Recent content by TheGrandWazoo

And a raft of West Country ones based on retaining the same number... 184 Bath to Frome - now Midsomer Norton to Frome 162 Wells to Frome - now Shepton Mallet to Frome 21 Taunton to Burnham on Sea - for a brief period, it was extended to Weston super Mare but thankfully unpicked D1 Bath to...

The route is currently tendered. However, was it that Carousel withdrew the route, or was it already tendered and passed to Red Rose? How do you think they do it now? As I say, these are very affluent places. When a two bedroom terraced house in Kingston Blount sells for over £400k, you're...

There are frankly loads of these so in addition to those provided by @JKP, others in the North East were... X46 Crook to Newcastle is now Arriva 46 and GNE 21 723 Darlington to Newcastle was cut to be Darlington to Durham (now Arriva 7) with rest to GNE 21 256 became X56 became 5 Middlesbrough...

Sorry - I know they're combined authorities. Just a regression to an archaic term - they were PTEs much long than CAs to me. You are right - it is the fundamental ability to run buses that's important. And that doesn't mean a blank cheque to increase PVRs by padding out timetables to ensure...

A very measured post, and not just the "the answer is franchising - now what's the question?" Remember that when Sheffield City Council brought in their Clean Air Zone, they excluded private cars as they wanted to target the worst polluting vehicles... Much more electorally safe than a per...

Thanks to @Bedford OB for his trip report. I confess that I'm not one for bus rallies etc though I've been to Showbus at Duxford a couple of times. I did Warminster running day in c.2006 and that was quite interesting as you explored various corners of the area. I was brought up on Bristol...

I suspect that First will have a real tilt at Norwich P&R, and they pick up the Costessey to UEA park and ride service a couple of years ago? As you say, it probably underpins the Go Ahead business so removing that would impact the viability of the whole business.

You could say that about anywhere. The reality is that places like that are very well heeled, and just don't have very many passengers. Spending an extra £150k a year on another bus when a) money is limited and b) there are many more places that would benefit from such investment It does...

I remember that rumour. It was either tosh, or that someone had heard about some of the early Streetlites (Sheffield and Leicester) going off lease after a ten year term and got confused? If those YW68s are leased and are going back, it may simply be economics have changed. I do take your...

Whatever the physical practice of disposal, if they are leased (?) then they are the property of the leasing company so it's them selling not First. Now it could be that First could buy them but on what terms, and it might be that the financials of 2018 on those routes are markedly different...

So again, I ask.... what is the passenger potential? How much additional patronage will this create? Commuter flows are already catered for into Oxford, and the 40 provides the main service from Chinnor provides them into Wycombe so in what way is your plan going to improve that?

Rather than going under or questions on council ownership, it might be that the two directors are 66 and 71 years of age, and they've been looking to retire. Rather than winding up operations (and reducing the number of contractors available to the council), they've been able to sell? I do...

Please talk me through your logic on the 275. How much do you think your plan would increase patronage by?

I thought they were leased?

It is quite prevalent in Somerset and Dorset on their tenders. Somerset is by default in some cases as services were withdrawn and replacements were only available/affordable on a Mon - Fri basis such as the 184 Frome to Midsomer Norton, or 162 Frome to Shepton Mallet. That said, they are...