Rotala Management - Questions & Answers

[iamwilljh92]

Hi Simon,

Just wondering if you could tell me when you intend to re-spray these buses

* 30930, VX54 MUC
* 30931, VX54 MUO

obviously 30932 (VX54 MUP) was resprayed around April/May of last year so like I say I'm wondering when you intend to get the other two resprayed. Also is 20849 (KU52 RYH) returning to Kidderminster at some stage?
Hope you had a good holiday and I await your responce

Thanks

Will

Personally I like seeing the remnant of Barbie around Kidderminster. What with those two buses, First logos on the Oxford Street shelters and First Midland Red bus stop flags everywhere its almost First is haunting the area! Oh yeah and the First logo on a sticker on board VX54 MTE!

Times change Sam! First were in Kidder for far too long and now that Diamond own them everything should be "Diamond" related including Bus stop signs! For example if Kidderminster was somewhere in the Black Country like Walsall area and for arguments sake NXWM (I'm using them for example purposes only) had taken over First (granted they never did any services there) then they [NXWM] would of made sure everything was changed and I guess in time Diamond will do the same here

[Dave Spencer]

Can I ask a question?

Regarding the 50 service, I can not believe how many buses there are per hour on this service I believe there is something like 26 per hour! Can someone please clarify this.
Also as NXWM has the biggest monopoly of this route is there nothing the smaller operators e.g Green Bus / Diamond Bus can do in terms of fair trade? Mr Dunn maybe you can answer this?

Dave

[StourportSam]

Hi Simon,

Just wondering if you could tell me when you intend to re-spray these buses

* 30930, VX54 MUC
* 30931, VX54 MUO

obviously 30932 (VX54 MUP) was resprayed around April/May of last year so like I say I'm wondering when you intend to get the other two resprayed. Also is 20849 (KU52 RYH) returning to Kidderminster at some stage?
Hope you had a good holiday and I await your responce

Thanks

Will

Personally I like seeing the remnant of Barbie around Kidderminster. What with those two buses, First logos on the Oxford Street shelters and First Midland Red bus stop flags everywhere its almost First is haunting the area! Oh yeah and the First logo on a sticker on board VX54 MTE!

Times change Sam! First were in Kidder for far too long and now that Diamond own them everything should be "Diamond" related including Bus stop signs! For example if Kidderminster was somewhere in the Black Country like Walsall area and for arguments sake NXWM (I'm using them for example purposes only) had taken over First (granted they never did any services there) then they [NXWM] would of made sure everything was changed and I guess in time Diamond will do the same here

I know times change I was only commenting on the remnants of First in the area. In Cornwall there are bus stops branded for First where Western Greyhound are now the sole operator due to cuts/retendering and vice-versa. This is often where changes took place at least 2011 or before! I doubt we will see a blitz of First logos anytime soon due to the cost involved. As I understand it bus stops are the responsibility of Worcesterhsire CC so any changes to flags will be made by the council. For example where flags have been renewed or replaced in the last few years they are in the WCC style, such as that outside Sainsburys on Crossley Park or in the hospital forecourt. What's worse is the ex First flags on Exchange Street show service numbers 300 and such which are long gone!

[winston]

Hi Simon,

Hope you had a good holiday, I don't know if you're already aware / interested, in the latest edition of Bus & Coach Buyer (April 11th), the following vehicles are for sale:

Scania UK:

1 x 12 plate Omnilink & 3 x 11 plate Omnilinks available from May. These may of interest to add to those already in the Wessex fleet & release further older Volvo B7RLE/Plaxton Centro's to Diamond?

Southdown PSV:

Still has the advert running for the 2003 E300 that has been for sale for sometime, however the advert now reads 2003/2009 ADL Enviro 300 12m - Choice from £22,500 + vat. I'm thinking Southdown could have bought the two 2009 E300's off JPT that you expressed an interest in? Their website doesn't show this yet.

[Tracline]

Hi Simon, I also hope you had a good holiday, did you go anywhere nice? I was just looking for a reasonable priced tumble drier on ebay and never new that they sold buses on there but I saw some and wandered if you might be interested in them? There is an Optari delta for only 1850 pounds so a lot cheaper than some buses and I don't think you have any like it so it would make a nice change to see one in Walsall especially if you didn't paint it as a yellow bus would look different from the other buses. There is also a dennis dart for only 1000 pound which is a very good bargain, you should bid for them please.

[Tony]

Hi Simon, I also hope you had a good holiday, did you go anywhere nice? I was just looking for a reasonable priced tumble drier on ebay and never new that they sold buses on there but I saw some and wandered if you might be interested in them? There is an Optari delta for only 1850 pounds so a lot cheaper than some buses and I don't think you have any like it so it would make a nice change to see one in Walsall especially if you didn't paint it as a yellow bus would look different from the other buses. There is also a dennis dart for only 1000 pound which is a very good bargain, you should bid for them please.

Please keep questions on here serious!
Rotala are a respectable company who operate a modern fleet. They are dismantling darts for spares in better condition than those. Why on earth would they waste money buying scrap

[tank90]

Hi Simon, I also hope you had a good holiday, did you go anywhere nice? I was just looking for a reasonable priced tumble drier on ebay and never new that they sold buses on there but I saw some and wandered if you might be interested in them? There is an Optari delta for only 1850 pounds so a lot cheaper than some buses and I don't think you have any like it so it would make a nice change to see one in Walsall especially if you didn't paint it as a yellow bus would look different from the other buses. There is also a dennis dart for only 1000 pound which is a very good bargain, you should bid for them please.

