Sale of Local Authority bus companies

[RedPanda]

RE: Sale of Local Authority bus companies

(19/12/2015 13:11)RSTurbo50 Wrote:  You never answered the questions..

Sorry but which questions have I not answered? Also I only got into buses after they bought the deckers in 2011. Sometime in 2013 I think became interested.

[RSTurbo50]

RE: Sale of Local Authority bus companies
Regarding staff not being paid but they can afford to buy new buses and they sold the solos cos they are skint?

[Mayneway]

RE: Sale of Local Authority bus companies

(19/12/2015 13:51)motormayhem1 Wrote:  I think the trams in blackpool is a better investment than the bus side but thats my personal thought as i have heard about one company who is intrested in blackpool transport but wont buy it cause the council wont sell the tram operation along with it only the bus side of it.

Although BTS is a municipal they operate the trams on behalf of the council so it would be the bus side of thinks rather than trams I believe.

[RedPanda]

RE: Sale of Local Authority bus companies

(19/12/2015 14:58)RSTurbo50 Wrote:  Regarding staff not being paid but they can afford to buy new buses and they sold the solos cos they are skint?

I never said staff aren't getting paid and I never said they can afford brand new buses. Its the other way round.
Solos, far better to sell an older bus thats the same size or so than one thats almost new. What's the difference between a maximum capacity of 35 people give or take and a maximum capacity of 40.
I know some people might think I'm bonkers in what I'm saying but what I'm trying to say I think isn't.

[Mayneway]

RE: Sale of Local Authority bus companies

(19/12/2015 12:14)rod_259 Wrote:  I think it is possible that strapped councils will sell eventually now they can keep the cash. I think if they were sold Stagecoach would be interested in Halton and NW as they would fill the gap between Manchester and Merseyside nicely. Could see Rotala to after Rossendale and Go Ahead for Fylde.[/i]

According to central government local councils are anything but cash strapped and are sitting on millions tucked away in strengency funds.

[Mayneway]

RE: Sale of Local Authority bus companies

(19/12/2015 12:20)RSTurbo50 Wrote:  They sold the 11 plate Solos not because they need the money but because they don't require that size of vehicle anymore. They used them to inter work services with the 31 but that service has been withdrawn. What's the point of keeping them f they are no longer required. Perhaps makes good business sense? Also some of the 53 plate VDLs have since been brought back into service to replace these...

The Versas purchased was 'partly' funded by the local authority. However they also received a substantial grant for greener buses, a government initiative. High fares, well that's a management decision and I'm not n a position to answer that one.

The staff can't be paid? Where on earth have you got this from? I'd be interested to know your source on that one.

Why would they buy second hand buses now when they have a more than adequate fleet? You obviously have a short memory as the company purchased a fair few Deckers from Londn in 2011 all of which were second hand..

Just thought I would clear up some facts.

It was well publicised a while ago that NW had taken a substantial loan off Warrington council a couple of years ago, infact it was one of the reasons it was claimed they had hiked fares up last time around - not the recent rises!

As for the Solos.
Presumably it's the same as buying a brand new car. As soon as you drive it off the forecourt it looses money that your never going to get back.
Now we don't know how much they bought the solos for or how much they have just got for the 3 sold but what's the guessing it's a hell of a lot less?
It's extremely poor management to go and buy brand new vehicles, hike up fares soon after - so in the eyes of passengers there paying, then flog the buses 3 years later because there no longer needed. If nothing else a complete waste of money.

[Mayneway]

RE: Sale of Local Authority bus companies

(19/12/2015 17:38)Dentonian Wrote:  I think you mean "emergency". Normally, a pedantic correction on my part, but it is significant in this case. Its an emergency fund in case of something unexpected like, I don't know, say Flooding!!!!

I'm not so sure it was just flooding.
Local councils apparently have contengency funds for everything, prime example being roads. They don't want to spend hardly any money maintaining roads yet have pots of cash locked away 'should' a sinkhole apear.

It's shocking to think that all these publicly funded bodies who receive money from central government are actually sat on pots of what is essentially 'rainy day' money as my gran would call it. A far cry from poverty!

[RedPanda]

RE: Sale of Local Authority bus companies

(19/12/2015 18:21)Mayneway Wrote:  I'm not so sure it was just flooding.
Local councils apparently have contengency funds for everything, prime example being roads. They don't want to spend hardly any money maintaining roads yet have pots of cash locked away 'should' a sinkhole apear.

It's shocking to think that all these publicly funded bodies who receive money from central government are actually sat on pots of what is essentially 'rainy day' money as my gran would call it. A far cry from poverty!

Money for Carlise others might say

[wirralbus]

RE: Sale of Local Authority bus companies
Arent they trying to get the 1985 Transport act changed in parliament .

[RSTurbo50]

RE: Sale of Local Authority bus companies
As for Network Warrington selling, rumours have been flying about as long as I remember. Ultimately the council don't want to sell and want to keep their hand in how the company operates. So I think we can put this rumour to bed..