Avon Buses

[Metroline1511]

RE: Avon Buses

(05/10/2018 12:25)CX06 EBK Wrote:  You can get a full sized bus around the 144, Avon had used their bigger MCVs on occasion. The only real issue is Field Lane but that is an issue in any sized bus, if HTL would have had the buses available they'd have probably been interested in the 144 themselves.

(05/10/2018 12:35)johnluke Wrote:  The sale of the buses to Halton was a sign all was not well

Maybe HTL or even Halton could step in to run some ex-Avon routes eg HTL on the Wirral and Halton route 144?

[CX06 EBK (Administrator)]

RE: Avon Buses
Highly doubtful HTL would take anything on the Wirral, the only route of interest to them would be the 144 in all honesty.

[Jw88]

RE: Avon Buses
Maybe A2B Travel could step in and operate the smaller routes, like the 80, 82, 84/85 And 91

[iMarkeh]

RE: Avon Buses

(06/10/2018 15:33)Jw88 Wrote:  Maybe A2B Travel could step in and operate the smaller routes, like the 80, 82, 84/85 And 91

The 91 should go to A2B since they run the Saturdays. They might as well do the rest of the week.

[motormayhem1]

RE: Avon Buses

(06/10/2018 11:22)Busguy12 Wrote:  The my ticket I'll agree is a huge issue at the moment, it is abused left right and centre with staff being told you can not challenge the customer about there age unless they are very obvious over age and it's hard to tell at times

Signs have started to appear on stagecoach and arriva buses stating the driver as a right to ask for age or proof of age if they wish to do so.

[Mayneway]

RE: Avon Buses

(05/10/2018 11:06)Barney Wrote:  I disagree. Like it or not, Stagecoach has a history of squeezing out smaller operators and then taking over the most lucrative assets -in this case the commercial routes - from the former failed operator. Why pay for something when you can get it for free?

But registering work commercially and running it from existing depots is NOT the same as taking over the company or premises which was the original comment. Of course Stagecoach may register some of the work commercially in the coming days weeks. They did exactly that with some of the Fishwicks work in Chorley but they didn't buy any part of the business.

[Mayneway]

RE: Avon Buses

(06/10/2018 10:42)knutstransport Wrote:  With GHA I think the main problems were:
1. Starting bus wars on routes where there was already a reasonable level of service in comparison to the number of operators.
2. Trying to be the lowest bidder for council contracts even when there was already other operators in the area submitting low cost bids for contracts e.g. D&G in South Cheshire.
3. Opting to run routes commercially which probably weren't profitable when they lost the contract e.g. 130 Sunday and Bank Holiday service and in some cases registering a route commercially to prevent it going out to tender.

GHA inevitably failed because they chose to install a general manager with a Neich for promising big things with his tremendous public transport knowledge and basically making a real hash of things (won't use a stronger word!). I have no doubt that had he not been employed GHA in some guise might still be trading.

Sadly to a point the management of Avon have to take the blame also. I'm not suggesting Merseytravel discounted tickets haven't caused some issue but they foolishly registered commercial work and took on contracts without the resources in place to fulfil them and this will have hit them hard and I don't think they ever fully recovered. There was a level of retrenchment afterwards to try and recoup but it was sadly too little too late.

The only minor plus is that there is a major PSV driver shortage nationwide so there's no reason why all the drivers shouldn't walk straight into other jobs.

[CTL45]

RE: Avon Buses

(06/10/2018 20:34)Mayneway Wrote:  GHA inevitably failed because they chose to install a general manager with a Neich for promising big things with his tremendous public transport knowledge and basically making a real hash of things (won't use a stronger word!). I have no doubt that had he not been employed GHA in some guise might still be trading.

As someone who had the misfortune to have to deal with the issues created by GHA's operational ineptitude on a daily basis, I can assure you that the die was cast long before the installation of the general manager that I presume you're alluding to, so that's a pretty unfair statement.

[Mayneway]

RE: Avon Buses

(06/10/2018 21:45)CTL45 Wrote:  As someone who had the misfortune to have to deal with the issues created by GHA's operational ineptitude on a daily basis, I can assure you that the die was cast long before the installation of the general manager that I presume you're alluding to, so that's a pretty unfair statement.

It was his work that nailed the final nails in the coffin. His attitude towards drivers which was highly publicised at the time led to a shortage of drivers which in turn led to services being cancelled. Just like Avon they didn't really recover after that.

[MTL0201]

RE: Avon Buses

(06/10/2018 20:34)Mayneway Wrote:  GHA inevitably failed because they chose to install a general manager with a Neich for promising big things with his tremendous public transport knowledge and basically making a real hash of things (won't use a stronger word!). I have no doubt that had he not been employed GHA in some guise might still be trading.

Sadly to a point the management of Avon have to take the blame also. I'm not suggesting Merseytravel discounted tickets haven't caused some issue but they foolishly registered commercial work and took on contracts without the resources in place to fulfil them and this will have hit them hard and I don't think they ever fully recovered. There was a level of retrenchment afterwards to try and recoup but it was sadly too little too late.

The only minor plus is that there is a major PSV driver shortage nationwide so there's no reason why all the drivers shouldn't walk straight into other jobs.

Avon did a couple of my local routes, 16/17/18/22/83A & most of the time they carried fresh air, 83A could busy Birkenhead-Arrowe Park or if it went before the 413/414, 16/17 was empty apart from the Schools, 18 carried fresh air most of the time, 22 was mostly busy Neston-Chester, rest of the route could be empty, but most of the time passengers would have be using ENCTS passes, & these were commercial routes something has to give in the end.

The Sandbrook estate now will have no daytime bus service until 7pm when the 38A starts.