Competetion in the Midlands

[winston]

And diamond arent constantly chopping and changing their network-the vast majority of it stays the same each year and yes of course there are changes but that is because, unless you have failed to notice, many of their routes are tendered operations and yes centro do change these at regular intervals.

I have to disagree with this point. Yes they have operated alot of tendered work and of course contract changes happen in this area but they have also registered on alot of routes commercially and then withdrawn. In the last 10 years through various ownerships they have been on and then withdrawn from the 9,22, 37, 74, 87,97,120, 246, 448,529 and others . No other independent in the area has done this as often as they stick to a core few routes which is how you build up passenger loyalty.

When was the 246 operated was that under Petes Travel or Peoples Express or under another name.

I don't remember them doing the 246 specifically, BCC did the 300 / 310 & 311 in various forms over common sections of route

[Kevin]

Something I've always wondered is why such fierce competition on certain bus routes and not others, Diamond have operated quite healthily since BCC days on the 16 and from memory NX have let them be, they seem to work happily together.

[Discodave]

Something I've always wondered is why such fierce competition on certain bus routes and not others, Diamond have operated quite healthily since BCC days on the 16 and from memory NX have let them be, they seem to work happily together.

They did run happy during bcc days but when BCC bought the cadets and put them on the 16 which at the time had metros TWM at the time got very agressive put on the Alx400 Volvos new and bumped up the service as BCC had a good following and made cash at the expense of TWM.  £200 a day was not uncommon (on every bus) on the 16 ( at my stint at BCC (before go ahead and rotala)

[Ash]

In BCC days there used to be 8 cadets used which are now 30201-8, where now there is only 6 vehicles used normally the hybrids. Which made me laugh when the MCV's were pruchased for the service as only 4 were branded and brought for the service.