Avon Buses

[YN05 WKE]

RE: Avon Buses

(03/10/2013 14:12)KU02 YUH Wrote:  

(03/10/2013 13:41)507009 Wrote:  

(03/10/2013 13:04)E208 WBG Wrote:  Indeed they have be nice to see Avon operate the full 39 that route really started to pick up again

They will not be operating the full 39, as Merseytravel make explicit on their website. The 39 timetable has also been deleted from the timetable search library. From the loads I saw over the months, they were nowhere near high enough to make the route attractive to other operators.

I'm not disputing that your observations were wrong, however I worked with Impera for a number of months (mainly route-training) and can say that the 39 was regularly busy when I was on it - it seemed to be busier on nice days (the weather seemed to have a positive impact on the service). I certainly know that, during August, afternoon round-trips between 15:20 and 17:20 regularly brought-in income of around £30-£40 per bus (in addition to prepaid company passes and high Merseytravel pass figures). Before the July timetable amendment, a 10-hour Saturday duty solely on 39s (including the 411 during the evening) regularly brought-in over £100 in revenue, with passenger figures in excess of 200 (about 250 being the general figure). After the July timetable amendment, the evening service patronage dropped significantly and there were times when not one passenger was carried for a whole round-trip (very disappointing). If I'm honest, I personally think that your judgement purely on sightings is rather sceptical to say the least, especially as you don't seem to have sampled the service through a journey at all.

Looking at the general picture aside from what I witnessed over the months, the 39 must have been having an impact on Arriva as they decided to register a 414 service against it. We'll soon find-out whether this was just a tactic (or a so-called attempt - after all, their registered journeys did run after Impera's and Impera offered a better service, on paper, as they ran during the evening and on Sundays and bank holidays) to eliminate Impera's revenue on the 39 if Arriva suddenly decide to withdraw the service. If not, Arriva must have seen potential. Arriva's registration could well be what's stopping another company from taking-over it.

Arriva's 414 is basically a extention to the short 413's

[H101GEV (Administrator)]

RE: Avon Buses

(03/10/2013 14:12)KU02 YUH Wrote:  If I'm honest, I personally think that your judgement purely on sightings is rather sceptical to say the least, especially as you don't seem to have sampled the service through a journey at all.

Actually, I did use the 39 on a handful of occasions, as a last resort if Arriva's 413 didn't show up. (Justification in short: old, rattly buses with Urban90 seats or a few pence more to use a pleasant Cadet or Pulsar - easy choice to make.) Never were more than five people on board the 39 with me. I regularly use the bus to reach Liscard when in Wallasey and so have seen the 39 loads at a variety of times during the day on a regular basis. I've also seen it in Meols several times. Let's just say that while it certainly took more passengers than Impera's other routes, "full" is not a word I would use to describe it. Arriva's 403/413 rarely requires buses larger than a Cadet to cater for the loads it receives, but I'd hardly suggest Impera made significant inroads into Arriva's share of the Leasowe Road - Liscard corridor. I accept that I haven't spent hours on board one of their buses covering multiple journeys, but if the peak time loads are nowhere near full, it can't be doing all that well.

As has been said already, the 414 is merely an extension of the existing short 413 journeys, which I somehow doubt had anything to do with Impera. Loads on the full 403/413 route evidently no longer justify a 10 minute timetable, and this change seemingly consolidates operations at the busier end of this lengthy route.

[wirralbus]

RE: Avon Buses

(03/10/2013 14:40)E208 WBG Wrote:  

(03/10/2013 14:12)KU02 YUH Wrote:  

(03/10/2013 13:41)507009 Wrote:  They will not be operating the full 39, as Merseytravel make explicit on their website. The 39 timetable has also been deleted from the timetable search library. From the loads I saw over the months, they were nowhere near high enough to make the route attractive to other operators.

I'm not disputing that your observations were wrong, however I worked with Impera for a number of months (mainly route-training) and can say that the 39 was regularly busy when I was on it - it seemed to be busier on nice days (the weather seemed to have a positive impact on the service). I certainly know that, during August, afternoon round-trips between 15:20 and 17:20 regularly brought-in income of around £30-£40 per bus (in addition to prepaid company passes and high Merseytravel pass figures). Before the July timetable amendment, a 10-hour Saturday duty solely on 39s (including the 411 during the evening) regularly brought-in over £100 in revenue, with passenger figures in excess of 200 (about 250 being the general figure). After the July timetable amendment, the evening service patronage dropped significantly and there were times when not one passenger was carried for a whole round-trip (very disappointing). If I'm honest, I personally think that your judgement purely on sightings is rather sceptical to say the least, especially as you don't seem to have sampled the service through a journey at all.

Looking at the general picture aside from what I witnessed over the months, the 39 must have been having an impact on Arriva as they decided to register a 414 service against it. We'll soon find-out whether this was just a tactic (or a so-called attempt - after all, their registered journeys did run after Impera's and Impera offered a better service, on paper, as they ran during the evening and on Sundays and bank holidays) to eliminate Impera's revenue on the 39 if Arriva suddenly decide to withdraw the service. If not, Arriva must have seen potential. Arriva's registration could well be what's stopping another company from taking-over it.

Arriva's 414 is basically a extention to the short 413's

It isnt as the 414 service starts at Arrowe Park Hospital to New Brighton (may operate via the core part of the 403/13 route) , the 403/413 now becomes a service every 15 mins .

[N271CKB]

RE: Avon Buses
The 164 is up and running, just past it

[R557 ABA]

RE: Avon Buses

(03/10/2013 19:59)N271CKB Wrote:  The 164 is up and running, just past it

It's nice to see that there wasn't a gap in the service, Merseytravel and the local bus companies can work wonders when push comes to shove!

[N271CKB]

RE: Avon Buses
Heard from a usually reliable source, that Avon have bought 5 impera darts which arrived today.
Can anyone confirm this?

[YN05 WKE]

RE: Avon Buses
well I doubt they be the 2 voith ones but I will try and confirm which 5 if any

[326VFM]

RE: Avon Buses

(10/10/2013 16:51)N271CKB Wrote:  Heard from a usually reliable source, that Avon have bought 5 impera darts which arrived today.
Can anyone confirm this?

I hope Avon bought two ex-Lothian Darts which is lovely buses, keeping Avon upgrade buses better.

[YN05 WKE]

RE: Avon Buses
I have been officially told what the 5 are but been asked to keep them quiet for now

[busdude]

RE: Avon Buses
Im hoping that its either X511 UAT, the 3 KU52 YL* darts, the 2 lothian darts or KU02 YUH