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Post by rj131 on May 1, 2018 10:28:47 GMT
Not really sure where to put this but I’ll put it here. It looks as if First are really starting to struggle now: www.passengertransport.co.uk/2018/04/firstgroup-break-up-likely-after-apollo-bid/It would be a shame if First were to abandon the Eastern Counties, they’ve put so much work into it, with fleet modernisation and depot expansions etc. Stagecoach have already abandoned Norwich, we don’t need another one as well.  |
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Post by wirewiper on May 1, 2018 11:46:19 GMT
I could see Ipswich Buses picking up some of Ipswich Depot's work, if the Monopolies and Mergers Commission allow them to. The 60/61 to Gainsborough and Greenwich would probably fold without replacement as they compete directly with Ipswich Buses services - maybe Ipswich Buses would strengthen routes 1 and 2. Ipswich Buses would probably take on the 66 to Martlesham Heath, and the Felixstowe routes. The 59 Rushmere local, 64/65 to Aldeburgh/Leiston and 88/89 to Stowmarket might be conceded to independent operators - I think the 59 is contracted anyway. The 800 Park & Ride service is operated under contract to Suffolk County Council so that would need to be retendered, unless the Council agree to novate the contract to Ipswich Buses or another operator.
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Post by wirewiper on May 1, 2018 12:27:51 GMT
I suspect First (or whoever buys it out) will also divest itself of its isolated Dorset operations from Weymouth and Bridport.
I doubt the MMC would allow a Stagecoach South West takeover. That's not to say that Stagecoach would not set up an outstation in West Dorset and extend their routes 4 (Exeter-Axminster) and 9a (Exeter-Lyme Regis) into the County.
Most likely contender would be the Go-Ahead Group, as an adjunct to More Bus under the Go South Coast umbrella. However it is also possible that Transdev RATP would be interested in running it as an offshoot of their Bournemouth-based Yellow Buses operation.
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Post by rj131 on May 1, 2018 12:34:11 GMT
I suspect First (or whoever buys it out) will also divest itself of its isolated Dorset operations from Weymouth and Bridport. I doubt the MMC would allow a Stagecoach South West takeover. That's not to say that Stagecoach would not set up an outstation in West Dorset and extend their routes 4 (Exeter-Axminster) and 9a (Exeter-Lyme Regis) into the County. Most likely contender would be the Go-Ahead Group, as an adjunct to More Bus under the Go South Coast umbrella. However it is also possible that Transdev would be interested in running it as an offshoot of their Bournemouth-based Yellow Buses operation. I was (probably unsurprisingly) initially very confused at what you meant by MMC there  |
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Post by snoggle on May 1, 2018 13:07:27 GMT
Not really sure where to put this but I’ll put it here. It looks as if First are really starting to struggle now: www.passengertransport.co.uk/2018/04/firstgroup-break-up-likely-after-apollo-bid/It would be a shame if First were to abandon the Eastern Counties, they’ve put so much work into it, with fleet modernisation and depot expansions etc. Stagecoach have already abandoned Norwich, we don’t need another one as well. If there is a buyout of First by asset strippers then I think every operation in the country is at risk. The substantial problem, though, is that competition issues will make if difficult for some groups to take over parts of the First empire. Who on earth could take over in Glasgow, Manchester or Sheffield given the size of the operations there? Bristol could be interesting given there are no large groups nearby and Bristol is potentially very lucrative territory. The far bigger problem is the rail business given the DfT are very unlikely to allow a bunch of venture capitalists anywhere near a rail franchise. This means some very large and important franchises would have to be removed from a "taken over" First group. This would imperil large scale investments in rolling stock and service improvements. Also Chris Grayling will not want three franchises brought "in house" - very much against his political philosophy. |
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Post by vjaska on May 1, 2018 13:23:14 GMT
I suspect First (or whoever buys it out) will also divest itself of its isolated Dorset operations from Weymouth and Bridport. I doubt the MMC would allow a Stagecoach South West takeover. That's not to say that Stagecoach would not set up an outstation in West Dorset and extend their routes 4 (Exeter-Axminster) and 9a (Exeter-Lyme Regis) into the County. Most likely contender would be the Go-Ahead Group, as an adjunct to More Bus under the Go South Coast umbrella. However it is also possible that Transdev would be interested in running it as an offshoot of their Bournemouth-based Yellow Buses operation. I was (probably unsurprisingly) initially very confused at what you meant by MMC there Didn’t you know? There’s one MMC that sits on the border in the South West patrolling - it’s registered OG18FAM lol. |
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Post by rj131 on May 1, 2018 13:45:32 GMT
