West Country Independents

[winston270twm]

So wessex will have 51, 505, 513, 514, isn't the 11 still going too?

Plus the One, UOB16, and Bicester P&R work is operated out of Avonmouth.

The 11 is also cancelled from next month.

 

[THarris123]

Hmm. Now that Elton Road is one way - to buses as well as cars (hence First rerouted Service 9 journeys from Temple Meads via. University Road last year) - I sincerely doubt that CTPlus will try and use bendybuses on the 16 to Bristol University if they have any degree (pun intended - ) of sense: to try and get a bendybus up University Road might prove to be a fail and a half. They wouldn't fit in the stop either.

CTP will have to get some more vehicles in but I wonder what.

Dave

Who said that CT plus would have 16? All I've heard is that Wessex have lost it.

 

[BBC]

Who said that CT plus would have 16? All I've heard is that Wessex have lost it.

Iv heard the same but been told by a few that first has picked it up. Also people are forgetting the 3a and b that Wessex run. They get pretty busy.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Iv heard the same but been told by a few that first has picked it up. Also people are forgetting the 3a and b that Wessex run. They get pretty busy.

I probably see the 3a/b at the wrong time but never see them that busy. Probably me, as I say.

IF Wessex have lost the 16, that would be a major loss. Again based purely on probably unrepresentative observations when heading through Totterdown and Clifton, the 51 seems to do ok whilst the ONE seems carry only penny numbers.

Quite a turnaround from this time in 2014 when First began registering the 17, 81/82, X49 and reasserting themselves.

 

[Marcus Fryer]

Iv heard the same but been told by a few that first has picked it up. Also people are forgetting the 3a and b that Wessex run. They get pretty busy.

Also the 625. Does the SNF still run?

 

[BBC]

I probably see the 3a/b at the wrong time but never see them that busy. Probably me, as I say.

IF Wessex have lost the 16, that would be a major loss. Again based purely on probably unrepresentative observations when heading through Totterdown and Clifton, the 51 seems to do ok whilst the ONE seems carry only penny numbers.

Quite a turnaround from this time in 2014 when First began registering the 17, 81/82, X49 and reasserting themselves.

The one is now every 8 mins so I'm not sure how it's going to survive.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Also the 625. Does the SNF still run?

The SNF does run - from when I've seen it, it's up there with the 901 in popularity!

 

[freetoview33]

The SNF does run - from when I've seen it, it's up there with the 901 in popularity!

No the SNF is more popular than the 901 was. But saying that the 901 started to pick up before it was cancelled

 

[Marc]

i was surprised yesterday morning to see a vario on service on the a37 at temple cloud. no names, but i think it was a ct coach one? i was driving at the time so didnt catch a number. is this a normal working?

 

[ooo]

I probably see the 3a/b at the wrong time but never see them that busy. Probably me, as I say.

IF Wessex have lost the 16, that would be a major loss. Again based purely on probably unrepresentative observations when heading through Totterdown and Clifton, the 51 seems to do ok whilst the ONE seems carry only penny numbers.

Quite a turnaround from this time in 2014 when First began registering the 17, 81/82, X49 and reasserting themselves.

When i see them at Atzec West most of the seats tend to be full

 

[swifty]

Ex Tower Transt (Ex First) 33036 LK51UYE is now half open top and in use with Rubicon on the Bristol Tour.

 

[diffywood]

Wessex to start new Express service for the University of Bath from 24th april

http://www.wessexbus.com/news/IntroducingthenewExpressservicefortheUniversityofBath_582.html

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Wessex to start new Express service for the University of Bath from 2th april

http://www.wessexbus.com/news/IntroducingthenewExpressservicefortheUniversityofBath_582.html

Curious time of the year to start that - about 6 weeks before many head off for the summer!

If you'd said 1st April start........................

 

[THarris123]

Curious time of the year to start that - about 6 weeks before many head off for the summer!

If you'd said 1st April start........................

At a guess id say this will be a flop. Firstly they're starting it at the wrong time of the year, then they advertise it will take 15 mins to Oldfield Park and 17 mins to Uni, so it could very easily be classed as unreliable and First clearly have the upper hand - Wessex operate from 7am to 7pm - what's the point of that?

I notice there's a picture of a Streetlite on there - maybe 2 new vehicles to be brought in for the service?

 

[vicbury]

At a guess id say this will be a flop. Firstly they're starting it at the wrong time of the year, then they advertise it will take 15 mins to Oldfield Park and 17 mins to Uni, so it could very easily be classed as unreliable and First clearly have the upper hand - Wessex operate from 7am to 7pm - what's the point of that?

I notice there's a picture of a Streetlite on there - maybe 2 new vehicles to be brought in for the service?

Nah they'll be using the Enviro 200s coming off the 14 because they haven't thought of a better use for them.

Bizarre time of year to start a university service. After Easter most people have a few exams and nothing else. No lectures etc.

 

[matt_splat]

Wessex to start new Express service for the University of Bath from 2th april

http://www.wessexbus.com/news/IntroducingthenewExpressservicefortheUniversityofBath_582.html

intresting they are doing this at a time that people are saying burnett depot is going to close

 

[RhysHand]

Hmm. Now that Elton Road is one way - to buses as well as cars (hence First rerouted Service 9 journeys from Temple Meads via. University Road last year) - I sincerely doubt that CTPlus will try and use bendybuses on the 16 to Bristol University if they have any degree (pun intended - ) of sense: to try and get a bendybus up University Road might prove to be a fail and a half. They wouldn't fit in the stop either.

