West Country Independents

[freetoview33]

And trust me, I have emailed First and Wessex many times about website issues! And I do laugh at Wessex branding buses then putting them on a different route!

Wessex 3 was a good idea, but First made sure it didn't work, maybe now as there are less Direct Cribbs buses it could work.

Same with First, the amount of times in the past I've just laughed like is this serious, I've lost count!

 

[Marc]

What brands have they had since they came?

I can think of the following

Wessex Connect (White/Black/Blue versions)
Royal Bath
U-Link
The Eighties
The X27
One 2 One
Uni Bus
Wessex
Wessex Red
Wessex Blue
Wessex Star
One/Onetwo
Park & Ride branding

red severn livery for 625. coast hopper for 660.

 

[swifty]

red severn livery for 625. coast hopper for 660.

White Ulink
Red/White/Black UWE Ulink
Uni Connect
Aztecbus
Red Diamond

 

[Marc]

White Ulink
Red/White/Black UWE Ulink
Uni Connect
Aztecbus
Red Diamond

i must have missed aztecbus - was that for the 3 group?

 

[Colly405]

i must have missed aztecbus - was that for the 3 group?

Wasn't that the 3 group when they were closed services before they became the 3 group?

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Slightly out of area but from the BBC website

"Emergency funding for three bus routes previously run by collapsed Webberbus is unlikely to be extended, Somerset County Council has said.

The interim contracts expire on 26 November and so far no new operators have expressed an interest in taking the routes on.

The council plans to extend the contracts until the end of the year but said it cannot afford to extend any longer.

Routes affected are the 67 service from Wookey Hole/Wells to Burnham-on-Sea and the F&C services in Bridgwater town centre."

 

[freetoview33]

Slightly out of area but from the BBC website

"Emergency funding for three bus routes previously run by collapsed Webberbus is unlikely to be extended, Somerset County Council has said.

The interim contracts expire on 26 November and so far no new operators have expressed an interest in taking the routes on.

The council plans to extend the contracts until the end of the year but said it cannot afford to extend any longer.

Routes affected are the 67 service from Wookey Hole/Wells to Burnham-on-Sea and the F&C services in Bridgwater town centre."

It would be a shame if the 67 was to go!

 

[THarris123]

Slightly out of area but from the BBC website

"Emergency funding for three bus routes previously run by collapsed Webberbus is unlikely to be extended, Somerset County Council has said.

The interim contracts expire on 26 November and so far no new operators have expressed an interest in taking the routes on.

The council plans to extend the contracts until the end of the year but said it cannot afford to extend any longer.

Routes affected are the 67 service from Wookey Hole/Wells to Burnham-on-Sea and the F&C services in Bridgwater town centre."

Hmmm that could be interesting. Maybe First will have a look into it?

 

[winston270twm]

PH1066711/126 - WESSEX BUS LTD, WESSEX HOUSE, PORT EDWARD CENTRE, ST. ANDREWS ROAD, AVONMOUTH, BRISTOL, BS11 9HS
Cancellation Accepted: Operating between Broadmead, Union Street and Southmead, Greystoke Avenue given service number ONE2 effective from 23-Dec-2016.

 

[CD]

Hmmm that could be interesting. Maybe First will have a look into it?

BoS already run the C and F in your favorite Somerset town, but I doubt they or anyone else would take them on commercially, they may go.

67 operated by Bakers Dolphin will be more of a problem for SCC as it provides a lifeline to areas that have no other public transport, they may have to continue subsidising it.

 

[THarris123]

BoS already run the C and F in your favorite Somerset town, but I doubt they or anyone else would take them on commercially, they may go.

67 operated by Bakers Dolphin will be more of a problem for SCC as it provides a lifeline to areas that have no other public transport, they may have to continue subsidising it.

67 does quite well really, so you never know what will happen.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

67 does quite well really, so you never know what will happen.

Yes but no operator has yet come forward. I don't see First coming forward to run a low margin piece of work in any case.

 

[Colly405]

PH1066711/126 - WESSEX BUS LTD, WESSEX HOUSE, PORT EDWARD CENTRE, ST. ANDREWS ROAD, AVONMOUTH, BRISTOL, BS11 9HS
Cancellation Accepted: Operating between Broadmead, Union Street and Southmead, Greystoke Avenue given service number ONE2 effective from 23-Dec-2016.

The route into the Hospital only started running 4th September, have they really got enough data to show it isn't working?

 

[freetoview33]

Wessex never gives services what I would call a fair chance, but maybe they can't afford to or they have something else in mind.

 

[THarris123]

The route into the Hospital only started running 4th September, have they really got enough data to show it isn't working?

Hasn't One2 been around for a while?

 

[freetoview33]

Hasn't One2 been around for a while?

It has but not serving the hospital

 

[THarris123]

It has but not serving the hospital

Well really One2 hasn't been doing that great.

If you had to cut out a service in Wessex which one would you withdraw?

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

The route into the Hospital only started running 4th September, have they really got enough data to show it isn't working?

You'll have to remind me. Is the One2 on a different registration than the One was originally or is it a full withdrawal of all on that corridor? I know I'm being thick but I genuinely can't recall.

FWIW, my anecdotal obs in Clifton and Westbury seemed to indicate that they were getting some passengers esp during peak (though some running nearly empty too) but how that translates to takings and viability, only Wessex would know.

 

[winston270twm]

You'll have to remind me. Is the One2 on a different registration than the One was originally or is it a full withdrawal of all on that corridor? I know I'm being thick but I genuinely can't recall.

