Diamond Bus North West

[gilesbus1]

RE: Diamond Bus North West
Just looked at a fleet list and what is more interesting is that it was 20872 KX11 EER which is recorded as an Eccles vehicle so certainly some shortages, the decker on the 635 was Enviro Enviro400 33837 SN14 TSV. This is the first time I can ever remember a decker allocated to the 635 unless anyone else knows otherwise?

[Mrboo]

RE: Diamond Bus North West
Don't know how true this is but someone from First Oldham told me that there big issues of cash flow at Diamond to point bills are not getting paid with First owned money for lease of buses and they have been forced to start to hand back buses before planned just to try cut costs. they were also giving out week tickets without holders due to running out.

[wiganlad]

RE: Diamond Bus North West
635 has run plenty of times with deckers in the past the red tridents used to be on them a lot when it was school holidays

[Winston]

RE: Diamond Bus North West

(16/10/2019 14:42)Mrboo Wrote:  Don't know how true this is but someone from First Oldham told me that there big issues of cash flow at Diamond to point bills are not getting paid with First owned money for lease of buses and they have been forced to start to hand back buses before planned just to try cut costs. they were also giving out week tickets without holders due to running out.

I think someone at First Oldham is getting their wires crossed.

For Rotala to pay the bill for the First hire fleet, they first need to have received an invoice to be able to pay it, to date, they've not received anything since taking over Bolton. This also includes an invoice for the purchase of the ex First Bolton B10BE's trainers, these still haven't been officially added to the Rotala fleetlist, as they've not been invoiced or subsequently paid. It's been over 2 months now, First have been chased.

As regards hire buses returning to First, only 4 have gone back to date due to being unfit for service.

[Mayneway]

RE: Diamond Bus North West

(16/10/2019 18:50)Winston Wrote:  I think someone at First Oldham is getting their wires crossed.

For Rotala to pay the bill for the First hire fleet, they first need to have received an invoice to be able to pay it, to date, they've not received anything since taking over Bolton. This also includes an invoice for the purchase of the ex First Bolton B10BE's trainers, these still haven't been officially added to the Rotala fleetlist, as they've not been invoiced or subsequently paid. It's been over 2 months now, First have been chased.

As regards hire buses returning to First, only 4 have gone back to date due to being unfit for service.

Surly things like cost of renting vehicles and when it would be paid would have been negotiated at the point of sale/takeover?? The fact management at Diamond are sat back waiting for an invoice suggests they potentially don’t even know how much First are charging them per vehicle.

As regards to the First vehicles, are they deemed as leased or hired?? Who maintains them, MOT’s them etc. Did First cancel the vehicle tax for each bus on takeover day and diamond then retaxed them?

[Winston]

RE: Diamond Bus North West

(21/10/2019 04:07)Mayneway Wrote:  Surly things like cost of renting vehicles and when it would be paid would have been negotiated at the point of sale/takeover?? The fact management at Diamond are sat back waiting for an invoice suggests they potentially don’t even know how much First are charging them per vehicle.

As regards to the First vehicles, are they deemed as leased or hired?? Who maintains them, MOT’s them etc. Did First cancel the vehicle tax for each bus on takeover day and diamond then retaxed them?

Or course rates have been agreed at the point of sale, otherwise Rotala will be giving First an open cheque book. Sat back waiting for an invoice suggests nothing of the sort! A business doesn't pay for anything until an invoice has been raised, you need an invoice number to make the payment against.

I'd be more concerned with why after 2.5 months, First Manchester still haven't got around to asking for the rental money they're owed, especially considering the position the group is in with debt etc.

[gilesbus1]

RE: Diamond Bus North West
Winston is quite correct with this, no one pays anything without an invoice, its a document firstly thats needed to maintain records and secondly to agree on price.

Without an invoice First Manchester could say we set the rent at xxxx price and without an invoice there is no actual proof of what the price actually is, and whether or not its accurate and correct.

Suspect in terms of asking for payment its some sort of mix up, e.g. Aberdeen think Oldham is doing it, Oldham think Leeds is doing it, Leeds think Aberdeen is doing it, and so it goes on, one of the problems of a large group structure of regional offices, and no one has yet bothered to check who should and who is invoicing! Another possibility could be the person who used to do it at Oldham has been made redundant due to the down sizing of First Manchester and no one at Leeds has yet assumed that role, therefore there is a backlog. The latter scenario happens quite a lot in business as what are none core staff are removed from the business, so called in order to save costs.

[EDB325]

RE: Diamond Bus North West
I should think the invoicing after a takeover would come from Head Office at Chelmsford. But then we ARE talking First Bus, so almost anything is possible !

[Winston]

RE: Diamond Bus North West

(21/10/2019 23:00)EDB325 Wrote:  I should think the invoicing after a takeover would come from Head Office at Chelmsford. But then we ARE talking First Bus, so almost anything is possible !

The hired buses are 'First Manchester Limited' assets, therefore, it will be Manchester's finance team @ Oldham that need to pull their finger out and raise an invoice.

I could understand them forgetting to invoice for a handful of buses, but 121 is quite a lump of cash.

[T42 PVM (Moderator)]

RE: Diamond Bus North West
From 1st Jan 2020 each operators tickets will only be valid on services operated by them.