Nottingham 'Bus War'

[pjnathanail]

Derbyshire County Council:
From Sunday 6 October 2013
Service Y3 (Yourbus): This service will be extended to serve Cotmanhay, with a revised timetable


Now this is what is called initiative. Something new rather than just continual copying.There is no through bus service from Cotmanhay to Derby & there is the demand.

Now just get them to link their Y1 through to Eastwood, Kimberley etc

What do people think about the idea of extending this from Cotmanhay through to Heanor and linking up with the Y1 to give a circular in both directions from derby?

Extending the Y1 to Derby bus station would also be good, as many people get off the h/y1 and walk straight to the bus station

 

[nathanclass323]

Extending H1 to the bus station would be a better idea!

 

[harry42]

Extending H1 to the bus station would be a better idea!

I presume Derby Bus Station is full.

 

[pjnathanail]

Extending H1 to the bus station would be a better idea!

Why would doing that to the H1 be any better or any worse than doing it to the Y1?

I presume Derby Bus Station is full.

I too thought it was full, but there is room for three additional slots an hour for TBs Zoom on bay 2 so perhaps if yourbus has been quick on the action they could have obtained those slots.

I don't know how full much of the station is, but bay 4 has 8 departures an hour whereas bays 5&6 have just 6 departures each, so more could be squeezed in there, although it wouldn't be popular! The Black Cat/11 do conflict with the Citylink and Y5 when one of the four services is late.

The mickle over also has eight departures an hour spread over two bays, so perhaps more could be squeezed in there.

Bay one also lies unused due to health and safety concerns-could these be re looked at?

 

[nathanclass323]

What about the coach bays that get about 1-2 departures an hour at best? Not ideal but better than trying to squeeze it into an already well used bay.

 

[harry42]

You'd be surprised if you know where they are planning to compete next

 

[nathanclass323]

You'd be surprised if you know where they are planning to compete next

Is anything on VOSA?

 

[winston270twm]

Their is someone behind it. industry rumours are rife but trust me i know who is pumping money in and you would be very surprised if i said who it was but i cant

Simon Dunn Rotala Plc CEO is adamant his brother Scott does not have a backer for Yourbus, despite what everyone thinks and has told me to check Dunn Motor Traction company accounts via Companies House

 

[harry42]

Is anything on VOSA?

No, it wouldn't be on VOSA, (can't say any-more, sorry!)
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Simon Dunn Rotala Plc CEO is adamant his brother Scott does not have a backer for Yourbus, despite what everyone thinks and has told me to check Dunn Motor Traction company accounts via Companies House

And have you?
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Extending H1 to the bus station would be a better idea!

I'm sure TB want the H1 there. Like YB want Y1 there! Who do you think has more chance?
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I don't understand how VOSA works, so can people on here tell us about any new TB/NCT/YB route? Cheers

 

[winston270twm]

And have you?

No, have you?

The Rotala CEO & brother of Scott is hardly going to publically confirm Yourbus doesn't have a backer & to check the accounts knowing full well that the accounts would say otherwise.......

 

[Deerfold]

No, it wouldn't be on VOSA, (can't say any-more, sorry!)

Not much point posting then really, except to show off how well informed you are.

 

[winston270twm]

I'm sure TB want the H1 there. Like YB want Y1 there! Who do you think has more chance?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
I don't understand how VOSA works, so can people on here tell us about any new TB/NCT/YB route? Cheers

Any new registrations made have to to given 56 days notice before start date, therefore if for example Yourbus were to put in a new registration today, it would be the end of October at the earliest before they could start operation it
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Not much point posting then really, except to show off how well informed you are.

Agreed Deerfold,

'It's the old I know more than you, but can't say........'

 

[CallySleeper]

Mansfield?!

And speaking of, while they may have an excuse in the roadworks at Leapool, myself (and others, including it would appear TB drivers) have not been too impressed lately with S/C's punctuality on the pronto. Even going as far back as the dispute nearly a year ago, I'm not sure that S/C can keep up with the same timings as TB drivers can?

 

[WillPS]

probably something a driver has said - and to be taken with a pinch of salt.

 

[tbone]

Yourbus have won a number of Derbyshire contracts. Firstly the 147 Codnor town service.

However,more interestingly is the award of the 113 and 114 contracts. The 113 is Ashbourne to Belper and the 114 is what is currently the 109 derby to Ashbourne via Hulland Ward. The contract includes some journeys in the early morning and evening on Trent Barton's swift service. Are these contract wins paving the way for a competitive service to Ashbourne?

Yourbus have picked up a lot of contracts in recent years and it makes you wonder how. They are undercutting operators who have run the services for years, so they must be making marginal profit on them. Add to that dead mileage and this surely can't be financially worth it.

 

[Deerfold]

Yourbus have picked up a lot of contracts in recent years and it makes you wonder how. They are undercutting operators who have run the services for years, so they must be making marginal profit on them. Add to that dead mileage and this surely can't be financially worth it.

I wonder how the driver pay rates compares?

 

[winston270twm]

Yourbus have picked up a lot of contracts in recent years and it makes you wonder how. They are undercutting operators who have run the services for years, so they must be making marginal profit on them. Add to that dead mileage and this surely can't be financially worth it.

I suggest you download the Dunn Motor Traction Ltd company accounts (ended 28th March 2013) off Companies House for a £1.

The business is far more profitable that I imagined and certainly seem to be doing well, so if they are under cutting other operators on contracts the figures show that they are clearly still making money from them

 

[harry42]

Yourbus have won a number of Derbyshire contracts. Firstly the 147 Codnor town service.