I was (probably unsurprisingly) initially very confused at what you meant by MMC there Didn’t you know? There’s one MMC that sits on the border in the South West patrolling - it’s registered OG18FAM lol. I don’t know how to interpret that, I can’t tell if it’s a witty joke or not😉 I searched that reg on Flickr and it spat out no results lol, if it is a joke I dont know what the registration is hinting at |
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Post by ThinLizzy on May 1, 2018 14:02:18 GMT
I suspect First (or whoever buys it out) will also divest itself of its isolated Dorset operations from Weymouth and Bridport. I doubt the MMC would allow a Stagecoach South West takeover. That's not to say that Stagecoach would not set up an outstation in West Dorset and extend their routes 4 (Exeter-Axminster) and 9a (Exeter-Lyme Regis) into the County. Most likely contender would be the Go-Ahead Group, as an adjunct to More Bus under the Go South Coast umbrella. However it is also possible that Transdev would be interested in running it as an offshoot of their Bournemouth-based Yellow Buses operation. Yellow Buses is RATP rather than Transdev. There are some areas where the larger groups may have some interest, however as you say the MMC may take issue in some locations. What has been shown is many of Firsts operations can be turned round, for example with Stagecoach in Plymouth and in the north west. Smaller operators can, and do, pick up some of the work the bigger groups leave behind like Lynx are doing with Stagecoach Norfolk, and do make a good go of them. For example, Thurrock was always the poor relation to the rest of County Bus even back when I did my work experience there in 1995, yet Ensign are doing a fantastic job with it. Politically speaking, the idea that an asset stripping company could simply pull out of what First see as "marginal areas" would be a disaster |
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Post by wirewiper on May 1, 2018 14:11:08 GMT
>>> Yellow Buses is RATP rather than Transdev. <<<
Thank you - original post now corrected.
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Post by VWH1414 on May 1, 2018 15:25:43 GMT
First is already set to be exiting Clacton with Hedingham picking up the work: www.route-one.net/articles/Bus_routes/First_to_exit_ClactonAs for potential operators that could buy parts of First if it did begin to break up, I can see operators like Stagecoach, Arriva, RATP, Go Ahead, Rotala or maybe even ComfortDelgro seeing as they recently acquired New Adventure Travel, Cardiff, picking up some of the work Either way will be interesting to see what happens with Firsts operations |
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Post by joefrombow on May 1, 2018 16:31:09 GMT
First is already set to be exiting Clacton with Hedingham picking up the work: www.route-one.net/articles/Bus_routes/First_to_exit_ClactonAs for potential operators that could buy parts of First if it did begin to break up, I can see operators like Stagecoach, Arriva, RATP, Go Ahead, Rotala or maybe even ComfortDelgro seeing as they recently acquired New Adventure Travel, Cardiff, picking up some of the work Either way will be interesting to see what happens with Firsts operations Very sad to see but seems like this is going to be a sign of things to come with subsidy cuts etc with main operators concentrating on "main routes" and main depots very sad indeed and rubbish if you live out in the sticks were public transport runs at a bare minimum at the best of times in some places . |
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Post by vjaska on May 1, 2018 17:37:17 GMT
Didn’t you know? There’s one MMC that sits on the border in the South West patrolling - it’s registered OG18FAM lol. I don’t know how to interpret that, I can’t tell if it’s a witty joke or not😉 I searched that reg on Flickr and it spat out no results lol, if it is a joke I dont know what the registration is hinting at I thought the lol gave it away - the OG stands for original gangster and the FAM part is a slang term for the word mate. |
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Post by rj131 on May 1, 2018 19:22:19 GMT
I don’t know how to interpret that, I can’t tell if it’s a witty joke or not😉 I searched that reg on Flickr and it spat out no results lol, if it is a joke I dont know what the registration is hinting at I thought the lol gave it away - the OG stands for original gangster and the FAM part is a slang term for the word mate. Oh I know what FAM is, I still don’t get the rest of the joke though 😉 I still find it funny that one of the 57’a allocation has the reg LX09FAM, I’ve been trying to get on that for a while now |
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Post by galwhv69 on May 1, 2018 19:31:53 GMT
I thought the lol gave it away - the OG stands for original gangster and the FAM part is a slang term for the word mate. Oh I know what FAM is, I still don’t get the rest of the joke though 😉 I still find it funny that one of the 57’a allocation has the reg LX09FAM, I’ve been trying to get on that for a while now SW used to have LX06FAM AF used to have LX05FAM FW used to have LG02FAM HT have LK14FAM AL have LX09FAM WN have LJ13FAM Now you know the buses that have "FAM" in their reg |
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Post by busaholic on May 1, 2018 21:24:56 GMT
I've read on another forum that Rotala have been granted a facility by their bank for expansion purposes- certainly not enough to purchase First, but maybe enough to go for operations in one or two areas.
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