Greater Manchester Service Changes

[Mrboo]

RE: Greater Manchester Service Changes
well Stagecoach is biting back going for Judicial review

https://www.route-one.net/news/judicial-...on-sought/

[M60lad]

RE: Greater Manchester Service Changes
Why would Stagecoach be against franchising in Manchester yet their very much active in the franchising operation in London and seem to have been for a number of years now?

[Mrboo]

RE: Greater Manchester Service Changes

(16/03/2021 07:22)M60lad Wrote:  Why would Stagecoach be against franchising in Manchester yet their very much active in the franchising operation in London and seem to have been for a number of years now?

Stagecoach got out of London then got back in only due to a cut price offer to buy back what they sold. There a risk others will under cut them and they lose South Manchester. But am sure they will get a Deopt with some routes. 5 depots will be hard to keep under open tender. And gamble is price too low and you win but make little money price too high and lose the lot.

[Mayneway]

RE: Greater Manchester Service Changes

(16/03/2021 08:18)Mrboo Wrote:  Stagecoach got out of London then got back in only due to a cut price offer to buy back what they sold. There a risk others will under cut them and they lose South Manchester. But am sure they will get a Deopt with some routes. 5 depots will be hard to keep under open tender. And gamble is price too low and you win but make little money price too high and lose the lot.

How can they loose or keep depots. They own the depots outright they don’t have to hand them over, they won’t be anyway. It’s the work they may loose.

[Mayneway]

RE: Greater Manchester Service Changes

(16/03/2021 07:22)M60lad Wrote:  Why would Stagecoach be against franchising in Manchester yet their very much active in the franchising operation in London and seem to have been for a number of years now?

As I understand it they re-entered London but don’t actually own anything so can walk away at any time.

The other interesting thing is when MCT closed it was heavily suggested that HCT would consider a return if a London style franchising was introduced, they do very well in London so be interesting so see if they do return.

[Mrboo]

 RE: Greater Manchester Service Changes

(16/03/2021 09:44)Mayneway Wrote:  How can they loose or keep depots. They own the depots outright they don’t have to hand them over, they won’t be anyway. It’s the work they may loose.

Not much use having a depot with no routes or staff as drivers will most likely be tuped over with routes

[knutstransport]

RE: Greater Manchester Service Changes

(16/03/2021 10:36)Mrboo Wrote:  Not much use having a depot with no routes or staff

While it wasn't a big depot what happened with Starline Travel's Knutsford depot is perhaps an indication of what could happen. Starline (buses) were sold to North Western (let's ignore the coach hire that was a joint venture with Bullocks as it complicates things.) Starline was a company owned by Simon Fawcett. Simon Fawcett's company owned the whole of Stanley Road Trading Estate, not just the bus depot. What happened is while Starline were sold and got rebranded as North Western and then Arriva, the depot remained owned by Fawcett's company (Mistral) and was leased to Arriva. Long term Arriva closed the depot and transferred the work to Wythenshawe and Winsford. There's no longer a bus depot there but Mistral were using part of the old depot for maintaining vehicles at one point, with the rest of the former depot being used for other purposes like car maintenance and warehouse storage.

[dounowhoiam]

RE: Greater Manchester Service Changes

(16/03/2021 07:22)M60lad Wrote:  Why would Stagecoach be against franchising in Manchester yet their very much active in the franchising operation in London and seem to have been for a number of years now?

I think a key reasoning as to why Stagecoach are dead set against Franchising is that they would not be able to make the kind of profits they made pre-COVID.

Out of all the operators in Greater Manchester, they are the one that has the most profitable routes and frequent services with little to no other bus compitition (with it in some cases competing with itself using the Magic Bus brand).

[Michael]

RE: Greater Manchester Service Changes

(16/03/2021 09:44)Mayneway Wrote:  How can they loose or keep depots. They own the depots outright they don’t have to hand them over, they won’t be anyway. It’s the work they may loose.

They will be compulsory purchased by tfgm

[Rodney259]

RE: Greater Manchester Service Changes

(16/03/2021 22:52)Michael Wrote:  They will be compulsory purchased by tfgm

Glad I’m no longer a Manchester Council taxpayer, will cost millions to buy Stagecoach fleet and premises. Andy Burnham doesn’t need the money for police, schools and other essential services does he? Better wasted why can’t they just manage the services with the present structure?