However,more interestingly is the award of the 113 and 114 contracts. The 113 is Ashbourne to Belper and the 114 is what is currently the 109 derby to Ashbourne via Hulland Ward. The contract includes some journeys in the early morning and evening on Trent Barton's swift service. Are these contract wins paving the way for a competitive service to Ashbourne?

Yourbus have picked up a lot of contracts in recent years and it makes you wonder how. They are undercutting operators who have run the services for years, so they must be making marginal profit on them. Add to that dead mileage and this surely can't be financially worth it.

When are these starting?
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YB have extended the offer of 2 for 1 on Y1, Y5 and citylink and accepting zig zags on Y36, Y28, Y1, Y5, Y3 and citylink until the 29th September.
(Source: YB Fb page)

 

[CallySleeper]

Has anyone else seen this on the side of Y5? X-D

 

[harry42]

Has anyone else seen this on the side of Y5? X-D

Oh dear!

 

[nathanclass323]

Out if interest, has anyone on here used "Zoom" yet? There's a review on the link in my signature and Trentbarton for Life have images on their Facebook page. I thought It would be better to post in this thread rather than start a new one as it isn't hugely off topic as this route wouldn't have been thought of if it weren't for Y5.

 

[trentside]

Out if interest, has anyone on here used "Zoom" yet? There's a review on the link in my signature and Trentbarton for Life have images on their Facebook page. I thought It would be better to post in this thread rather than start a new one as it isn't hugely off topic as this route wouldn't have been thought of if it weren't for Y5.

Thanks for the review nathanclass323. It seems to be much as expected, the free travel vouchers are obviously a clever move to get people back onto the Zoom. As for the noise from the Optare Solos - the model is a noisy one, and the earlier models even more so in my experience.

How were passenger loadings when you used it? The picture you posted suggested it was carrying a small number - but did more get on and off at the intermediate stops?

 

[Mugby]

The attraction of 'Zoom' is supposed to be the fast run into Derby from Spondon via the A52 but I can see this being negated much of the time by the sheer volume of traffic. There are long tailbacks virtually all day now and they've been added to with the present closure of London Road. TB use the Pride Park route as an alternative but sometimes this is little better on occasions such as cattle market day in Derby. Also, the A52 route is no use to people from Draycott, Borrowash and Spondon who wish to go to Asda, Spondon.

 

[tbone]

The attraction of 'Zoom' is supposed to be the fast run into Derby from Spondon via the A52 but I can see this being negated much of the time by the sheer volume of traffic. There are long tailbacks virtually all day now and they've been added to with the present closure of London Road. TB use the Pride Park route as an alternative but sometimes this is little better on occasions such as cattle market day in Derby. Also, the A52 route is no use to people from Draycott, Borrowash and Spondon who wish to go to Asda, Spondon.

Zoom is of course complemented by indigo which allows those wishing to travel to asda to do so. Those that take the longer journey to derby (including current car users) will be catered for by zoom.

New frequencies on the Ilkeston flyer and H1 start today with 631 (H1) and 635 (Ilkeston flyer) allowing both routes to run every 15 minutes (30 on a Sunday). As well as allowing these routes to promote themselves as being more frequent than the yourbus equivalent but also stops them running a few minutes in front of all of trent's services.

 

[harry42]

Zooommmm...more like chug chug chug

Went on one today and it was so busy because of free vouchers we stopped at every single stop, standing room only and Y5 overtook it (also full!)

 

[Heinz57]

Zoom into Derby on a Optare Solo.

There's a novelty!

On the subject of Trent Barton. Went on there new look website today (I say new look, it could have been like that for months as far as I know. But its the first time I've seen it like that). Anyway, it looks realy good. Colourful, easy to navigate, very friendly looking but at the same time professional. Probably the best website they've had in a while.

 

[harry42]

Who's tried the new trent barton live departures for every bus? Amazing! Works fine on the two anyway!
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Oh..and...

Went to get the notts+derby bus to western on trent today and it was full Didn't matter but that is very strange!

 

[MCR247]

There were a few bugs that I experienced a couple of days after the real time system went live when I used indigo but hopefully they have now been resolved

 

[Mitch in Notts]

There is at least one bus on the Rainbow 1 that doesn't show up on the Real Time displays - it only appears as scheduled time.
By the time I got off of it it was 4 late and had vanished from the stop displays.


And on another point. Yourbus Y29 is finishing Friday 13th September. Lack of passengers. Is this due to unreliability?

Two recent examples I've seen:
23/08/13 12.00 ex Eastwood running 30 late.
06/09/13 11.15 ex QMC running 45 late.

Their facebook page records one bloke who had no shows 4 times out of 4 attempts to catch it! And one night neither of the last two journeys from QMC ran! Drivers running board also showing times 8 minutes before published timetable. And .... never shown on bus stops (route number or times). I get the impression they never wanted this service to work!

 

[trentside]

Their facebook page records one bloke who had no shows 4 times out of 4 attempts to catch it! And one night neither of the last two journeys from QMC ran! Drivers running board also showing times 8 minutes before published timetable. And .... never shown on bus stops (route number or times). I get the impression they never wanted this service to work!

I've just had a read of their Facebook page - there's a huge amount of negative feedback that the company just seem to ignore. For an operator that's attempting to build up a customer base on new services, this seems rather foolhardy - especially given the allegations made by some commenters.