Happy to answer questions, I just worry that this thread is about to descend into a familiar pattern in which we state the correct and current position, some of you guys dig around on the internet and find things which contradict what we've said and then reveal this triumphantly as evidence of our incompetence (or worse, deliberately making stuff up). I can tell you it gets very boring and that's not a pattern I can be bothered to engage with.
So, just to be clear about the facts, which you can take as superseding any information as reading elsewhere:
The Group has an operators licence in Wales but no current PSV Operations, andnone specifically planned at the present time. There was a move towards commercial night bus operation which was linked to the likely availability of some day time work. This didn't subsequently materialise so we've put the night bus on hold because the licensing and financial implications of running such an operation on a standalone basis don't really stack up at the moment. That doesn't mean we won't return to the idea in the future, and everything can change with one phone call - opportunities come and go all the time. So I don't offer any warranty that this information will remain true for any specific period of time!
The Group currently has one bus in its possession - the Omnicity - but this is not currently licensed and therefore not in use. Again, that could change in minutes if the right opportunity comes along.
And just for clarity, we have taxi operations in Bristol and (indirectly, for the moment at least) in Bath. We do not currently have taxi operations in Plymouth but again that could change in a heartbeat.
So I'm sorry if people think that's a muddle but I think it's fairly clear.
I do accept that the Group website could do with some updating, but Taxi and Bus look pretty clear and up to date to me. I'm sure the Group site is on Rhys's radar but there is a huge amount going on at the moment and it's probably not his priority. The inaccuracies are not such that they could actually cause anyone any harm or damage (no out of date timetables for example) and I would respectfully suggest that you could go to most transport company websites and find details that are out of date and haven't kept pace with real life.
Do also bear in mind that the Group is not actually accountable to members of an Internet forum, but to its customers, shareholders (i.e. Rhys) and the regulatory authorities, all of whom can expect to receive unhindered access to any information or service they need to enable us to fulfil our obligations to them.
It's not even accountable to me. My varied work life means that I don't get to spend a lot of time in Bristol, so it would not be appropriate for me to hold any specific operational responsibilities - I'm not even a director or shareholder of the Group, my formal involvement only with the parts of the Group that look after the financial/administrative/property functions, for particular reasons that are private. But I'm always happy to represent the Group to the best of my knowledge.
The point I'm making there is simply that while a majority of contributors to this forum are sensible, knowledgeable people with whom we're always happy to engage, please do not take offence if we're reluctant to respond to posters who seem to be on a mission to find things wrong.
As I said on the other thread, always happy to buy anyone a pint!
I hope that doesn't come across as a muddle, apologies if so!
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I forgot to mention, specifically on the discussion about night buses, our view is that there are good synergies between buses and taxis, so while there might be times and places where they compete, there are also great opportunities for integration. On a strategic level, I believe that the wider market is much less mode-conscious than it used to be, and in the future people will mix and match whichever modes of transport work best for their particular journey, so the ability to offer a combination of both is something that we feel could work to our advantage if and when we make the decision to go ahead.
