The rapid decline of Bournemouth’s Yellow Buses network

[baza585]

It was the depot NX were after.

It is far bigger than they need though. Unless they have grand plans .......

Time will tell.

I think they spent a fair sum on Southcote Road to improve it?

They can probably squeeze a few more into Poole, some into Southcote, and also move out some of the coaching work to Pimperne if really pushed.

Yes they have improved Southcote but it is still quite small and cramped. AFAIK it is only the M1, 13 and 23 that operate from there; the rest are Poole.

Agree they can squeeze a few more into Poole, and shift some coaching to Pimperne but I guess until things settle down in October after the uni comes back we won't really know.

 

[RELL6L]

I suspect the Yellow depot may be too large and too expensive for anyone to want to take on. Part of the problem?

 

[AB93]

Yes they have improved Southcote but it is still quite small and cramped. AFAIK it is only the M1, 13 and 23 that operate from there; the rest are Poole.

Agree they can squeeze a few more into Poole, and shift some coaching to Pimperne but I guess until things settle down in October after the uni comes back we won't really know.

How many Bournemouth-living former Yellows drivers they pick up will be willing to grind their way through the traffic to/from the depot at Poole every day in the longer term will no doubt be something Go South Coast have to consider.

 

[Surreyman]

I suspect the Yellow depot may be too large and too expensive for anyone to want to take on. Part of the problem?

If National express are taking on the lease of Yeomans Way and the engineering staff then it is likely that Lucketts will move in from Bournemouth Airport and N.E will look to base more nat express coach operations.
They might even sub-lease some parking space to GoAhead Morebus!!

 

[Snow1964]

They say they've got new buses for the Unibus routes (and I did see a couple in Bournemouth depot this evening) and presumably had enough space there to take them before this happened. As for drivers, that's going to be a trickier ask - but they'll probably see an influx of ex-yellows drivers rather quickly.

Maybe I am mixing up with somewhere else, but I thought they were not registered, and have been allocated 72 registration plates, so can't go into service until 1st September

 

[baza585]

If National express are taking on the lease of Yeomans Way and the engineering staff then it is likely that Lucketts will move in from Bournemouth Airport and N.E will look to base more nat express coach operations.
They might even sub-lease some parking space to GoAhead Morebus!!

That would solve issues for both parties but add to the impression of a stitch up.

 

[APT618S]

Maybe I am mixing up with somewhere else, but I thought they were not registered, and have been allocated 72 registration plates, so can't go into service until 1st September

There are 10, fleet Nos 1686-1695 with 22-reg (HJ22 U..) according to Bus Lists on the Web.
Picture of 1686, credit to Hobgoblin737:

HJ22UXW

A new A/D Enviro400 MMC (1686) with Go-South Coast (More) in Bournemouth University livery seen in Poole bus station.

www.flickr.com

 

[Mainline421]

Services will cease at 18:00 https://twitter.com/YellowBuses/status/1555218676688867329

 

[BenS123]

The last bus to leave Bournemouth is scheduled to leave now (18:00) and all buses will continue to their destinations and then terminate.

 

[RELL6L]

A sad end. No service at all tomorrow then main arteries covered from Saturday, will be interested to see how that goes. Some routes lost though.

 

[341o2]

Just got in having seen the 1730 departure from Tesco New Milton destination Somerford.Would that be the last working to that destination?
Agree, a sad end, not even "an announcement will be made on Friday"
Feel sorry for the staff

 

[Mainline421]

18:09 1b to Christchurch appears to be running, likely in error.

 

[Megafuss]

Services will cease at 18:00 https://twitter.com/YellowBuses/status/1555218676688867329

At least Buster the Bear looks happy about it all

 

[33011]

When Nat Ex take over the Yellow coaches business will they have to operate the Megabus services?

 

[GusB]

Obviously it's not news now, but in order to provide a source:

Yellow Buses to close as NatEx in for Yellow Coaches - routeone

Bournemouth Transport Ltd, which trades as Yellow Buses, will end the operation of all services after Thursday 4 August.

www.route-one.net

It's sad to see such a long-standing operator go to the wall.

Bournemouth Transport Ltd, which trades as Yellow Buses, will end the operation of all services beyond Thursday 4 August after administrator Milsted Langdon was unable to find a buyer for the troubled business.

