http://www.itv.com/news/west/2016-05-12/webberbus-to-stop-operating-from-tomorrow/
That's been coming for a long time, it will no doubt benefit Buses of Somerset
Quote from: Winston on May 12, 2016, 09:58:58 PM
That's been coming for a long time, it will no doubt benefit Buses of Somerset
Four Webber bus StreetLites have already turned up at First
Quote from: Tony on May 12, 2016, 10:28:46 PM
Four Webber bus StreetLites have already turned up at First
Assuming these are the ones used on Taunton Park & Ride, they moved in 2014 because of a dispute with the Council over late running. I am not aware of any other Streetlites with Webberbus.
Does anyone know what the Webberbus fleet consisted of at the time of closure? TIA.
Quote from: T840MAK on May 13, 2016, 08:02:00 PM
Does anyone know what the Webberbus fleet consisted of at the time of closure? TIA.
This may not be completely accurate, but it is what I have with them
(w) 511 SKM Ld TRCTL11/3R
BC 06 NBC Vo B12M
BT 14 DLN Vo B11R
BT 63 UUP Vo B7RLE
BT 63 UUR Vo B7RLE
BT 63 UUS Vo B7RLE
BT 63 UUV Vo B7RLE
BT 63 UUX Vo B7RLE
BU 14 EHY Vo B7RLE
DK 06 OXD Oe M850SL
(w) H123 TYD Ds Jv
H124 TYD Ds Jv
(w) H159 EJU Ds Jv
J 41 EYB Vo B10M-60
(w) JIL 2018 Vo B10M-60
KV 02 USH Ds Tt
KX 57 FMA AD Dt
KX 57 FMD AD Dt
L 6 ABC Oe MR09
M416 VYD Vo B10M-62
M418 VYD Vo B10M-62
MX 05 OTK Oe M850SL
MX 09 HHV Oe M710
MX 13 BAV Wt StLt DF
MX 13 BBF Wt StLt DF
MX 13 BBJ Wt StLt DF
MX 55 BYA Oe M850
MX 55 BYB Oe M850SL
MX 62 ARU Wt StLt DF
P285 LJH Vo B10M-62
P532 CLJ Vo B10M-62
RB 06 JSB Vo B12M
RK 08 CYJ MAN 14.220
RK 08 CYL MAN 14.220
SO 12 WJA Vo B9R
(w) UJI 3793 Vo B10M-61
WA 05 JWJ MB O815D
WA 05 JWK MB O815D
WA 54 FSF Io 150E24
WA 54 GOE Io 150E24
WA 54 GPJ Io 150E24
WA 54 GPK Io 150E24
WA 54 LSX Io 150E24
WJ 51 FDK DAF DE33WSSB3000
X235 PFR Fd Tt
X574 BYD Vo B10M-55
YJ 10 EYS Oe M880
YJ 10 EYT Oe M880
YJ 10 EYU Oe M880
YJ 10 EYV Oe M880
YJ 10 EYW Oe M880
YJ 57 YCA Oe Vrsa
YJ 57 YCB Oe Vrsa
YJ 58 CEK Oe V1100
YJ 59 GGA Oe M880
YJ 59 GGE Oe M880
YJ 60 LTA Oe V1110
YJ 60 LTE Oe V1110
YJ 60 LTF Oe V1110
YJ 60 LTK Oe V1110
YJ 60 LTN Oe V1110
YJ 60 LTO Oe V1110
YJ 60 LTT Oe V1110
YJ 60 LTU Oe V1110
YJ 62 FBC Oe V1100
YJ 62 FBL Oe V1100
YJ 62 FCD Oe V1100
YN 53 GGE Sca N94UB
YN 53 GGF Sca N94UB
YR 52 MBO MB O814D
YS 03 ZKT Sca N94UB
(w) YXI 7381 Vo B10M-61
BU 16 UYH Vo B11R
YJ 16 DZO Oe M9250SR
YJ 16 DZP Oe M9250SR
YJ 65 ERO Oe M9250
YJ 65 EUY Oe M9250SR
YJ 65 EUZ Oe M9250SR
YJ 65 EVY Oe M9250SR
Many thanks Tony.
I'm quite surprised Webberbus have folded so quickly & without warning..... Although many have seen this coming for some time, they have only very recently introduced new services / made service changes designed to intensify competition with First (Buses of Somerset), this also included taking delivery of brand new 65 & 16 plate Solo SR's, as well as repainting its existing fleet, non of which suggest that they were struggling financially.
Does anyone have any more specific info on what the quoted reason i.e. 'financial difficulties' actually entailed?
From what I read elsewhere, they were in a large amount of debt which sadly caught up on them - but same post also suggests that their entire fleet was leased. Not sure how true though.
Even if the fleet was leased, you still need to be in the position to meet the monthly payments / pass credit checks before being allowed to take out new lease agreements i.e. for example on the very recent additions such as the 65 & 16 plate SR's delivered only a couple of months ago.
Well I remember back to the serverse travel days the company appeared on the outside to be in a sound financial position. However the bank decided to suddenly call 8n the loans & overdraft facility without warning (for what reason I don't know). This effectively left the company bankrupt & the company gave notice to the council in much the same way as webber bus have done.
I think it's a real shame that they've gone they invested heavily in their fleet & at one time their fleet put first to shame although first did start reinventing themselves & tidying up their image.
Quote from: Steveminor on May 16, 2016, 01:59:52 PM
Well I remember back to the serverse travel days the company appeared on the outside to be in a sound financial position. However the bank decided to suddenly call 8n the loans & overdraft facility without warning (for what reason I don't know). This effectively left the company bankrupt & the company gave notice to the council in much the same way as webber bus have done.
I think it's a real shame that they've gone they invested heavily in their fleet & at one time their fleet put first to shame although first did start reinventing themselves & tidying up their image.
I'll go along with the It's a shame they've gone. But they didn't invest heavily in their fleet, they took out expensive leases on vehicles the routes they were operating on didn't pay for. On the commercial routes this was caused by First fighting back so is understandable. If you think you are winning a battle the new vehicles could finish the fight off, but they also leased expensive new vehicles for tendered routes which the income doesn't seem to have justified.
The killer blow on the tendered front was the fall out with the council over the park & ride. Buses leased & contracted for over the full contract period but then being thrown off the contract before the end of term left them short.
Whether bought or leased they did invest in their fleet & had they gone down the cheap second hand Rd then u don't believe they would have lasted as long as they did. It was the new buses that generated their passenger Base & had they not made some silly mistakes on some route choices I think it would have paid off. I.e they went up against firsts route 7 in weston a route that acl couldn't sustain with cheap wrecks that owed nothing so that was never going to pay any lease. Or the Taunton locals that berry's tried with cheap motors.
They should in my mind stuck to the core successful competitive routes that they were doing so well at.