CTP will have to get some more vehicles in but I wonder what.

Dave

Can confirm the bendys have been sold.

CT have successfully won:
505
506
511
512

Wessex have retained the 508, 513 & 514
Abus have retained the 515
and Stagecoach have won the 77.

Specs for Bristol City contracts are 5 years or newer, so I expect it'll be something from dawsons - solo, e200 or similar.

 

[carlberry]

intresting they are doing this at a time that people are saying burnett depot is going to close

Plenty of room at Avonmouth!

 

[carlberry]

Can confirm the bendys have been sold.

CT have successfully won:
505
506
511
512

Wessex have retained the 508, 513 & 514
Abus have retained the 515
and Stagecoach have won the 77.

Specs for Bristol City contracts are 5 years or newer, so I expect it'll be something from dawsons - solo, e200 or similar.

Stagecoach on the 77 will take some getting used to (as part of it is the old Bristol City 15 service).

I hope Bristol city council made it a requirement to accept Avon Rider on the contracted services instead of just banging on about multi operator ticketing/integrated transport but not encouraging it like South Gloucestershire did!

 

[THarris123]

Can confirm the bendys have been sold.

CT have successfully won:
505
506
511
512

Wessex have retained the 508, 513 & 514
Abus have retained the 515
and Stagecoach have won the 77.

Specs for Bristol City contracts are 5 years or newer, so I expect it'll be something from dawsons - solo, e200 or similar.

So Stagecoach have won 77 from Bristol to Thornbury? Didn't realise this was up for tender. Why do Stagecoach want it anyway?

 

[RhysHand]

So Stagecoach have won 77 from Bristol to Thornbury? Didn't realise this was up for tender. Why do Stagecoach want it anyway?

Not sure.

All operators including us submitted tenders and they were successful. They won it at a seriously low price.

 

[Marcus Fryer]

Not sure.

All operators including us submitted tenders and they were successful. They won it at a seriously low price.

Hi Rhys. Thanks for your insight into the tendering of the 77. Are you able to provide a start date for the new contract?

 

[vicbury]

So Stagecoach have won 77 from Bristol to Thornbury? Didn't realise this was up for tender. Why do Stagecoach want it anyway?

Because they have grand ambitions for the West of England. Maybe they see it as a way of testing the water?

 

[RhysHand]

Hi Rhys. Thanks for your insight into the tendering of the 77. Are you able to provide a start date for the new contract?

From memory, September.

 

[DaveHarries]

CT have successfully won:
505
506
511
512

Wessex have retained the 508, 513 & 514
Abus have retained the 515
and Stagecoach have won the 77.

Specs for Bristol City contracts are 5 years or newer, so I expect it'll be something from dawsons - solo, e200 or similar.

From what I have seen the 505 & 506 get all sorts of stuff: I should think Solos or fairly short-length Enviro200s for those two. As for the 511 & 512 that will be very small Solos of some description: I am pretty sure I have seen Wessex minibuses parked opposite the shops on Oxford Street, Totterdown.

Seeing Stagecoach come through Westbury-on-Trym - something which has not happened since the days of the X14 which used to come past there - will take a bit of getting used to. I believe they have a base in Yate so that isn't too bad for them.

Dave

 

[THarris123]

From what I have seen the 505 & 506 get all sorts of stuff: I should think Solos or fairly short-length Enviro200s for those two. As for the 511 & 512 that will be very small Solos of some description: I am pretty sure I have seen Wessex minibuses parked opposite the shops on Oxford Street, Totterdown.

Seeing Stagecoach come through Westbury-on-Trym - something which has not happened since the days of the X14 which used to come past there - will take a bit of getting used to. I believe they have a base in Yate so that isn't too bad for them.

Dave

I wonder if Stagecoach will work it in with 60 (Thornbury to Gloucester) and then maybe interwork with 62. All of that could actually be worked either by Gloucester or Yate.

 

[THarris123]

Anyone interested in managing the 67 facebook page? https://www.facebook.com/no67wookeybus/posts/721848611309285

 

[DaveHarries]

Because they have grand ambitions for the West of England.

Hmmm. I wonder what those might be.

I wonder if Stagecoach will work it in with 60 (Thornbury to Gloucester) and then maybe interwork with 62. All of that could actually be worked either by Gloucester or Yate.

They could. Or they could extend the 77 to Yate.....

Dave

 

[carlberry]

I wonder if Stagecoach will work it in with 60 (Thornbury to Gloucester) and then maybe interwork with 62. All of that could actually be worked either by Gloucester or Yate.

It's already unreliable, working it off the end of a random collection of irregular services should remove the remaining passengers fairly quickly!

 

[freetoview33]

Although the X14 was a South Wales operation not a West one! Obviously Stagecoach want to move into Bristol. To be honest I'm surprised they didn't go for the 16 and link it into the 86.

As for the 77 I am amazed Stagecoach have won it. I think First are playing a dangerous game, allowing them to take over these routes and get a foot in the door in Bristol.