Yellow Buses employs around 300 staff, although it is understood that some quickly left once it fell into administration on 29 July. At that time, Milsted Langdon aired hopes of selling the business to “a large national operator,” stating that such negotiations were well underway with an expected rapid completion.

However, Administrator Simon Rowe confirmed on 3 August that no solution could be found, with “every [potential] buyer we spoke to [feeling] that the prospects were not commercially viable” owing to the scale of financial challenge.

A provisional buyer for the associated Yellow Coaches operation has been found, however, with National Express having confirmed that it is in “final discussions with administrators to purchase the coach and engineering operations” of that business. The PLC adds that it will not be purchasing Yellow Buses.

National Express says the deal for Yellow Coaches will safeguard around 50 jobs and the scheduled services operated on its behalf by that business.

 

[341o2]

18:09 1b to Christchurch appears to be running, likely in error.

Will this be the last Yellow bus then?

 

[miklcct]

Will this be the last Yellow bus then?

The tracker is showing the 17:58 route 1 heading to Westbourne as now - the last bus remaining on the map.

 

[BenS123]

https://bustimes.org/operators/yellow-buses/map shows those as the last 3 buses in public use. (Edit: there's 4, there's a route 737 behind the route 5 bus)

 

[AB93]

(Edit: there's 4, there's a route 737 behind the route 5 bus)

Those are parked in the depot.

 

[BenS123]

Those are parked in the depot.

I should have known... I literally was there 2 weeks ago.
Currently it appears 2 buses are in service, 1 of those about to terminate.

 

[Mainline421]

Will this be the last Yellow bus then?

As far as I can tell that was the late running 17:56 1 from Christchurch, on the map above. Theoretically it should have been the 17:55 1a from New Milton but that did not run its full route. Was back in Bournemouth today, so thanks to impromptu trip I may have even been the last passenger. Regret not getting a better photo, but when I saw that 1a was gonna try and photograph that at Gervis Place. Might try putting the ticket on ebay

 

[geoffk]

Summer timetables are in place don't forget so less drivers and vehicles needed. Depending on demand in some of the other areas too with regards to summer timetables, they could loan in some drivers.

Then you've got the fact they are encouraging Yellows drivers to move over.

But TUPE won't apply to Yellow Buses drivers will it as the company is not being taken over.

 

[JD2168]

Sad to see the end of Yellow Buses & hopefully the employees will be able to find new jobs quickly. Good news that the coaching side has been bought by National Express & more have covered the routes.

Sad to see the end of Yellow Buses & hopefully the employees will be able to find new jobs quickly. Good news that the coaching side has been bought by National Express & more have covered the bus routes.

 

[PTR 444]

Does the demise of YB now make Bournemouth the largest town within Great Britain to only have one local bus operator?

 

[duncanp]

There is nothing on the website to indicate that services have ceased running, although this fact is mentioned on Facebook and Twitter.

I guess the amdinistrators don't care about people who may be mislead into thinking that a bus service may be running tomorrow, and who turn up at a bus stop only to wait in vain.

 

[Western Sunset]

Surprised they finished at 6pm; thought they'd continue until end of play today. As others have said; a very sad end. My final journey today on a Yellow was on their "Poetry" branded bus.

Yellows worked a shuttle minibus service for staff between Bournemouth station and Bournemouth T&RSMD. Will that continue?

 

[Snow1964]

But TUPE won't apply to Yellow Buses drivers will it as the company is not being taken over.

Correct, they will be made redundant, and are free to find themselves another job.

Those working for coach division, and any engineering staff would get TUPE if they are sold to another operator.

 

[baza585]

Are National Express taking on the depot?

 

[ANDREW_D_WEBB]

Yellows worked a shuttle minibus service for staff between Bournemouth station and Bournemouth T&RSMD. Will that continue?

Depends if it was the bus part of the business or the coach part.

If it is the former then no, the company has ceased to trade. If it is the coach part then it should probably continue.

The only minibuses I remember the company currently having were some Mercedes Sprinters with the coach part of the company

 

[nesw]

I’d think that the Castlepoint garage would be too large for just coaches and possibly with unattractive leasing fees.