NIBS buses Essex

[flashgordon]

Is it me they have eaten more than they can chew after not involved in the Brentwood schools buses they taken the Number 9 route to Basildon this to me is a huge mistake . After First Essex decided ? not to continue with the route . NIBS decided to take up the route themselves. ( complete mistake as they have had to relie on Stephensons buses for there routes ) why take on a route when they knew they did not have enough buses / Then came the hammer blow First Essex was given permission by ECC to extend there 351 bus route to Basildon . The whole thing is to me a mess . The minute they go that number 9 contract the complaints started First Essex has had the last laugh in my view

 

[Cesarcollie]

Is it me they have eaten more than they can chew after not involved in the Brentwood schools buses they taken the Number 9 route to Basildon this to me is a huge mistake . After First Essex decided ? not to continue with the route . NIBS decided to take up the route themselves. ( complete mistake as they have had to relie on Stephensons buses for there routes ) why take on a route when they knew they did not have enough buses / Then came the hammer blow First Essex was given permission by ECC to extend there 351 bus route to Basildon . The whole thing is to me a mess . The minute they go that number 9 contract the complaints started First Essex has had the last laugh in my view

The 9 was put out to tender by ECC. NIBS won it. I understand a large number of new buses are on order for both Stephensons and NIBS but inevitably couldn’t be delivered in time to start the new contracts, so some internal transfers were inevitable as a temporary measure. The 351 is commercial so First don’t need ‘permission‘ from ECC to extend it - they just need to register a change. In what way has First ‘had the last laugh’?

 

[duncombec]

Is it me they have eaten more than they can chew after not involved in the Brentwood schools buses they taken the Number 9 route to Basildon this to me is a huge mistake . After First Essex decided ? not to continue with the route . NIBS decided to take up the route themselves. ( complete mistake as they have had to relie on Stephensons buses for there routes ) why take on a route when they knew they did not have enough buses / Then came the hammer blow First Essex was given permission by ECC to extend there 351 bus route to Basildon . The whole thing is to me a mess . The minute they go that number 9 contract the complaints started First Essex has had the last laugh in my view

Your post is a little confusing, but to unpack a few things:

The 9 passed from First Essex to NIBS on Essex tender. I don't think it's known whether First chose not to bid, or were simply outbid by Stephensons/NIBS. Essex CC did not tender the commercial journeys First operated, so the service on the 9 is already reduced.

NIBS and Stephensons are in common ownership - as such, it's not unexpected that buses in different liveries will appear (e.g. were Metrobus to operate a Brighton & Hove vehicle, or High Peak a Centrebus vehicle).

The 9 and the 351 serve completely different routes between Brentwood and Basildon (and the 351 is partly non-stop).

 

[flashgordon]

Your post is a little confusing, but to unpack a few things:

The 9 passed from First Essex to NIBS on Essex tender. I don't think it's known whether First chose not to bid, or were simply outbid by Stephensons/NIBS. Essex CC did not tender the commercial journeys First operated, so the service on the 9 is already reduced.

NIBS and Stephensons are in common ownership - as such, it's not unexpected that buses in different liveries will appear (e.g. were Metrobus to operate a Brighton & Hove vehicle, or High Peak a Centrebus vehicle).

The 9 and the 351 serve completely different routes between Brentwood and Basildon (and the 351 is partly non-stop).

I believe there is a reason why First Essex did not want the route ,eventhough they did bid , but already they had an inkling NIBS/Stephensons wanted it. A bit of brinkmanship ! Sorry to say i am not a member of the bus users association but that is where i get most of my information from . Yes it is a different route ( number 9 ) and yes it goes all around the houses ,taking more than one hour to get to Basildon from Brentwood .Yet the 351 takes just over 40 mins . (did NIBS know about the other route from Brentwood ?) . . NIBS themselves in my view shot themselves in the foot ( and yes i warned them when i heard they won the contract that they would have to run them at least every hour , they have failed to do this I gather i was not the only one who did, there was many complaints by passengers about there timetable ,even before the service started )

What also confuses passenger is the use of Stephensons buses been used. ,particular the older passengers . Being 74 myself) Also First run wi fi , NIBS does not . The whole thing is a complete mess in my view . What should have happened and this is often the case . E C C takes very little case of anyones views on any route changes ( in particular the passengers the people who actually use the services ) They in my view should have to take into consideration ,a lot of things have changed since ,those routes was first drawn by E C C , in many cases 30 years or more. Populations have changed a lot in those years, in particular outside the main towns . My own village 30 years ago ,the population has increased 3 fold since then . Also we lost 2 routes from here. The population here is older than it was 20 years back .

NIBS has been accused of not answering any calls ( i wonder why!) , What is strange Stephensons appear to run theres quite nicely . . Yes i have always believe that NIBS has bitten off more than they can true . And i have told them that in a email , which was never replied . The only good news is that NIBS picked up a number of Ensign drivers . That is great but you have to have buses that actually run ! This is why Stephensons buses are beign used now. I gather Stephensons has orderd a number of new buses ,but not for NIBS . Why is that ??? Okay lets be honest about this NIBS has the old buses and Stephensons dont it is as simple as that .

 

[Mollman]

I believe there is a reason why First Essex did not want the route ,eventhough they did bid , but already they had an inkling NIBS/Stephensons wanted it. A bit of brinkmanship ! Sorry to say i am not a member of the bus users association but that is where i get most of my information from . Yes it is a different route ( number 9 ) and yes it goes all around the houses ,taking more than one hour to get to Basildon from Brentwood .Yet the 351 takes just over 40 mins . (did NIBS know about the other route from Brentwood ?) . . NIBS themselves in my view shot themselves in the foot ( and yes i warned them when i heard they won the contract that they would have to run them at least every hour , they have failed to do this I gather i was not the only one who did, there was many complaints by passengers about there timetable ,even before the service started )

What also confuses passenger is the use of Stephensons buses been used. ,particular the older passengers . Being 74 myself) Also First run wi fi , NIBS does not . The whole thing is a complete mess in my view . What should have happened and this is often the case . E C C takes very little case of anyones views on any route changes ( in particular the passengers the people who actually use the services ) They in my view should have to take into consideration ,a lot of things have changed since ,those routes was first drawn by E C C , in many cases 30 years or more. Populations have changed a lot in those years, in particular outside the main towns . My own village 30 years ago ,the population has increased 3 fold since then . Also we lost 2 routes from here. The population here is older than it was 20 years back .

NIBS has been accused of not answering any calls ( i wonder why!) , What is strange Stephensons appear to run theres quite nicely . . Yes i have always believe that NIBS has bitten off more than they can true . And i have told them that in a email , which was never replied . The only good news is that NIBS picked up a number of Ensign drivers . That is great but you have to have buses that actually run ! This is why Stephensons buses are beign used now. I gather Stephensons has orderd a number of new buses ,but not for NIBS . Why is that ??? Okay lets be honest about this NIBS has the old buses and Stephensons dont it is as simple as that .

Surely the timetable is set by ECC not NIBS so they are operating what they are paid to operate rather than what someone else thinks they should operate?

TBH if someone emailed me to tell me I have bitten off more than a can chew (I tend to just get the ones telling me I am incompetent) then I wouldn't bother answering either.

 

[Anthony ross]

The 9 is a ECC contract so it will be ECC that have set the timetable