Rotala/Diamond to buy Hansons?

[winston]

For non members a post has appeared on the WMBus Yahoo group suggesting that Rotala Plc have agreed to acquire Hansons and the transaction is due to take place at the end of October, don't know whether there is any truth in it?

If true it would certainly boost Rotala's presence in the Dudley/Merry Hill & Stourbridge areas, re-instates the Diamond 004, no doubt would result in consolidation/a frequency reduction on the 226 though, the 318 links in well with the KR & RH operation and all boosts the number of Centro tenders,

All in all, a good fit!

[bususer12]

This has been mentioned before though hasn't it? (When the midland rumour was about) Not sure if Simon will be able to confirm/deny due to this being a public forum, but Hansons are pretty much the second biggest op in Stourbridge and Merry Hill and their fleet is not alien to Diamond, with two dozen darts and e200's.

Also if it was to happen, surely the cheap returns on the 226 would stay due to competition rules etc??

[winston]

This has been mentioned before though hasn't it? (When the midland rumour was about) Not sure if Simon will be able to confirm/deny due to this being a public forum, but Hansons are pretty much the second biggest op in Stourbridge and Merry Hill and their fleet is not alien to Diamond, with two dozen darts and e200's.

Also if it was to happen, surely the cheap returns on the 226 would stay due to competition rules etc??

Yes it has been rumoured before, but this post seems to have a bit more substance quoting the end of October as the date the Hansons business will change hands

[4747]

Makes a change from the constant Arriva buying Diamond talk all the Arriva driver's are spouting I suppose!!! Can't see it myself as Hansons refused to sell 4 years or so ago but you never know.

[winston]

Makes a change from the constant Arriva buying Diamond talk all the Arriva driver's are spouting I suppose!!! Can't see it myself as Hansons refused to sell 4 years or so ago but you never know.

A deal would definitely strengthen Diamond's position in those areas, I didn't realistically expect Arriva to start head-to head competition on NXWM commercial services, but with the recent loss of a number of Arriva operated Centro tenders if shows even Arriva can be weakened

If the post does turn of to be true, I can't see Hanson's Lye depot being retained, I expect the operation would be absorbed in to Diamond @ Tividale a maybe other B'ham services moved from there to bolster the allocation at Long Acre which has plenty of spare capacity

[4747]

I would agree about the Lye depot and I bet it would upset the ex-Diamond drivers currently working at Hanson's

[winston]

Not sure if Simon will be able to confirm/deny due to this being a public forum

No Simon would not be able to confirm/deny even if it does turn out to be true until it can be announced to the Stock Market

[winston]

I would agree about the Lye depot and I bet it would upset the ex-Diamond drivers currently working at Hanson's

More than likely, but if they're not happy with any potential change of ownership they would have to move on, but the choice of independent bus operators to go and work for is falling quite rapidly over the last few years

[the trainbasher]

If it were true, which I don't believe so, then I doubt the regulators would allow it!

[winston]

If it were true, which I don't believe so, then I doubt the regulators would allow it!

Why not? The only issue of competition is the 226 which Diamond may have to give undertakings not to reduce the frequency or withdraw the return the fares etc, Diamond's market share would still be dwarfed by that of NX's, and Diamond would still face competition on Centro tenders from Arriva & WMSNT.

The First deal was passed without any undertakings which has given Diamond more of a monopoly in Redditch than a purchase of Hanson's would create

[4747]

Have to agree with Winston on this one I can see no reason why the purchase would be blocked but until/if it happens it's irrelevant anyway.....If Hanson's where gonna sell I doubt the drivers on the 226 would be getting texts telling them to hang back by one of the schools on the route.

[the trainbasher]

It would cause a lessening of competition on the 226, which means the frequency would decrease, and at tender time there would be less competition, withdrawals off routes like the 250/251, also reliability would go down.

I live on the 226 route and have seen reliability plummet when we had the darts initially, then get better when the MCVs came, then massively drop when the MCVs left and the darts came back.

The evening service going to Dudley is reliable but the other direction is worse because of the Centro timings. And Sundays is out of the window. Which genius times the 81 to leave the same stand at MH at the same time! Going merry Hill bound I have to be at the stop 10 minutes early because it can leave any time between 45 and 05 minutes past!

[4747]

[quote author=the #trainbasher link=topic=2132.msg60202#msg60202 date=1378983491

Which genius times the 81 to leave the same stand at MH at the same time! Going merry Hill bound I have to be at the stop 10 minutes early because it can leave any time between 45 and 05 minutes past!
[/quote]
Somebody at Centro I would presume?

[winston]

It would cause a lessening of competition on the 226, which means the frequency would decrease, and at tender time there would be less competition, withdrawals off routes like the 250/251, also reliability would go down.

I live on the 226 route and have seen reliability plummet when we had the darts initially, then get better when the MCVs came, then massively drop when the MCVs left and the darts came back.

The evening service going to Dudley is reliable but the other direction is worse because of the Centro timings. And Sundays is out of the window. Which genius times the 81 to leave the same stand at MH at the same time! Going merry Hill bound I have to be at the stop 10 minutes early because it can leave any time between 45 and 05 minutes past!

I'm not far from where the 226 runs along Bromley Lane, but don't watch it as closely as you.

I guess it largely depends on the reasons behind Hanson's selling up if it does turn out to be true. There would be nothing to stop Arriva launching on the 226 is the frequency was reduced after any takeover, but I doubt the route can sustain two operators running 4 bph long term

[PM]

Well I hope it is true to be honest as Hansons seem to have gone downhill rapidly fairly recently which is such a shame. It will give diamond more presence in the area-making my suggestion of an area guide all the more sensible-routes can transfer to tividale and stuff like the 004 improved again and the 226 could keep hansons newer buses on there. It would give tividale a few more routes and I hope they take the chance to improve things like when ludlows was acquired with the 002 relaunch. Cant see oft investigation being a problem-what can they do when NX have over 80% of the market-moan at rotala for having nearer 10? If anything, they would be more in favour, suggesting that a bigger operator stands more of a chance against NXWM. I hope its true-it gives diamond more of a network and it gives them even more buses to repaint into the right livery!!