Diamond Bus Cuts Fares For Blackheath Bus Users

[richardjones210368]

Diamond Bus have announced from January 2nd 2020 hard working Blackheath Bus Users will benefit from a Sandwell & Dudley Day Product at just £2.85 with low priced 7 & 28 days tickets also avaliable. This builds on the excellent service Diamond Bus Ltd provides to Blackheath Bus Users and builds on its experience of the last 33 years. The link also provides details of Diamond Buses other fare products within the West Midlands.
https://www.diamondbuses.com/news/fares-revisions-midlands/

[Busboy105]

Diamond Bus have announced from January 2nd 2020 hard working Blackheath Bus Users will benefit from a Sandwell & Dudley Day Product at just £2.85 with low priced 7 & 28 days tickets also avaliable. This builds on the excellent service Diamond Bus Ltd provides to Blackheath Bus Users and builds on its experience of the last 33 years. The link also provides details of Diamond Buses other fare products within the West Midlands.
https://www.diamondbuses.com/news/fares-revisions-midlands/

It's for the whole West Midlands not just Blackheath.

[richardjones210368]

It's for the whole West Midlands not just Blackheath.

The ticket I am refering to in my post  is for use within Sandwell & Dudley ONLY the town of Blackheath falls partly within Sandwell & partly within Dudley I am sure other residents of the two boroughs will take advantage of it but I am at a loss how does this ticket be of benefit to the whole of The West Midlands? You Explain As I Don't Follow?

[Busboy105]

The ticket I am refering to in my post  is for use within Sandwell & ONLY the town of Blackheath falls partly within Sandwell & partly within Dudley I am sure other residents of the two boroughs will take advantage of it but I am at a loss how does this ticket be of benefit to the whole of The West Midlands? You Explain As I Don't Follow?

Sorry I didn't see that part. Might need to buy some glasses :D

[richardjones210368]

Sorry I didn't see that part. Might need to buy some glasses :D

Ok no.probs Cheers

[richie]

The ticket I am refering to in my post  is for use within Sandwell & Dudley ONLY the town of Blackheath falls partly within Sandwell & partly within Dudley I am sure other residents of the two boroughs will take advantage of it but I am at a loss how does this ticket be of benefit to the whole of The West Midlands? You Explain As I Don't Follow?

Blackheath isn't Dudley? Nor is Rowley Regis. It falls fully in Sandwell. It's a bit of an oddball place like Halesowen......

[richardjones210368]

Blackheath isn't Dudley? Nor is Rowley Regis. It falls fully in Sandwell. It's a bit of an oddball place like Halesowen......

Having lived in Blackheath 51 years you will find the parish church falls under Dudley MBC in Long Lane as does the side of Gorsty Hill I grew up on as for Rowley Regis it hasnt exisited since 1974. Vicarage Rd, New John St & Beech Ave are in Dudley but Half of Halesowen St & half of Gorsty Hill is in Sandwell the shops of Blackheath are in Sandwell but the Parish Church is in Dudley so then how do you work out all of Blackheath is in Sandwell when St Pauls The Parish Church for Blackheath falls under Dudley MBC ?

[richie]

Parish of Blackheath... the church is in Halesowen. Blackheath is in Sandwell.

Back to topic, I hope you enjoy your cut price diamond ticket but personally they couldn't pay me enough to ride in one of their buses!

Also as an open advocate as local jobs perhaps you should consider the living wage NXWM pay to thousands of people in the West Midlands. Your view on a bus route does not make the operator useless as in your view. You think the 13A is brill, it is the same operator.

[richardjones210368]

Parish of Blackheath... the church is in Halesowen. Blackheath is in Sandwell.

Back to topic, I hope you enjoy your cut price diamond ticket but personally they couldn't pay me enough to ride in one of their buses!

Also as an open advocate as local jobs perhaps you should consider the living wage NXWM pay to thousands of people in the West Midlands. Your view on a bus route does not make the operator useless as in your view. You think the 13A is brill, it is the same operator.

