West Country Independents

[matt_splat]

I'm not with you on that I'm afraid. Bath's fairly decent services would have a lot of dead mileage to be worked from Avonmouth, where as all of Avonmouths work could easily be worked out of Burnett and frankly it's surprising if the 90 is and the 51 isn't!

Maybe the rent for Burnett and a sale of Avonmouth would put them on a good financial footing?

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Maybe the rent for Burnett and a sale of Avonmouth would put them on a good financial footing?

Is the 90 really worked out of Burnett? Seems odd that you had Avonmouth drivers working the 16 one week, and the following week the same vehicles are working in Bristol from a different depot. What happened to the drivers or have they gone to Edwards??

That said, a bus depot in Avonmouth (as opposed to a coach depot) was always a slightly odd idea for the reason highlighted!

 

[winston270twm]

Maybe the rent for Burnett and a sale of Avonmouth would put them on a good financial footing?

Rotala don't currently have any plans to sell off Avonmouth depot, regardless of the Bristol based Wessex Ops contracting. A large proportion of all Rotala depots are owned and also do own a couple of properties which are let out to other businesses in Birmingham & Preston.

That's said, Avonmouth is no longer conveniently located to service the major of Wessex Bristol & Bath work, as it is the wrong side of Bristol.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

That's said, Avonmouth is no longer conveniently located to service the major of Wessex Bristol & Bath work, as it is the wrong side of Bristol.

Quite so - it's one thing putting a major distribution centre or even a coach depot in Avonmouth. However, a bus depot.... Draw a radius 15 miles around Avonmouth - 40% of it is in the sea!

That's why I always questioned it as a location

 

[g4mby]

Post deleted

 

[winston270twm]

Quite so - it's one thing putting a major distribution centre or even a coach depot in Avonmouth. However, a bus depot.... Draw a radius 15 miles around Avonmouth - 40% of it is in the sea!

That's why I always questioned it as a location

Just to muddy the water further, two tweats from Wed:

Avonmouth allocated 51 branded 40205 on the 90:
https://twitter.com/BusAndTrainUser/status/877501144607723520

Avonmouth allocated 62 plate B9TL 40605 also on the 90:
https://twitter.com/BusAndTrainUser/status/877500798212734976

 

[matt_splat]

Just to muddy the water further, two tweats from Wed:

Avonmouth allocated 51 branded 40205 on the 90:
https://twitter.com/BusAndTrainUser/status/877501144607723520

Avonmouth allocated 62 plate B9TL 40605 also on the 90:
https://twitter.com/BusAndTrainUser/status/877500798212734976

I beleve one duty is done by Avonmouth

you now see plenty of deckers and single deckers from Wessex heading from Burnett towards Hengrove in the morning / evening and Burnett drivers have been seen working it

 

[swifty]

I beleve one duty is done by Avonmouth

you now see plenty of deckers and single deckers from Wessex heading from Burnett towards Hengrove in the morning / evening and Burnett drivers have been seen working it

51 branded LJ53NHU is working on the 90 today so must be on the 'Avonmouth' board.

 

[matt_splat]

51 branded LJ53NHU is working on the 90 today so must be on the 'Avonmouth' board.

to add to the confusion a 51 branded decker was heading back to Burnett tonight

 

[swifty]

Solo AP03 BUS and Express Yourself branded Tempo 819 SHW are out on the 349 this morning, I'm guessing most of the Abus have been busting doing Glasto runs most of last night alongside FWoE?

 

[matt_splat]

Solo AP03 BUS and Express Yourself branded Tempo 819 SHW are out on the 349 this morning, I'm guessing most of the Abus have been busting doing Glasto runs most of last night alongside FWoE?

Last night and today citistar helped out with the 672 i believe

 

[THarris123]

Last night and today citistar helped out with the 672 i believe

Somerbus even went out on an adventure to Pilton

 

[D2007wsm]

Solo AP03 BUS and Express Yourself branded Tempo 819 SHW are out on the 349 this morning, I'm guessing most of the Abus have been busting doing Glasto runs most of last night alongside FWoE?

That is correct and then there was non Express Yourself branded buses on the X8s. That is a bit hap hazard by Abus as the Express Yourself liveried vehicles should be on X8s as they are branded up as First, with just a small sticker by the doors saying 'Operated by Abus. The 349 has no association with First.

 

[matt_splat]

That is correct and then there was non Express Yourself branded buses on the X8s. That is a bit hap hazard by Abus as the Express Yourself liveried vehicles should be on X8s as they are branded up as First, with just a small sticker by the doors saying 'Operated by Abus. The 349 has no association with First.

some 349 dutys work x8s as well so that bus would have worked a X8 during the day

 

[swifty]

some 349 dutys work x8s as well so that bus would have worked a X8 during the day

But it was on a run that is normally on Abus liveried vehicle working it this morning?

I also saw BU54 AJP heading back into Bristol from Rail & Ride with a rather nostalgic 'Crown Coaches 0117....' on the blind.

 

[matt_splat]

But it was on a run that is normally on Abus liveried vehicle working it this morning?

