Claribels

[Jack]

One of the '17' plate E200's has a huge green advert applied to its nearside. Just seen it go past me on a 424.

[fleetline6477]

Looks like the end of Claribels as we've known it. Years of building up a good reputation on key commercial routes slowly disappearing.

[sonic84]

Looks like the end of Claribels as we've known it. Years of building up a good reputation on key commercial routes slowly disappearing.

I had a similar thought. It's a shame to see their commercial network in decline!

I hope that their tendered work is more profitable.

[Jack D]

I honestly think the 55 should be served by claribels again. I also think Claribels would make profit on routes like the X70 as its not that regular so having a bus inbetween would make Claribel loadings bigger.

Also @Steveminor , every time I'm waiting for a Claribel bus there is always this one driver that skips passed me at a bus stop. He does it every time. He was on the 94 this morning got the Hunters Moon at 7:55 and drove straight past me!

[Jack]

I honestly think the 55 should be served by claribels again. I also think Claribels would make profit on routes like the X70 as its not that regular so having a bus inbetween would make Claribel loadings bigger.

Also @Steveminor , every time I'm waiting for a Claribel bus there is always this one driver that skips passed me at a bus stop. He does it every time. He was on the 94 this morning got the Hunters Moon at 7:55 and drove straight past me!

I think the 55 should be going again. I think they should do more routes as well, but not the X70. I would like them to be in competition with NX on the 37.

[Trident 4194]

I think the 55 should be going again. I think they should do more routes as well, but not the X70. I would like them to be in competition with NX on the 37.

37 has too high frequency in my opinion. Diamond couldn't make it profitable

[2206]

97 maybe?

[Jack]

97 maybe?

They would look good on the 97. I think they should do the 37 still though, with a newish fleet of Pulsars they would do well.

[monkeyjoe]

Make a profit on the x70 that's an interesting concept , that I don't think quite works for me. East Brum bus usage in general must be in serious decline , I wonder if any of the routes are profitable.

[Jack]

Make a profit on the x70 that's an interesting concept , that I don't think quite works for me. East Brum bus usage in general must be in serious decline , I wonder if any of the routes are profitable.

I don't think the X70 is profitable unless Claribels make it more frequent. 15 minutes during the day perhaps? Unless NX decide to make it more useful than a poor 2 buses an hour! I remember the days of Sunny Travel on the 14

[dingding]

Having worked for Claribels I know that the brothers are pretty shrewd bus men.

Being a smaller company they are able to adjust and react to changes in the market quicker than the dominant local operator.

This ongoing assessment of the business and the slight downturn in passenger numbers in East Birmingham is probably the reason why they have increased the amount of tendered mileage in the last few months.

This of course gives them a guaranteed contract life income and reduces the commercial risk.

I wouldn't be expecting them to make any speculative commercial registrations for new routes in the near future.

[2206]

I don't think the X70 is profitable unless Claribels make it more frequent. 15 minutes during the day perhaps? Unless NX decide to make it more useful than a poor 2 buses an hour! I remember the days of Sunny Travel on the 14

So where would all of the extra passengers in Coleshill and Water Orton needed to make it viable to operate at a 15 minute frequency appear from?

[Jack]

So where would all of the extra passengers in Coleshill and Water Orton needed to make it viable to operate at a 15 minute frequency appear from?

I was talking more about Chipperfield Road and Bromford Estate. The X70 is that poor that only picks up a few compared to the X12 which carries way more.

[2206]

I was talking more about Chipperfield Road and Bromford Estate. The X70 is that poor that only picks up a few compared to the X12 which carries way more.

Picks up the same number of passengers going to Bromford as the X12, from what I've seen, unless the X12 gets into the City Centre and picks up the passengers before the X70, they both go the same way out of the City Centre so people are going to get whatever bus comes first.

They've already got the X12, so why would they need a more frequent X70 as well, surely it'd just pick up passengers who would have got the X12.

[Jack]

Picks up the same number of passengers going to Bromford as the X12, from what I've seen, unless the X12 gets into the City Centre and picks up the passengers before the X70, they both go the same way out of the City Centre so people are going to get whatever bus comes first.

Well tbh even though Washwood Heath Road can cope with the 55 and 94 now three routes have been taken off it, I would remove that 'X' and send it back down the road where it got good loadings, and the route was frequent. Don't really like the X70 compared to the original 70. When I last caught the X70 a few weeks ago I was the only passenger on from Water Orton to City. Most of the Easts network is in shambles.