First Manchester

[Mayneway]

RE: First Manchester

(26/12/2016 21:07)Dentonian Wrote:  What makes you so sure the service level will stay the same? The closure of Dukinfield (the depot is actually nearer Hyde than Ashton) coincides with Tameside local tenders expiring, and there's no guarantee that they will all be renewed by TFGM in the current climate, never mind First winning/retaining them. As for commercial stuff, I know there was a commitment that services would be "unchanged" from Depot closure date, but even if that was true for commercial services, I'm sure its just to stock up more cuts for July. By then, they will have lost passengers alienated by the 7% fare rises and the removal of bus station based Inspectors.

I know you wernt a huge fan Dentonian but it's a pitty a certain Hyde independant isn't still around as they potentially could have done well out of Duky's closure.
Could Stagecoach's Ashton depot become a threat to First once services move to Oldham.

In a way it's a bit like history repeating itself. GM Buses closed thier Tameside depot, despite claiming services locally wouldn't be affected they clearly were so former managers set up a new independant Pennine Blue who took up the slack on services and frequencies that GMB dropped but also ran against them on other routes. Pennine blue was taken over by PMT who became part of First and the rest is history.