Messages

Thanks Cheese, - very much appreciated !

What the strategy does is give the funeral rites to bus deregulation after 35 years.  The days of superannuated buses chasing the vehicles of the main operator on a profitable route like the Outer Circle, to cream off some of the big guys revenue and get BSOG (Bus Operator Service Grant) from Government for fuel, are over.  In 12 months if you are not in a quality partnership or an operator with a franchise you won't be getting BSOG.  In 3 months if you've not signed up to a partnership you won't be getting any COVID-19 support.

The West Midlands is very much ahead of the curve in terms of the Bus Alliance and what has been achieved here in the last few years.  Its clear the shire counties have got a lot of catching up to do, so I expect lots of visits to TfWM and the operators here in the next few months.  All local transport authorities have got to set up partnerships, or decide on franchising within 12 months.  In places where there has been no effective partnership or support for buses whatsoever this is going to be interesting indeed.

In terms of ticketing, it looks as if we are moving away from a single operator travelcard to a multi operator one, based on a principle if the daytime service is run by one operator and the evening service by another you should be able to travel on both.  For those of us with NXWM only passes, presumably at some point we are going to be migrated over to an "nBus" or whatever equivalent is being set up for Staffordshire or Warwickshire.  It may well be the operating areas of the multi-operator tickets are extended to cover the complete route out of county boundary.

There is a lot more teeth for the local authorities, in terms of setting fares, routes and service specifications.  The quid pro quo though is will they actually invest in the infrastructure needed to keep the buses moving and speed up services, or not?  A bucketload has been thrown in the strategy over the Labour Mayor of Liverpool and Coventry City Council for taking out bus lanes that had been put in, but those of us with long memories will remember it was a Conservative/Lib Dem Council in Birmingham in 2004 that started that trend.

Will also be interesting to see how the big operating groups play it.  Arriva have already disposed of Cannock, DB want shut of Arriva so does that mean a break up of the group?  Will First and Stagecoach look at weeding out some of their stragglers to focus on their better performers? 

There is the possibility that councils will be given powers to set up their own bus operator, if they wish to do so.  DfT are reviewing and there is to be a consultation later in the year.  If that is legislated for it is not just turning the clock back to 1986, but way, way, way before as many municipal operators (like Birmingham City Transport) started off by buying out private tramways in the days of Edward VIII and Chamberlain.

The 26th October 1986 was a D-Day in the history of the bus industry.  Looks like the 1st April 2022 will be P-Day.

Thanks very much Kevin for your sensible appraisal.
Could you possibly clarify for me,  --  Is Worcester city, or is Worcestershire, a "LTA", please ??

( -I would hate Worcester+Worcestershire to get left-out of the potential benefits !!)

Thanks PointerDart and Glenfieldmathk1, for your replies,  --  I have now seen 32646 is at Worcester garage (Midland Red code WR) !!  --  still in Leicester City livery.

Thanks also to ellspurs,  --  I must google the meaning / history of "all around the Wrekin" - sometime !!

Hi All in the Potteries !!

Can anyone tell me what's happening with 32646 ? - - according to the bus times tracker, it hasn't been used for a long time, - so if it's being worked-on, what's being done to it ??

Thanks.

Hopefully we'll be able to steal a couple from Potteries too! 37156 & 37158 would be nice. (And there younger than the 3 Leicester examples which would be a bonus! ;))

As predicted on the South Yorkshire Transport Forum, two more B7TLs, (53 plate), have been allocated to Potteries.

They are shown on the tracker, even if they haven't arrived yet.

This means Potteries has gained 5 extra DDs in recent times, and so my GUESS is that Worcester will get "any two" DDs

from Potteries to replace the two remaining Tridents. ( :'() 

Does anyone know if these are still coming to Worcester, please ??

Thanks for that info Glenfieldmathk1  !!

Yes, you cannot fit a euro 6 engine in either an E200 or E400 hence the curved rear ends on the MMCs to accommodate the larger engine

So these E400s repainted for the 14 are Euro 5 then (?) despite Leicester expecting to have a Clean Air Zone fairly soon ??

( - Sorry if if I've got it wrong).

At least the vehicles are just 3 years older than what they're replacing, and not 10 like what happened with the 13 a few years ago.

Are you thinking that Leicester are losing those StreetDecks ??

( - Sorry if I'm muddled !!)

A '12' plate Enviro 400 wouldn't have been Euro 6 from new. It would have been Euro 5.

Everything MMC onwards is Euro 6 from new.

Thanks v.much MW !!

Presumably, 33693 etc, must be Euro6 compliant  --  --  have they been Euro6 from new - or does anyone know if they have been upgraded ??
Thanks.

Can anyone confirm that the seven E400s from "up-north" are now at Leicester, please.

( - and being worked-on ??)

66311 also in service here at Worcester !!

The 146 is mainly used by Pensioners post 0930.  The service has been lost making for a while, and with this fact and current government guidance to pensioners it seems commercial suicide to re-introduce.

The 303 was a successful service, until the train guards were removed from Kidderminster train station.  The effect of which means that people now effectively travel for free by train and the service has been poor ever since. 

We have discussed this with WCC, and they are unable to influence control.  We discussed this and the 302 with WCC this week and we have a further conversation planned.  We are looking at options, but ultimately we need to know for all our benefit how we are going to create a viable service.

Thanks very much Simon for that detailed reply.

Good Health to everyone at Diamond !

Hi Simon,
The latest announcements can be read as meaning the 146 and 303 have been permanently withdrawn,  --  is that correct ??

Thanks.