Bicester Village Park and Ride

[Bwsbro]

Does anyone know if Reading Buses have won the Bicester Village Park and Ride from Rotala.

I’ve seen photographs on Flickr of both Reading Buses and Newbury & District Vehicles operating the park and ride service and was wondering whether they have won the route or just operating additional journeys over Christmas

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Does anyone know if Reading Buses have won the Bicester Village Park and Ride from Rotala.

I’ve seen photographs on Flickr of both Reading Buses and Newbury & District Vehicles operating the park and ride service and was wondering whether they have won the route or just operating additional journeys over Christmas

It was definitely still Rotala on the 18th December when I visited - they had a pair of former Wessex B5s working, one repainted in Hallmark colours and one still in full Bristol service 51 livery!

 

[borage]

https://www.vehicle-operator-licens...registered-local-bus-services/details/518479/ shows it as still on the Wessex Bus operator licence, so I presume Reading Buses were just helping out.

 

[winston270twm]

It was definitely still Rotala on the 18th December when I visited - they had a pair of former Wessex B5s working, one repainted in Hallmark colours and one still in full Bristol service 51 livery!

What are Hallmark colours on a Gemini?

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

What are Hallmark colours on a Gemini?

Should correct myself - it's all white with fleetnames for the Royal Holloway University (which I think is in Egham)

 

[Busaholic]

Should correct myself - it's all white with fleetnames for the Royal Holloway University (which I think is in Egham)

It is in Egham - it's Royal Holloway College, part of the University of London.

 

[winston270twm]

Should correct myself - it's all white with fleetnames for the Royal Holloway University (which I think is in Egham)

TGW, from 09 plate E200's to 62 Plate Solo SR's to 14 Plate Gemini, bit of a jump in capacity.

Just found a picture of 40626:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/152239069@N02/46508665992

 

[Mwanesh]

They bring in who has spare buses .The other week Stagecoach Oxford were doing the Bicester park and ride.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

It is in Egham - it's Royal Holloway College, part of the University of London.

Cheers

 

[AlastairFraser]

Does anyone know if Reading Buses have won the Bicester Village Park and Ride from Rotala.

I’ve seen photographs on Flickr of both Reading Buses and Newbury & District Vehicles operating the park and ride service and was wondering whether they have won the route or just operating additional journeys over Christmas

Tbh I don't think Reading is going to venture into any Oxfordshire or Buckinghamshire bus services. I would love them to take over the 800 from Reading to High Wycombe which Arriva have some competition on but it is not particularly effective as the 800 is often over 10 mins late and the fares are still quite high. If you look at their recent expansions, they are all within Berkshire, with the purchase of Newbury and District just resurrecting the old Newbury Buses division they used to have and the Maidenhead/Slough expansion continuing their takeover of First routes in Berkshire, they already kicked First out of Reading when they turned the 90 into the 4. Perhaps Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire routes are too long / unprofitable / too far from their depots

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Does anyone know if Reading Buses have won the Bicester Village Park and Ride from Rotala.

I’ve seen photographs on Flickr of both Reading Buses and Newbury & District Vehicles operating the park and ride service and was wondering whether they have won the route or just operating additional journeys over Christmas

TGW, from 09 plate E200's to 62 Plate Solo SR's to 14 Plate Gemini, bit of a jump in capacity.

Just found a picture of 40626:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/152239069@N02/46508665992

Was in Bicester yesterday and the service 51 route branded ex Wessex B5LH was still working so safe to say it's still Rotala!

 

[Wirewiper]

Tbh I don't think Reading is going to venture into any Oxfordshire or Buckinghamshire bus services. I would love them to take over the 800 from Reading to High Wycombe which Arriva have some competition on but it is not particularly effective as the 800 is often over 10 mins late and the fares are still quite high. If you look at their recent expansions, they are all within Berkshire, with the purchase of Newbury and District just resurrecting the old Newbury Buses division they used to have and the Maidenhead/Slough expansion continuing their takeover of First routes in Berkshire, they already kicked First out of Reading when they turned the 90 into the 4. Perhaps Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire routes are too long / unprofitable / too far from their depots

Reading Buses didn't really "kick First out of Reading". First wanted to close its Depot in Bracknell and part of the strategy was to sell route 90 to Reading Buses. Besides First still has the RailAir service - and Reading Buses (or more accurately Reading Transport Ltd.) has a full garaging, servicing and maintenance contract.

Reading Buses would be unlikely to take on the 800/850 unless Arriva decided they were going to withdraw. Reading Buses tends not to get involved in direct competition. Similarly Reading Buses only took on the Slough routes and the Green Line 702 when First decided to withdraw.

 

[carlberry]

Was in Bicester yesterday and the service 51 route branded ex Wessex B5LH was still working so safe to say it's still Rotala!

There was a lot made of the 'service 51' name when Wessex took over operation, it now appears it was the number that was important to them, not the actual operation!

 

[mikestone1952]

From 20th June it has been registered by City of Oxford, but counter-intuitively the local Hallmark VA at Graylines' depot is shown as increased to 5!