Please keep questions on here serious!
Rotala are a respectable company who operate a modern fleet. They are dismantling darts for spares in better condition than those. Why on earth would they waste money buying scrap

I tend to agree with Tony. No Operator would go through Amazon or ebay to buy buses because you dont know what you are getting. Rotala will only use companies they are happy with or buy direct from previous operator not an online auction site like ebay.

Granted Tracline you are new but do read through all the posts before posting as you will make your self look silly before long. As we have been reminded Simon takes time out of his busy office hours and home life to answer some of our questions and to read our feed back, so we should make it worth while and of some sort of help not I've found a bargin bus for 1000 at my local pub type of thing.

[Tracline]

I'm very sorry Tony, I didn't mean to make the website maker angry, I'm sorry and tank90 sorry too. I hope I haven't spoiled Simon's holiday I see now I was being selfish wanting Simon just to buy buses that I like. If you have read it alredy simon please ignore my last post and don't buy olden buses from ebay just buy the buses winston says, they are probly much better. sorry all of you

[Simon Dunn]

Winston,

You may have noticed 7 larger vehicles being moved from Wessex to the West Midlands.

We are focusing on putting these into service before we acquire anything else.



Simon

[Simon Dunn]

Hi Simon,
Have you seen in Route one magazine an 04 plate Enviro 300 for sale at £28,000 here the phone number in the ad 01234 710 674.

Idea for Redditch so a lng dart could transfer to Kidderminster.




Ps have a good holiday, and if I have said anything on the forum that was unfair I do apologise.

Tank

Yes I have seen the vehicles.  Our priority is to redeploy our current fleet first.



Simon

[Simon Dunn]

Hi Simon,

Just wondering if you could tell me when you intend to re-spray these buses

* 30930, VX54 MUC
* 30931, VX54 MUO

obviously 30932 (VX54 MUP) was resprayed around April/May of last year so like I say I'm wondering when you intend to get the other two resprayed. Also is 20849 (KU52 RYH) returning to Kidderminster at some stage?
Hope you had a good holiday and I await your responce

Thanks

Will

Will

1.  Both E300's short be painted before they are returned to service.
2.  KU52RYH, I believe this is now back



Simon

[Simon Dunn]

Ohhhh I see. I would of thought a company as big as Rotala might have people as well as Simon who would know about things like that or maybe places that sell buses would ring up SImon to tell him about what buses they have for sale. He must be really happy to have this group to tell him what buses he should buy and how much they are. This is why other bus bosses should come on here, they are missing out

Simon, does get approached by dealers sometimes long before we even see an advert in the trade press or on a dealers website.

Precisely-it is more interesting and useful for us than it probably is for Simon, hence why it is really kind he is prepared to spend time answering questions.

We have a fleet manager.  Who deals with all vehicle acquisitions/disposals/taxation/central source of information for vehicle compliance.

At the same time, we normally know about most vehicles which are for sale before they are advertised.  Some vehicles don't get advertised.



Simon

[Simon Dunn]

Can I ask a question?

Regarding the 50 service, I can not believe how many buses there are per hour on this service I believe there is something like 26 per hour! Can someone please clarify this.
Also as NXWM has the biggest monopoly of this route is there nothing the smaller operators e.g Green Bus / Diamond Bus can do in terms of fair trade? Mr Dunn maybe you can answer this?

Dave

Dave,

Should we wish to take some form of legal action, then we have in essence 2 routes

1.  If any operator was operating outside their registered timetable or outside the terms of the SQPS then we could report them to the Office of the Traffic Commissioner/VOSA.

In the case of National Express, this service operates to a frequency timetable and I cannot imagine there is any evidence to support they are operating outside of this.

2.  Competition Commission.

If they were operating the service for a cost beneath Gross margin level (It is a long time, since I have looked at this so if the words I am using are incorrect please forgive me) then we have the option to report them to the OFT/CC.

Considering National Express operate a flat fare structure then there is no possible reason to believe they are doing this.



Simon

[Simon Dunn]

Hi Simon,

Hope you had a good holiday, I don't know if you're already aware / interested, in the latest edition of Bus & Coach Buyer (April 11th), the following vehicles are for sale:

Scania UK:

1 x 12 plate Omnilink & 3 x 11 plate Omnilinks available from May. These may of interest to add to those already in the Wessex fleet & release further older Volvo B7RLE/Plaxton Centro's to Diamond?

Southdown PSV:

Still has the advert running for the 2003 E300 that has been for sale for sometime, however the advert now reads 2003/2009 ADL Enviro 300 12m - Choice from £22,500 + vat. I'm thinking Southdown could have bought the two 2009 E300's off JPT that you expressed an interest in? Their website doesn't show this yet.

Winston,

I am aware of these vehicles.

I don't deal with Southdown, the Scania's we have had some discussion with them over.  However, we are not able as yet to achieve a deal which would be of interest to us



Simon

[Simon Dunn]

I'm very sorry Tony, I didn't mean to make the website maker angry, I'm sorry and tank90 sorry too. I hope I haven't spoiled Simon's holiday I see now I was being selfish wanting Simon just to buy buses that I like. If you have read it alredy simon please ignore my last post and don't buy olden buses from ebay just buy the buses winston says, they are probly much better. sorry all of you

We are in the process of breaking a couple of old darts up for parts.

Unfortunately they are worth more in parts now, than someone is prepared to pay for them




Simon