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RE: MP Travel - knutstransport - 23/09/2021 08:21
In most companies the only people who have the full financial details would be office staff who would be under contractual obligations to not release that commercially sensitive information. Of course passengers and drivers will have some idea of how many people are boarding and paying fares and how many are boarding and showing pre-purchased tickets or passes but that's only part of the full picture, as they aren't on every journey for the full journey.
RE: MP Travel - knutstransport - 23/09/2021 08:25
(22/09/2021 23:45)Mayneway Wrote: It does make you wonder whether it was a case of sour grapes. The big main operator wins the contract off the smaller independent so the independent registers it commercially to have the last laugh.
MP Travel don't try to disguise the fact that they would work closely with Ian Howard, as they say this on their website
"Later in 2017, Garreth had been doing some work for a previous employer, and friend, Ian Howard, to which an agreement was made to share the Howards Travel depot in Moore Village, Warrington. This is where they are based currently."
From his posts on here we know that Ian Howard was critical of contract awarding processes, especially ones that were won by Warrington's Own Buses. I'm sure he wouldn't have been happy with who got the 48 contract when Howards stopped trading.
RE: MP Travel - thomasl1231 - 23/09/2021 09:58
(23/09/2021 08:21)knutstransport Wrote: In most companies the only people who have the full financial details would be office staff who would be under contractual obligations to not release that commercially sensitive information. Of course passengers and drivers will have some idea of how many people are boarding and paying fares and how many are boarding and showing pre-purchased tickets or passes but that's only part of the full picture, as they aren't on every journey for the full journey.
No financial or commercially sensitive information displayed, it’s just the facts, anyone can go on the buses and see that from themselves.
RE: MP Travel - Mayneway - 23/09/2021 10:11
(23/09/2021 09:58)thomasl1231 Wrote: No financial or commercially sensitive information displayed, it’s just the facts, anyone can go on the buses and see that from themselves.
But a bus full of pass holders isn’t as viable business wise as a bus full of adult fare paying passengers and this is the misconception.
I use to drive for a company that just did tender work. We had some routes that carried full bus loads after 9.30am but 95% of them were concessionary pass holders. If these were fare paying punters it would be a whole different story…..
RE: MP Travel - thomasl1231 - 23/09/2021 10:13
(23/09/2021 10:11)Mayneway Wrote: But a bus full of pass holders isn’t as viable business wise as a bus full of adult fare paying passengers and this is the misconception.
I use to drive for a company that just did tender work. We had some routes that carried full bus loads after 9.30am but 95% of them were concessionary pass holders. If these were fare paying punters it would be a whole different story…..
Aye that's the case sometimes, I saw bus in the North East recently with a full load of elderly and apparently that didn't make money even with 60+ pax lol
RE: MP Travel - Raawwwrrr! - 23/09/2021 13:01
The issue with the X1 is a tale as old as time.
Passengers travel to Liverpool from Runcorn for leisure, but passengers do not travel from Liverpool and the surrounding areas for the same reason unless they absolutely have to. There is an adverse flow of passengers traveling to Liverpool in the morning and back in the evening.
Runcorn as a town is in a gradual decline and the glory days of Runcorn are over, you only have to look at the failure of Halton Lea/Shopping City, once a bustling metropolis of retail has failed to secure large name tenants for years. The largest education site Riverside college has closed its two Runcorn campuses long ago, and there’s nothing in the town to attract tourists, even merely for a day out unless they’re visiting family/friends
As stated elderly concession passes pay no bills, extending the service back to Castlefield worlds because you’re now picking up people like me who would be forced to buy a competitors product (Arriva day ticket - which is now even more attractive to most passengers since taking the bulk of Halton routes) and wouldn’t pay again for another operator, or I’d take the train instead from one of the two stations.
MP Travel have done a great job with the X1 but I can’t see it surviving long term without additional funding as an express, particularly as the costs of running the service increases and the cost of living for passengers is due to increase, leisure travel will decrease sadly much the effects of those passengers using the service both ways for commuting.
RE: MP Travel - Mayneway - 23/09/2021 13:06
(23/09/2021 10:13)thomasl1231 Wrote: Aye that's the case sometimes, I saw bus in the North East recently with a full load of elderly and apparently that didn't make money even with 60+ pax lol
They do make money but have to wait 3 months for the reimbursement. Imagine telling us drivers we have to wait 3 months to get paid - not going to happen.
RE: MP Travel - thomasl1231 - 23/09/2021 13:52
Update from the Facebook page:
MP Travel
After talks with the council. Due to staff shortages, the X1 will continue, however on a reduced timetable for the time being whilst we can employ drivers and secure the correct funding if/when required.
The new timetable will be posted as soon as it created for posting.
RE: MP Travel - thomasl1231 - 23/09/2021 13:54
(23/09/2021 13:06)Mayneway Wrote: They do make money but have to wait 3 months for the reimbursement. Imagine telling us drivers we have to wait 3 months to get paid - not going to happen.
Wouldn't go down very well lol
RE: MP Travel - knutstransport - 23/09/2021 13:58
(23/09/2021 13:01)Raawwwrrr! Wrote: The issue with the X1 is a tale as old as time.
Passengers travel to Liverpool from Runcorn for leisure, but passengers do not travel from Liverpool and the surrounding areas for the same reason unless they absolutely have to. There is an adverse flow of passengers traveling to Liverpool in the morning and back in the evening.
There's another issue there. Bus fares are generally higher per mile for a short journey than a long journey and higher per mile for a single than a return. If most of the passengers make a return journey for almost the entire length than that's one return/day ticket per passenger which makes the operator something like £3 each way, rather than collecting a total of £10+ from passengers making short journeys who all occupy the same seat for different parts of the same journey.