select bus

[winston]

The other odd things with the loithan darts are they are run with add blue so they are euro 4 and they have double glazed windows. Loithan just seemed to spend a lot of money on them obviously curtiousy of the tax payer

Will you take any further SPD'S from Ensign? Or have all the current batch now been sold? Ex Lothian buses do always seem well looked after & appear to make good used acquisitions.

[SBS]

The batch is now all sold. 18 went in a week ! I couldn't believe it, I suppose something else will come along.

[winston]

The batch is now all sold. 18 went in a week ! I couldn't believe it, I suppose something else will come along.

That's good going.... I think Lothian still have more still in service, plus 04 plate B7RLE's are starting to be put in reserve. I think they've recently taken another batch of new buses, but deckers

[Cheese]

That's good going.... I think Lothian still have more still in service, plus 04 plate B7RLE's are starting to be put in reserve. I think they've recently taken another batch of new buses, but deckers

Only SPDs left at Lothian are driver trainers, all the 52-plates have gone.

[SBS]

That's interesting as tbf they are good buses I suppose it's a question of see what happens and what comes available, I'll keep looking anyway.

[winston]

Only SPDs left at Lothian are driver trainers, all the 52-plates have gone.

Aren't there more 53 plates or are they the trainers?

[Cheese]

Aren't there more 53 plates or are they the trainers?

Three 52-plate trainers, the 53-plate ones appear to be scattered as follows:

SN53 AUW - Rambler of Hastings
SN53 AUX/VD/E/O - JMB Travel of Newmains (?)
SN53 AUY/VC/F/L - Renown of Bexhill
SN53 AVG/K/M/P - Ipswich Buses
SN53 AVR/T - Bay Travel of Cowdenbeath

I have got a few pictures of the Renown ones in Hastings on Rail Replacement earlier this year.

[winston]

Three 52-plate trainers, the 53-plate ones appear to be scattered as follows:

SN53 AUW - Rambler of Hastings
SN53 AUX/VD/E/O - JMB Travel of Newmains (?)
SN53 AUY/VC/F/L - Renown of Bexhill
SN53 AVG/K/M/P - Ipswich Buses
SN53 AVR/T - Bay Travel of Cowdenbeath

I have got a few pictures of the Renown ones in Hastings on Rail Replacement earlier this year.

There's also one other 52 plate in reserve as of July (fleet No 65), but you're right, no more left other than those

[Cheese]

There's also one other 52 plate in reserve as of July (fleet No 65), but you're right, no more left other than those

The Ensign intake lists suggest that 65 SK52OJJ went to Purfleet in February this year, not entirely sure whether that is correct or not as there don't seem to be any pictures of it recently.

[winston]

PD1098350/1 - B P BROWN TRAVEL LTD T/A SELECT BUS SERVICES, 2 NAGINGTON DRIVE, PENKRIDGE, STAFFORD, ST19 5TA
        Variation Accepted: Operating between Stafford and Wolverhampton given service number 878/877 effective from 26-Oct-2015. To amend Route and Timetable.

PD1098350/3 - B P BROWN TRAVEL LTD T/A SELECT BUS SERVICES, 2 NAGINGTON DRIVE, PENKRIDGE, STAFFORD, ST19 5TA
    Cancellation Accepted by SN: Operating between Cannock Bus Station and Hednesford given service number 23/23A effective from 25-Sep-2015.

Associated:

PD1128125/1 - ROLLING SOLUTIONS LTD T/A D & G BUS, THE WELLINGTON, 78 HIGH STREET, UTTOXETER, ST14 7JD
        Cancellation Accepted: Operating between Gaol Square, North Walls, Stafford and Lichfield Street, Wolverhampton given service number 877/878 effective from 26-Oct-2015.

[barry619]

Yes Bob plus their are other occurrences ie the service 23 and others.

Also I will make a comment, many operators over the years have tried new routes but yet when these look successful Arriva just time buses in front like James said or start new routes to compete so their is sometimes no point doing new routes as they want everything for themselves ridiculous!

Of course they 'want everything for themselves'. Arriva is in business to make money, not be nice. I doubt their financial director reporting to Germany that 'well, we let ABC123 Buses have such and such a route because it was a nice thing to do' would go down too well.

There are two possible ways that Arriva will deal with the competition it is experiencing at the moment. One would be to do as it did with Wardle and give things up as a bad job, which would suggest that the routes involved are hardly star performers. If it elects to fight back, those currently having a pop would be well advised to have a plan B ready, because you can only poke a wasp's nest so many times.

[barry619]

Loithan just seemed to spend a lot of money on them obviously curtiousy of the tax payer

No, courtesy of the profit it makes and not having the same demand for a return to shareholders as publicly-traded operators.

[Bob]

No, courtesy of the profit it makes and not having the same demand for a return to shareholders as publicly-traded operators.

Thats correct, Council owned bus companies have to be run as arms length companies.

[SBS]

Barry, I think you missed the point. What I was trying to say obvously if Arriva keep giving competition they need to expect it back? Also if It was the case why won't they go on Natex routes?
Barry, loithan, ....................
Barry, wardle was fine until Arriva got their hands on it ?
Barry, also poking the wasp nest ? Clearly this is what they are doing to small companies

[Steveminor]

Barry if you poke a wasp's nest & you get stung. You generally then try to destroy the wasp's nest.