Oakwood Travel (Classic Bus North West)

[M60lad]

RE: Classic Bus North West
X70 Red Rocket was still running as well, as I saw a Citaro in Manchester yesterday afternoon but I believe this is run on a separate license as well, in fact from what I've read elsewhere it seems his services are on various different licenses

[jimbo]

RE: Classic Bus North West
Thats one way to protect licences....

[robertclark125]

RE: Classic Bus North West
I would guess though, if a Volvo Olympian appeared on an X70 working (which it did), instead of its regular haunts on the 12, surely as the licences are different, it would need a sign saying "on hire to such and such"?

[jimbo]

RE: Classic Bus North West
Doesnt need a sign saying that, just an operator licence badge change and legal lettering

[Mayneway]

RE: Classic Bus North West
Sadly it's a risk people take working for small independent operators. They have limited resources and the loss of a contract or an unseccessful commercial venture can see the company sink without prior warning.
So similar to what happened at Maytree.

Hopefully the drivers will eventually get what there owed and the MD will get brought to book, although it's doubtful.

[jimbo]

RE: Classic Bus North West
I know maytree situation well as I was offered a job with them 2 weeks before the colapse... lucky me I didn't take it. Such a shame though

[R557 ABA]

RE: Classic Bus North West
I really don't know where to start, I've been researching the operation over the weekend.

It turns out that the proprotor had taken his name off the Classic Bus North West licence back in July 2013, this then shifting the blame of anything going wrong with the business to his colleague.

The only route to continue working is the Catch 22 service, which is being operated from the Oakwood Travel Services Limited. Classic Bus North West informed their drivers on 20th December with a letter explaining that many of them will unfortunately be made redundant as a consequence of this decision.

Today was the last day of the Red Rocket X70 service as advertised on their website, now I have a feeling there may be the intention to up the licence, and to try and get the Red Rocket registered on the Oakwood Travel licence in the new year.

http://www.thenorthwestbusblog.co.uk/201...kpool.html

[Mayneway]

RE: Classic Bus North West

(22/12/2013 18:00)R557 ABA Wrote:  I really don't know where to start, I've been researching the operation over the weekend.

It turns out that the proprotor had taken his name off the Classic Bus North West licence back in July 2013, this then shifting the blame of anything going wrong with the business to his colleague.

The only route to continue working is the Catch 22 service, which is being operated from the Oakwood Travel Services Limited. Classic Bus North West informed their drivers on 20th December with a letter explaining that many of them will unfortunately be made redundant as a consequence of this decision.

Today was the last day of the Red Rocket X70 service as advertised on their website, now I have a feeling there may be the intention to up the licence, and to try and get the Red Rocket registered on the Oakwood Travel licence in the new year.

http://www.thenorthwestbusblog.co.uk/201...kpool.html

The timings of it all is shocking, literally days before Christmas.
Yet it seems the letter written by the proprietor was written on the 18th December when he was still here in the UK yet was handed out to drivers two days later once he was abroad.

Why do I get the feeling this wont be the last we hear of this.

[B10B6514]

RE: Classic Bus North West
What is not so good is the cheating of other reliable operators out of contracts , ie. the route 80 by registering services as commercial then folding not 3 weeks later. Cumfy had operated the Fylde coast network with Coastal Coaches of Warton for the last 5 years and find themselves gazumped and in a situation where a one bus operation was unviable.
Cumfy may end up to the rescue for Lancs CC to help them out of this mess.

[robertclark125]

RE: Classic Bus North West
I've a feeling BTS, Stagecoach, or Preston Bus, will take the 80 on instead. But yeah, Cumfybus must feel cheated, as must, most importantly, the passengers. Remember, some of the subsidised services had to be altered so as to not compete with the new commercial route 80. Links were broken, in one or two cases, routes altered, as were timetables. This begs the question, why did CBNW do this?