Surviving municipals in 2014

[robertclark125]

Here's my other annual thread. Listed below are the remaining council owned bus companies

Lothian Buses
Cardiff Bus/Bws Caerdydd
Newport Transport
Halton transport
Rossendale/Rosso
Blackpool Transport Services
Network Warrington
Ipswich Buses
Nottingham City Transport (part owned by Transdev)
Reading Buses
Thamesdown

Of those 11, how many will still be council owned by this time next year?

My own thought is all eleven, that's despite the recent problems at Network Warrington, and also Ipswich Buses in competition with First, where IB is holding its own.

 

[Robertj21a]

Probably all will still be there in 12 months, but a couple might not be there much after that. I'm expecting a certain one to go in 2015.

Robert

 

[Cambus731]

what about Reading?

 

[robertclark125]

Had Ipswich in twice, sorted now.

 

[harry42]

Nottingham City Transport, I think will remain in council ownership for a while.

Warrington might go I suppose...

 

[34D]

Nottingham City Transport (part owned by Transdev)

Surely if you include Nottingham then you ought to include other places where councils have retained a stake - ie Bournemouth.

 

[robertclark125]

The council has a minority stake in Bournemouth, hence it's not included, wheras in Nottingham the council has a majority stake.

 

[CatfordCat]

what about Reading?

Would be surprised if Reading went.

There was no obvious political will to sell it off even a few years back when Reading had a conservative / lib-dem council, and financial results were not that great.

From what I gather, the company had been set a target to make a modest rather than substantial profit, but when the recession started, this meant it didn't have a lot of room to cope with the fall in income.

Having got rid of the loss-making bit at Newbury, they seem to be back on a fairly sound basis.

 

[fowler9]

Are Warrington still council owned? I hope they don't go. They are really good apart from the crazy early finishes on Sundays.

 

[317 forever]

I doubt many Councils see much need to sell these. They have resisted such temptations up to now, and the most recent one I believe was Islwyn Transport to Stagecoach in January 2010.

 

[Robertj21a]

On the contrary, I would expect a couple of the current surviving municipals to struggle with on-going cutbacks to the council's income. It would not be too surprising if they decided to throw in the towel if anything unexpected, and deemed more important, can't be afforded. Other operators, notably Stagecoach, will offer a good price to mop up the few now remaining.

Robert

 

[Amberley54]

I doubt many Councils see much need to sell these. They have resisted such temptations up to now, and the most recent one I believe was Islwyn Transport to Stagecoach in January 2010.

Didn't Plymouth also go in 2010?
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On the contrary, I would expect a couple of the current surviving municipals to struggle with on-going cutbacks to the council's income. It would not be too surprising if they decided to throw in the towel if anything unexpected, and deemed more important, can't be afforded. Other operators, notably Stagecoach, will offer a good price to mop up the few now remaining.

Robert

Don't forget the council controlled companies can not make an operating loss. Indeed Halton Transport actually paid a 'dividend' to their Local Council on a couple of occasions. A case of the bus-using public subsidising the council tax payer!?

 

[Sandy Drew]

In the NW, Halton, Rossendale and Warrington all reported 'operating losses' in their last financials.

 

[mbonwick]

Rossendale have recently seen a bit of a turnaround though with the launch of "Rosso".

However I would say that the future for both Warrington and Halton looks less positive.

 

[317 forever]

Didn't Plymouth also go in 2010?
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Don't forget the council controlled companies can not make an operating loss. Indeed Halton Transport actually paid a 'dividend' to their Local Council on a couple of occasions. A case of the bus-using public subsidising the council tax payer!?

Plymouth was actually privatised upon sale to Go-Ahead on 1 December 2009, just weeks before Islwyn was privatised.

There have been rumours surrounding Halton and even Warrington recently.