West Yorkshire bus franchising

[Whisky Papa]

Wasn't that was long after Rider when the national numbers came in circa 2003/4? First being First not only did it piecemeal but most internal systems weren't setup to take them, so fuel and in some places radios had to keep "local I.Ds" for a couple of years. I always thought it was just a kneejerk come vanity project because Stagecoach had done it but it was done just totally the wrong way!

I quit First Calderline in the spring of 2003 and there had been no mention of renumbering from the Metro-derived numbering system at that point. I guess it must have been a little while later I recall seeing the existing fleet with new five digit numbers, before the local routes went low-floor with a new fleet.

 

[Leyland Bus]

I quit First Calderline in the spring of 2003 and there had been no mention of renumbering from the Metro-derived numbering system at that point. I guess it must have been a little while later I recall seeing the existing fleet with new five digit numbers, before the local routes went low-floor with a new fleet.

It was done fleet by fleet, so quite slowly. I started with First Manchester in Jan '05 and they had 5 digits by then, you must have left just before. Infact, it led to some oddities. First PMT was IIRC the first fleet done. They had some ex GM Olympians which were renumbered. They were then sent back to Manchester, who gave them their original 4 digit numbers back and then had to give them their "original" 5 digit numbers back thus making them out of sequence with their siblings!! Totally mad!

I remember First Huddersfield Atlanteans getting 5 digit numbers but forget when they finally came off as 30999 ANA 557Y & 30998 A737 NNA went on loan to Leeds after they were withdrawn by Huddersfield...

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

It was done fleet by fleet, so quitr slowly. I started with First Manchester in Jan '05 and they had 5 digits by then. Infact, it led to some oddities. First PMT was IIRC the first fleet done. They had some ex GM Olympians which were renumbered. They were then sent back to Manchester, who gave them their original numbers back and then had to give them their "original" 5 digit numbers back thus making them out of sequence with their siblings!! Totally mad!

I remember First Huddersfield Atlanteans getting 5 digit numbers but forget when they finally came off...

It was about 2002 to 2003 and yes, you're right that PMT and Manchester were the ones treated first. One oddity is that Solos were numbered in the midi series 4**** initially. However, as the role out continued, later adoptees such as West Yorkshire numbered them in the 5**** mini series.

 

[Tetchytyke]

Yeah... who'd have thought that George Osborne, the Conservative architect of austerity, would enact a policy of reregulation and away from market forces. A Damascene conversion.... or something else?

The profit had been privatised, so it was time to nationalise the losses.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: Today at 19:59 ==

return it back to how it was

It was working so well before. That’s why there was widespread opposition to the franchising regime.

Oh, wait…

 

[SCH117X]

Franchising is here to stay for some time. York & North Yorkshire is to pilot franchising rural bus services which could spell a interesting time for one operator as the biggest gripe of rural parish councils is even if they do have a service to some reasonable extent is the lack of an evening service.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

The profit had been privatised, so it was time to nationalise the losses.

This was 2015 and wasn't the issue was that Stagecoach were making too much money?

My suspicion was it was a way of pushing the responsibility and the liability for it to local government - no BSOG, no ENCTS funding, all pushed to local taxpayers. Then something happened in 2016.... and George was gone.

Franchising is here to stay for some time. York & North Yorkshire is to pilot franchising rural bus services which could spell a interesting time for one operator as the biggest gripe of rural parish councils is even if they do have a service to some reasonable extent is the lack of an evening service.

Ah yes - if only there was an evening service then we'd use it...

 

[SCH117X]

Ah yes - if only there was an evening service then we'd use it...

Theres been a 2055 24 from Harrogate to Pateley Bridge, 2155 return, for some time now on Fridays and Saturdays so an equivalent could work on other rural routes

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Theres been a 2055 24 from Harrogate to Pateley Bridge, 2155 return, for some time now on Fridays and Saturdays so an equivalent could work on other rural routes

It really does depend when and where. They were introduced on the X93 and succeeded yet evening services on the 34 from Richmond to Darlington didn't. Nor did they up Swaledale and that too was only on a Friday and Saturday.