FWIW, my anecdotal obs in Clifton and Westbury seemed to indicate that they were getting some passengers esp during peak (though some running nearly empty too) but how that translates to takings and viability, only Wessex would know.

theOne is on a separate registration (PH1066711/125), they have been split since the One2 was curtailed & theOne was re-instated to a 10min frequency. Wessex only increased the fares for the One / One2 during late Sept, I guess the service just isn't viable.

 

[freetoview33]

Wessex could move on to the 50 as well! Give First a bit of a pain in the neck!

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Wessex could move on to the 50 as well! Give First a bit of a pain in the neck!

The difference is that they're able to cream off traffic on the Wells Road and they have an existing 51 market too. Competing with the 50 would be a) against a direct competitor with no existing market (i.e. Taking from First and from scratch) and b) take trade from their 51. Given there were 6 bph with the old 50/1 and that we've now got 8, I can't see any prospect of any more on there.

With the one2 going, it's a bit unclear as to what the Rotala strategy is
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

theOne is on a separate registration (PH1066711/125), they have been split since the One2 was curtailed & theOne was re-instated to a 10min frequency. Wessex only increased the fares for the One / One2 during late Sept, I guess the service just isn't viable.

Cheers Winston - I can only agree with your conclusion.

 

[carlberry]

With the one2 going, it's a bit unclear as to what the Rotala strategy is
.

Next week the one2three will launch. Competing with the 3, but only down Whitelaides Road! If that dosent work expect the one2three4!

 

[winston270twm]

The difference is that they're able to cream off traffic on the Wells Road and they have an existing 51 market too. Competing with the 50 would be a) against a direct competitor with no existing market (i.e. Taking from First and from scratch) and b) take trade from their 51. Given there were 6 bph with the old 50/1 and that we've now got 8, I can't see any prospect of any more on there.

With the one2 going, it's a bit unclear as to what the Rotala strategy is
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


Cheers Winston - I can only agree with your conclusion.

TGW, I agree, I think they would be better to develop the 51, maybe improve peak frequencies to compete more with First's 50?

Focus for Rotala seems to have shifted more to developing Bath routes at present, First have put the squeeze on them in Bristol & options seem more limited, the only potential new work up for grabs on scale would be from 'Metrobus', which I assume First will work hard to keep them from gaining.

 

[Marc]

TGW, I agree, I think they would be better to develop the 51, maybe improve peak frequencies to compete more with First's 50?

Focus for Rotala seems to have shifted more to developing Bath routes at present, First have put the squeeze on them in Bristol & options seem more limited, the only potential new work up for grabs on scale would be from 'Metrobus', which I assume First will work hard to keep them from gaining.

observations of loadings on 51 dont suggest that it would survive without subsiby from bristol cc let alone warrant expantion.

the rotala focus on bath makes somne sense - 14 is a logical step along side 42 and means first have to spread supervisery resources from keeping an eye on the uinversity to weston and ruh too. problem is that the bath market is finite and the city is very sensitive to traffic problems. there is also very poor market for morning peak travel on city routes due to small numbers of city center offices in comparison to bristol especially since the mod closed sites. this has a nock on effect on the viability of city services as a whole and is why stuff like endsleigh, fairfield park and larkall have been cut back. its also possable to walk from southdown to the city centre in half an hour so why catch a bus which can take the same travel time by the time yove walked to a bus stop waited for a bus and travelled to town??

 

[Colly405]

So the 501 is showing on real time apps and websites today. And First's app and website show that they run it...

Also just passed a 508 on Southmead Rd going towards the hospital, showing Brentry, Knole Lane as the destination. Hardly a surprise that nobody was on it!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
And Wessex are now running the 625 on behalf of STL...

 

[swifty]

So the 501 is showing on real time apps and websites today. And First's app and website show that they run it...

Also just passed a 508 on Southmead Rd going towards the hospital, showing Brentry, Knole Lane as the destination. Hardly a surprise that nobody was on it!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
And Wessex are now running the 625 on behalf of STL...

Two Solo SRs on the 625 today, including an RUH 42 branded one!

 

[THarris123]

Route and timetable change have gone through VOSA for A4 effective Jan 17. Wonder what that could be?

 

[freetoview33]

Route and timetable change have gone through VOSA for A4 effective Jan 17. Wonder what that could be?

Probably using the new South Bristol link road.

 

[vicbury]

A Wessex vehicle on the 14 in Bath was involved in a collision with a pedestrian yesterday. Fortunately no life changing injuries.

I was talking to a fellow passenger waiting for the bus in Bath yesterday and her perception was that Wessex's competition on the Weston corridor as "the bus we had [the 4] was perfectly good" and "the way they are going about it is aggressive."

Finally on Wessex, their drivers never turn their engines off when laying over in Weston. I've been in touch with Wessex but didn't even get a reply! Is there anything BANES can do about this?

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

A Wessex vehicle on the 14 in Bath was involved in a collision with a pedestrian yesterday. Fortunately no life changing injuries.

I was talking to a fellow passenger waiting for the bus in Bath yesterday and her perception was that Wessex's competition on the Weston corridor as "the bus we had [the 4] was perfectly good" and "the way they are going about it is aggressive."

Finally on Wessex, their drivers never turn their engines off when laying over in Weston. I've been in touch with Wessex but didn't even get a reply! Is there anything BANES can do about this?

They can propose and implement a Traffic Order (think they were called TROs) to reduce or remove traffic and remove the ability of buses to lay over.