Claribels

[2206]

"Service withdrawn at Claribel Coaches, service 55 and 94 will no longer operate from end of service on Saturday 4th July.

National Express West Midlands run an alternative service on the 55 and 94"

"From Monday 6th July Service 75 will operate to a reduced timetable. Some parts of this route are operated by Diamond Buses."

(Seen on WM Network Service Updates Page).

[ellspurs]

"Service withdrawn at Claribel Coaches, service 94 will no longer operate from end of service on Saturday 4th July."

... that route has been going for nearly 30 years for Claribels. Things can't be good.

Edited to add youtube video of buses from 1993, which feature Claribels on the 94.

[Steveminor]

Regarding service 424, I can confirm we have agreed an extension with Tfwm which will ensure the routes survival until the end of January 2021

[Busboy105]

Is the beginning of the end for Claribels?

[WyreForestShuttle]

Regarding service 424, I can confirm we have agreed an extension with Tfwm which will ensure the routes survival until the end of January 2021

Claribels are one of the best bus operators I have ever encountered. Steve Minor is one of the most professional members of the industry I have ever met. In this changed world we now live in I wish them both well for the future.

[Pat]

Is the beginning of the end for Claribels?

I sincerely hope not.  I've used Claribels only once on the 94 but I must say the impression I got was a good one. 

[Steveminor]

Regarding the video the sherpa on the 101 at about 45 seconds is Claribels.

These are truly unprecedented times we are living in with the biggest contraction in public transport usage there has ever been worldwide.
Bus operators have been surviving off government Grant's since the start of the crisis & I fear since the WHO have warned we're not yet half way through it looks like the commercial bus network wont return for some time & government funds are not unlimited.
There will be survivors & casualties in the transport industry & I believe the survivors will be the ones who take the really tough decisions sooner rather than later (that's not to say it will be enough).
Claribels has a good contract base not only on stage carriage but other work too with recent awards for other work so hopefully we'll be one of the survivors.
For now on commercial work it's best to sit back & ride it out.
We will probably see more cuts in the coming weeks as the severity of the economic crash takes hold.
Now is not the right time, but when it is then we should all rush to use public transport as much as possible & embrace what we've got as no other country in the world has or could pull of such a deregulated network as the uk with such a diverse range of bus rail & tram operators.

[WyreForestShuttle]

Regarding the video the sherpa on the 101 at about 45 seconds is Claribels.

These are truly unprecedented times we are living in with the biggest contraction in public transport usage there has ever been worldwide.
Bus operators have been surviving off government Grant's since the start of the crisis & I fear since the WHO have warned we're not yet half way through it looks like the commercial bus network wont return for some time & government funds are not unlimited.
There will be survivors & casualties in the transport industry & I believe the survivors will be the ones who take the really tough decisions sooner rather than later (that's not to say it will be enough).
Claribels has a good contract base not only on stage carriage but other work too with recent awards for other work so hopefully we'll be one of the survivors.
For now on commercial work it's best to sit back & ride it out.
We will probably see more cuts in the coming weeks as the severity of the economic crash takes hold.
Now is not the right time, but when it is then we should all rush to use public transport as much as possible & embrace what we've got as no other country in the world has or could pull of such a deregulated network as the uk with such a diverse range of bus rail & tram operators.

@Steveminor what a post, what a brilliant man you are . How wise to concentrate on contracts in the current climate. I admire you & the company & just hope we all come thru the other side of this crisis.

[ellspurs]

Regarding the video the sherpa on the 101 at about 45 seconds is Claribels.

These are truly unprecedented times we are living in with the biggest contraction in public transport usage there has ever been worldwide.
Bus operators have been surviving off government Grant's since the start of the crisis & I fear since the WHO have warned we're not yet half way through it looks like the commercial bus network wont return for some time & government funds are not unlimited.
There will be survivors & casualties in the transport industry & I believe the survivors will be the ones who take the really tough decisions sooner rather than later (that's not to say it will be enough).
Claribels has a good contract base not only on stage carriage but other work too with recent awards for other work so hopefully we'll be one of the survivors.
For now on commercial work it's best to sit back & ride it out.
We will probably see more cuts in the coming weeks as the severity of the economic crash takes hold.
Now is not the right time, but when it is then we should all rush to use public transport as much as possible & embrace what we've got as no other country in the world has or could pull of such a deregulated network as the uk with such a diverse range of bus rail & tram operators.

At 5:50 there was a Route Master doing the 94 route, running in front of a Claribels' 94.

Claribels was my parents go-to bus in the 90s. Cheap fare and you could for a time smoke at the back of the coach. It's a shame to not see them trundling up and down Auckland Drive from Monday, but completely understandable at the moment.

[Steveminor]

The routemaster was Frontline Buses which was basically the Phoenix of Tame Valley after its former owner bought & rebranded Burman Travel.

[WyreForestShuttle]

The routemaster was Frontline Buses which was basically the Phoenix of Tame Valley after its former owner bought & rebranded Burman Travel.

Midland Red West eventually ran Frontline Buses @Steveminor at arms length for Badgerline Holdings it was a strategic purchase that was never developed.

[Gareth]

As a regular Claribel user, I wish all staff and drivers the very best for whatever the future holds for them. They have served me incredibly well ever since they started running the Washwood Heath routes. Thank you.

[Busboy105]

I wonder what they'll do now considering that all three of their major routes have now gone. The 55 is still around but is now peak times only.

[2206]

The 55 is still around but is now peak times only.

WM Network page states that both the Claribel 55 and 94 have now been withdrawn from tonight. So no its not still around at the moment.
Their 55 has been suspended since March as well.

As of tonight the commercial services have been withdrawn. So they will now only operate the tendered services.

[Jack]

Claribels are one of the best bus operators I have ever encountered. Steve Minor is one of the most professional members of the industry I have ever met. In this changed world we now live in I wish them both well for the future.

Its a shame that they are coming off commercial service's completely, it won't be the same not seeing them on the Washwood Heath Road anymore. Ever since the tendered work started the cracks started to show... especially with them on the 424...

I'm happy the 424 is safe until the start of next year, just hopefully if it does have another operator either NX or Diamond can win it back.