Stagecoach Devon

[Southernsofty]

RE: Stagecoach Devon

(15/08/2015 21:55)mbonwick Wrote:  New vehicles already on order for Plymouth, "expect some surprises"

Would that be 'new vehicles' from the current 2015-2016 order or 'new vehicles' as an 'add on' order?

Hoping & praying that whatever they are they don't have Wright bodywork!

[childwallblues]

RE: Stagecoach Devon

(16/08/2015 05:52)Southernsofty Wrote:  Would that be 'new vehicles' from the current 2015-2016 order or 'new vehicles' as an 'add on' order?

Hoping & praying that whatever they are they don't have Wright bodywork!

Stagecoach tend to buy ADL products.

[Southernsofty]

RE: Stagecoach Devon

(16/08/2015 06:06)childwallblues Wrote:  Stagecoach tend to buy ADL products.

Erm I think I was aware of that!
Michael is strongly hinting that we should expect some surprises, i.e not the usual choices.
Playing guessing games, we know that Stagecoach are short-term hiring some 'Deckers from First for the P & R services, presumably the Enviro400s & Tridents in P & R liveries, likely therefore that new vehicles would be to replace these, Enviro 400 MMC bodies on ADL or Scania chassis would seem the obvious choice but if we should 'expect some surprises' who knows?
N.B Am i the only person who thinks that the Wright Streetdeck is the ugliest bus designed in recent times?

[mbonwick]

RE: Stagecoach Devon
I'm not actually aware of what has been ordered for Plymouth, but I would think that E400MMCs for P&R and some E200MMCs are a good guess. There's been no mention of new vehicle types, so I doubt it's a surprise in that sense.

Vehicles are an add-on to the current order.

[Barney]

RE: Stagecoach Devon

(16/08/2015 10:49)Dentonian Wrote:  No. I totally agree with you. Its as if they've taken a Blackpool "balloon" tram and redesigned it for some futuristic horror film.

The Streetdeck has a look of the Alexander 'Jumbo' Atlanteans bought in large numbers in the early 1970s by the MPTE. I was never a fan of them but the Streetdeck is a lot worse. It looks really sinister and should feature as a battering ram in a remake of the Mad Max series. I wonder how many potential buyers will be put off by its appearance, irrespective of how good a product it may be.

[WhiteVanMan]

RE: Stagecoach Devon

(16/08/2015 10:44)Dentonian Wrote:  A scatter-gun criticism if ever there was one. Although figures are never publicised, historically Stagecoach Manchester (for instance) have a very good reliability/punctuality record - albeit they struggle to keep up with off-peak congestion increases. Further, most of their problems are due to outside causes, such as roadworks (usually unnanounced) and lack of meaningful bus priorities/parking enforcement. First and Arriva have poorer records, albeit First, at least, have improved in the last year or two. As for independants - the less said the better, certainly in the eastern half of Gtr Manchester

If you think that I have a problem with Stagecoach, you should try reading some of the comments which are being made by the travelling public in the media about stagecoach bus services in Carlisle and Kings Lynn areas.

[mbonwick]

RE: Stagecoach Devon
Sliding way off-topic here, but how many complaints have there actually been about Carlisle?

There were a few in the first week when the Solos were all breaking, causing delays and overcrowding...but since then? Very little if any complaints. There's been one this week where a mum with a huge twin pram wasn't able to stow the pram on a Solo - but then she'd have had the same problem on an Enviro200 or dart.

[Metroline1511]

RE: Stagecoach Devon
There are differing views here as to whether Stagecoach would hire any vehicles from First initially. This is unusual, but First were willing to sell to Stagecoach. I think they might hire P&R vehicles as this is a Council contract, but would rely on their own stock for all their other services.

[Southernsofty]

RE: Stagecoach Devon

(16/08/2015 19:09)Dentonian Wrote:  I am aware of the problems in Carlisle, and Stagecoach do seem to have adopted this daft idea of reducing capacity when not desirable - but First did this here, there and everywhere 10 years or so ago. They used the ridiculous excuse that anti-social behaviour didn't exist on single-deckers. I'm guessing King's Lynn is partly the fall out from Norfolk Green (vountarily) selling up, having been a highly reputable Operator - but where did the owner (Ben Colson) originally make his name?

Besides, these miss the point - which is that the OFT/CMA always investigate Stagecoach takeovers - causing blight to staff, as much as anything - even though the vast majority are voluntary deals. In saying that, the same applied to First with Finglands, causing even greater uncertainty. They are just David v Goliath fantasists who sit in an office in the centre of a city where every operator has a route monopoly and market retention is virtually guaranteed due to much more favourable transport policies. In the real world outside the M25, bus Operators are not competing just amongst themselves, they are competing against rail, taxis, cars, bicycles, local politicians, prejudiced parking wardens and a media industry that is little more than a lobby for each of the above modes.

Agree completely Dentonian.
If I cynically accept that the CMA exists and therefore has to be seen to be 'investigating' every merger/takeover/change, then in this instance, where Stagecoach are (only partly) replacing the whole of Firsts operations in Greater Plymouth, the only issue they will be able to highlight, will be the X38 & Gold routes now being in common ownership with the former First routes 'resulting in a reduction in competition' bla - bla.
Should the CMA decide to make an issue out of this (I don't think they will by the way), Stagecoach could say, (probably after a legal challenge) OK we will scale back the former First Network, which will result in a loss of jobs and give PCB a bigger share of the local market.

[gka472l]

RE: Stagecoach Devon
Again courtesy of the Stagecoach Enthusiasts facebook group, 34684/6/9 have arrived at Exeter from Stagecoach South and at least 17002, 17005, 33870 and a few others from Manchester have arrived at Plymouth, indeed most of the former Carlisle Enviro200's, former Exeter Solo's and the above mentioned arrivals from Manchester are now stored ready that 'The Ride' which is the current First (soon to be Stagecoach) Plymouth garage. A few shots of the new arrivals amongst the First stuff on this photostream https://www.flickr.com/photos/aderoberts...08252@N06/

HTH