Ok Richie I respect your views on Diamond Bus just as a Sandwell resident now I respect one of its biggest employers the said Diamond Bus whose corporate hq's are in Sandwell and are quoted on the AIM unlike Sandwells other bus company which is a PLC and only interested in the dividends of its shareholders. I think you will find the council ward of Blackheath falls in Sandwell but the actual town falls half between the boroughs of Sandwell & Dudley a town is based on its historical parish boundrys not the whims of politicans and thats not my idea its Henry VIII and going on the old bird on the telly on Wednesday at 3pm I am pretty sure that still applies otherwise I would not have lived in Blackheath in Dudley MBC on Gorsty Hill & crossed the road into Sandwell MBC to Highfields School would I? Part of Blackheath is in Sandwell & part of it is in Dudley & that is a fact & whilst I have no complaints against the 13A I certainly would not call it or its operator "brill"!

[Jack]

Blackheath IS in Sandwell? Since when has Blackheath not been in Sandwell, it comes under Rowley after all which is a part of Sandwell...

[richardjones210368]

Blackheath IS in Sandwell? Since when has Blackheath not been in Sandwell, it comes under Rowley after all which is a part of Sandwell...

Wrong @Jack only part of Blackheath is in Sandwell the other part is in Dudley everyone makes that mistake.The council ward of Blackheath has only been part of part of Sandwell since 1974 the town itself is split over two metroplitan boroughs and before 1974 it was half in Staffordshire & half Worcestershire you are mixing the current council ward up with the towns actual parish of St Pauls boundrys which actually define it as a town & part of it is in Sandwell the other part in Dudley while Rowley is a completly different place where I was critisend at St Giles while Rowley Regis hasnt exisited at all since 1974!

[richie]

Diamond is a group company of Rotala which is a PLC listed in a sub group of the LSE, it has share holders and less regulation than a PLC the size of NX.

Rotala does not pay a living wage, has been party to numerous public enquires and their vehicle maintenance has come under question a number of times. It has an ageing fleet of multiple operator owned vehicles in various previous operator paint jobs. If you can't get the brand right I worry what other corners are cut.

Enjoy your cheap ticket on your cheap bus driven by underpaid Drivers.

[Steveminor]

Diamond bus is a very interesting case for me, the business has so much potential but I dont feel it's ever realised its potential. It seems to have grown too big too quickly ,& its maintenance slipped as it tried to keep up with the large influx of vehicles at such a pace.
There has been a lot of investment in the business of late with new vehicles new livery etc  unfortunately it has gotten a poor reputation & it will take a lot to turn that round.

[richardjones210368]

Diamond is a group company of Rotala which is a PLC listed in a sub group of the LSE, it has share holders and less regulation than a PLC the size of NX.

Rotala does not pay a living wage, has been party to numerous public enquires and their vehicle maintenance has come under question a number of times. It has an ageing fleet of multiple operator owned vehicles in various previous operator paint jobs. If you can't get the brand right I worry what other corners are cut.

Enjoy your cheap ticket on your cheap bus driven by underpaid Drivers.

Yes Ritchie as I said Diamond Bus is lisited in the AIM - Aliternative Investment Market as you also quite rightly also say as Rotala PLC & is a sub group of the LSE I am a fully qualified accountant I understand how the City works but it is kind of you to qualify matters for others. As far as I am aware Rotala PLC has met all its statutory regulartory requirements unless you can advise otherwise & thank you also for your  good wishes about Diamonds excellent new range of  cut priced tickets I am sure many people in Blackheath will take advantage of them from 2nd Jan 2020 I personally use an Nbus ticket on Swift to take advantage of the first rate service operated by Diamond Bus Ltd and other operators when required.

[richardjones210368]

Diamond bus is a very interesting case for me, the business has so much potential but I dont feel it's ever realised its potential. It seems to have grown too big too quickly ,& its maintenance slipped as it tried to keep up with the large influx of vehicles at such a pace.
There has been a lot of investment in the business of late with new vehicles new livery etc  unfortunately it has gotten a poor reputation & it will take a lot to turn that round.

Fair points @Steveminor I have followed the company for 33 years and it has had its ups and down the trouble is like your company its operating in an oligopoly  market with huge barriers of entry its current net returns on its Balance Sheet arent bad at all & I was very impressed on the level of capital it raised from the city to fund its expansion and fully agree Diamond Bus is very intersting case to follow lets face it who ever thought they would buyout First Midland Red in Redditch & Kidderminster well not when I worked at MRW anyway.