Really suprised that FWOE has an average of 9 years old for it's fleet given all the B9TL's still knocking about!
This is not correct, as that comes under First West of England. BBC was the A4 and tootbus only.
First have acquired both 'Bath Bus Company Ltd' (i.e. the Keynsham operation, providing the A4 service and the sightseeing tours - branded as Tootbus) and 'The Original London Sightseeing Tour Ltd' (i.e. the Wandsworth depot, who provide sightseeing operations in London - also under the brand name 'Tootbus'); Tootbus is really just a shared brand that the two companies use - and I expect it will disappear entirely post integration.
What will be interesting to see if in years to come the age of a bus will really matter?
All the new electrics will have brought the average age down (and i don't think the gas buses are that old yet either - maybe 6?).
thanks for confirming
The ex-HCT ones (393xx) are on 68 plates. The native First ones (39402+) are on 69 & 20.
Jusf breaking down my local operators I get:-
I'd imagine Bradford ain't much better than Hudds
May be something to do with the West Yorkshire franchising with First not wanting to send newer buses there.
Bradford hasn't had much for many years. It was probably because a) Bradford isn't the strong territory it used to be, b) First had commitments to Leeds in terms of new buses as part of the partnership agreement that was a factor in c) the aborted clean air zone.
To be fair Huddersfield has done quite well for newer buses lately with loads of streetlites brought in including some that were only a few years old from Solent
York seems to be feast or famine. In about 2000, First York had a complete fleet replacement, every single bus they had – from the nearly new SPD Darts to the much more numerous elderly Leylands – was either scrapped or redeployed, and a brand new fleet introduced. That was fine for a while and then as the fleet needs changed over time and eventually those buses reached end of life, they muddled along with second-hand buses being brought in from elsewhere, and only the P&R getting any new buses, and the rest of the fleet getting older and older, until a couple of years ago when they got rid of all the diesel buses and replaced them with brand new electrics.
Just a hunch, but I suspect that there will be no urgency to order new vehicles for the two Yorkshire areas as they’re heading towards franchising.
Perhaps it’s a perception that FGlasgow is one of the cash cows of the overall group, and “high” fares which are in part subsidising other companies within the group? Against the background of possible future franchising, there’s also amplified focus on eg pulling the X1? Hamilton express, yet JMB can make it work. Generates negative press for First and criticisms they are slightly “remote” in their management.
Indeed. And relevant to that as part of "Project Reset" (yet another reorg) it was announced internally yesterday that West and South Yorkshire, together with GM, South Wales and Midlands are to form a new Franchised Operations business unit.
They say perception is truth (but it's never quite and perception from whom) and it is clearly one of the cash cow operations. However, it (average age) is significantly lower than many other ops and that's because they have put a lot of new vehicles into Glasgow between 2019 and 2023 - probably more than anywhere else?
Perhaps if they have donated, they might believe that they have some influence... just a thought!
Another reorg - doesn't seem that long (checked - it was April) that they created the B2G business unit, along with B2B for non-franchised ops and B2C for contracts (e.g. Flixbus, coaching).
They said at the half year results that they had done better profits than expected due to passenger numbers tailing off, one of the two things mentioned as being the cause was a management restructuring.
The annoying thing is I saw the list and now can't find it.
However, what I can say for definite is that Wales was on it but Liverpool wasn't. Maybe they haven't actually bid for anything there! I'm not surprised London isn't part of it - groups who have tried to run their London operations on a remote corporate basis have never done well as a result.No, this a completely new structure under "Project Reset" only announced yesterday. No MDs - instead three Regional Directors with Service Delivery Directors reporting to them. For example, Doug Claringbold is to be the Regional Director South and West, looking after the "markets" of Bristol, Bath & N Somerset, Somerset, Dorset, Portsmouth and Bershire. In other words the current First Bus South plus First Bus West of England. There are two Service Delivery Directors under him, one for West of England and the other for "South".
After yesterday’s failed coup to depose of Starmer, which probably seals Labour’s fate in Scotland come May, they might be asking for their money back
There was talk that a few of the Kernow mmcs may head there to replace the elderly B9s. Apart from that, it will have to make do with cascades.
It's been mentioned elsewhere that the mmc and Solo fleet is most likely to head to Glasgow.
No worries - I believe youThe annoying thing is I saw the list and now can't find it.
== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==
No, this a completely new structure under "Project Reset" only announced yesterday. No MDs - instead three Regional Directors with Service Delivery Directors reporting to them. For example, Doug Claringbold is to be the Regional Director South and West, looking after the "markets" of Bristol, Bath & N Somerset, Somerset, Dorset, Portsmouth and Bershire. In other words the current First Bus South plus First Bus West of England. There are two Service Delivery Directors under him, one for West of England and the other for "South".
The current MD of First Bus South, Simon Goff, is a casualty among others and apparently leaves shortly.
Sorry, can't post any actual info. It all came my way in fuzzy screenshots.
Glasgow PVR to increase in April so they’ll require up to 10 double deckers.
To quote Dilbert. Whoa, I'll go get my re-org boots.
Is that for X25/25A?
