
They buy old vehicles and run them until they've broken down to the point of becoming scrap. The new vehicles are unlikely to have been bought, probably leased on best terms available to conserve cash.
From memory, Hulley's tends to be one of those companies which have a high turnover of buses, maybe for these reasons. Other companies, e.g. Southdown PSV and Go-Coach of a similar size have a low turnover of buses - the Southdown fleet I think has been unchanged for around 4 years.
The high fleet turnover is a feature of the new owners - the previous owners kept vehicles a very long time and ran a stable network. Go Coach are specialists at batch vehicle buying and shifting some on, adding others to fleet and knocking out the older ones in the same process.
Hulleys have a questionable practise when it comes to fleet. They buy ageing buses that have been absolutely hammered, spend a lot on repaints and repairs and replace them after six months. Wouldn’t it make more sense to buy fairly recent second hand buses, and use them for a much longer time?
It would be a cheaper proposition for them in the longer run. However you can do deals on batches of vehicles, especially when there's unpopular features like dual doors which are ideal for London, yet less helpful in the Peak District where there are fewer people. So something like those dual door MCV Evolutions they have a few of would be a logical bulk purchase as it's borderline financially unviable to single door them.
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