I also saw BU54 AJP heading back into Bristol from Rail & Ride with a rather nostalgic 'Crown Coaches 0117....' on the blind.

it has had it on the front all day

it could have just been the way stuff was allocated this morning around Glastonbury i beleve the VR was due to be used but failed so could not be used so another decker had to be taken down so it could have been a last minute change around with resulted in the tempo on the duty in question

 

[Colly405]

Just seen on VOSA that Wessex have cancelled the 90 from 21st August.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Just seen on VOSA that Wessex have cancelled the 90 from 21st August.

• Registration number PH1066711/135
• Licence Number PH1066711
• Variation number 1
• Status Cancelled
• Service number. 90
• Service type Normal Stopping
• Start point Inns Court Green
• Finish point Broadmead, The Horsefair
• Via Bedminster
• Date received 26 Jun 2017
• Effective date 21 Aug 2017
• End date
• Supported by subsidies? No
• Local authorities covered by route Bristol City Council
• TAOs covered by route West of England

Well that didn't last long :roll:

 

[carlberry]

Just seen on VOSA that Wessex have cancelled the 90 from 21st August.

Anybody know any First group companies that want some spare Red fronted deckers, available 28th August onwards?

 

[winston270twm]

• Registration number PH1066711/135
• Licence Number PH1066711
• Variation number 1
• Status Cancelled
• Service number. 90
• Service type Normal Stopping
• Start point Inns Court Green
• Finish point Broadmead, The Horsefair
• Via Bedminster
• Date received 26 Jun 2017
• Effective date 21 Aug 2017
• End date
• Supported by subsidies? No
• Local authorities covered by route Bristol City Council
• TAOs covered by route West of England

Well that didn't last long :roll:

Not exactly unexpected, Wessex didn't really stand a chance with First flooding the route / matching some of their fares.

Now lets see how long the double First frequency & special fares last..... :roll:

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Not exactly unexpected, Wessex didn't really stand a chance with First flooding the route / matching some of their fares.

Now lets see how long the double First frequency & special fares last..... :roll:

However, the response from First wasn't exactly unexpected either so you sort of wonder what the strategy was?

I suspect that the frequency will last until they can justify it changing with *cough* Metrobus.

The fares will change soon enough but that's not technically anti-competitive; they just matched the Wessex fares.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Anybody know any First group companies that want some spare Red fronted deckers, available 28th August onwards?

They'll need them for when Wessex then register the THREE

 

[carlberry]

• Registration number PH1066711/135
• Licence Number PH1066711
• Variation number 1
• Status Cancelled
• Service number. 90
• Service type Normal Stopping
• Start point Inns Court Green
• Finish point Broadmead, The Horsefair
• Via Bedminster
• Date received 26 Jun 2017
• Effective date 21 Aug 2017
• End date
• Supported by subsidies? No
• Local authorities covered by route Bristol City Council
• TAOs covered by route West of England

Well that didn't last long :roll:

Are we offering any bets on the next route that going to benefit from Wessex's positive approach to stable public transport?

 

[Dai Corner]

Are we offering any bets on the next route that going to benefit from Wessex's positive approach to stable public transport?

Well if I had a fleet of buses and was deciding where to deploy them I'd look for a route(s) where buses regularly ran full and standing and passengers were left behind. I don't visit Bristol enough these days to know whether there any like this.

 

[freetoview33]

Are we offering any bets on the next route that going to benefit from Wessex's positive approach to stable public transport?

I'd say the 50

 

[freetoview33]

So Wessex in Bristol will be down to 7 routes

3 (A/B/C/X)
51
508
513
514
625
SNF

 

[g4mby]

So Wessex in Bristol will be down to 7 routes

3 (A/B/C/X)
51
508
513
514
625
SNF

For which my rough, inaccurate and very out-of-date estimates which have been gleaned from here, there and everywhere, suggest a PVR of about 21. Less than that of their Bath services, 26?

 

[freetoview33]

For which my rough, inaccurate and very out-of-date estimates which have been gleaned from here, there and everywhere, suggest a PVR of about 21. Less than that of their Bath services, 26?

It depends if the Bath Uni services do actually resume in September.

 

[winston270twm]

However, the response from First wasn't exactly unexpected either so you sort of wonder what the strategy was?

I suspect that the frequency will last until they can justify it changing with *cough* Metrobus.

The fares will change soon enough but that's not technically anti-competitive; they just matched the Wessex fares.

A response from First wasn't unexpected, however the one that materialized was way OTT, no one had confidence in a competing 90 even before Wessex started.

If I was Rotala, I'd approach Stagecoach to see if they would be interested in buying what's left of Wessex Bristol inc Avonmouth depot.

 

[THarris123]

Anybody know any First group companies that want some spare Red fronted deckers, available 28th August onwards?

At a guess I'd probably say those will go for scrap probably by the end of the year. I think they were used only on a temporary measure knowing full well that those vehicles won't be kept when they drop the frequency again.

It'll be interesting to see First's response to the cancellation too. I personally don't see them dropping the frequency down to every 12 mins and maybe keeping it at every 10 mins whilst using a couple of the ALXs as reserves. Maybe a few of the ALXs will have the front repainted and be used on something like 36?