Discount Travel Solutions

[Steveminor]

Dave don't you know we bought the bus with you in mind lol.
You should see the mpd more dual language posters on there & a poster showing the Barry island network.

[BN]

You shouldn't be sarcastic tony it is unbecoming of a man of your professionalism.
Super darts have a higher running cost than standard & mini darts therefore DTS break even is much lower than social travel.
It also seems that throughout the day there are slightly less groupings of 97s round DTS (whether this be luck or design I don't know)

Not strictly true in all cases, there is SPD's at Oswestry that have extremely low running costs. Presumably down to good maintenance.

[Isle of Stroma]

Does it still tell you which stop to get off for the sheep market?

Dunno, I didn't read them all! I was only on for a 3 stop hop & at a time when historically NXWM 'buses are notoriously thin on the ground (15:10). My overriding impression of the SPD was that it was in need of an internal deep clean & that I'd have removed the posters if I had anything to do with it.

Dave don't you know we bought the bus with you in mind lol.
You should see the mpd more dual language posters on there & a poster showing the Barry island network.

I could do with a refresher, the last time I went on a 'bus to Ynys I Barri, it was red & had 'WESTERN WELSH' on the side!

[justlookingaround]

How are the Cardiff Darts doing anyway?

Seem to see the SPDs pop up on eBay now and then (S319 SHB repainted is the latest), are they pretty solid or do they have their problems?

[Steveminor]

Both sailed through mot with minimal fuss & have proved reliable so far.

[andy]

You shouldn't be sarcastic tony it is unbecoming of a man of your professionalism.
Super darts have a higher running cost than standard & mini darts therefore DTS break even is much lower than social travel.
It also seems that throughout the day there are slightly less groupings of 97s round DTS (whether this be luck or design I don't know)

I wasn't being sarcastic, ask anyone of the passengers on either company and see how many can tell you which company they are on.

Nearly every one will just be on 'the other buses', 'the private buses' or tell you the colour

Steve, with all due respect, as I'm sure you're a nice bloke......

But surely there comes a time where one has to just accept they're not really much good at this bus operating lark?

I've now lost count of the here today gone tomorrow (literally) outfits you've peddled even in the years since this forum started.  Only a couple of weeks ago you were treating us to salivating grand plans for expansion of the extremely profitable 97 corridor only for your venture to disappear up its own backside yet again?

I think the car parks may be calling......but then I'm just a racist Tamworthian, like all the others of course  ;)

[Steveminor]

There were some ideas of where to take the 97 but you have to have a solid foundation before building anything bigger & the amount of buses on the 97 was too much to bear for social travel at this time without risking the future of the company.
If I had run the 97 extension & it all failed then how stupid would that have looked.
It's all to do with business at the end of the day not to make enthusiasts happy. If that were the case there would be no end of people running buses in Cannock to make bob smile.
We must be doing something right though to expand from 6 step entry darts to 10 slfs across 3 companies (including buying a company that was about to go to the wall). Plus changing & updating the livery of Sunny travel all in the space of 36 months.
All this from a company that was on its knees & close to closure.
So scoff all you like but I don't think these guys have done to badly.
My main role does still remain in parking enforcement & I work with these guys specifically because I can see the potential in their business. If I didn't then I wouldn't bother.
I have always tried to be as open & honest as I can be on this forum as I have no reason to lie, so believe me when I say there are substantial long term plans & some route innovations planned. But finances must be on a sound footing first so as not to risk being a "here today gone tomorrow" outfit.

[Liverpool Street]

This whole thread is tl;dr.

However, from the odd sentence I managed to salvage, didn't you want to run your 97 to the Airport? Or maybe it already does. I have neither the time or patience to figure out whats going on with these "zaks" operators. (Thats what my local passengers used to call ALL 'foreign' bus operators)

@Tony - I did read your comments. I concur.

[Dutsey]

The bit I don't understand is why even attempt to run a service on the 97 with the amount of buses being run , this was always doomed to fail.

Surely there are lesser corridors that could be attempted or even better create a new service?

[the trainbasher]

I went on both ALXs that DTS provided and the most amount of passengers I counted on them, a hand sufficed!

The one driver would be a prime candidate for Le Mans! I had to brace myself!!

[Tony]

If what I heard today is correct, and I am not posting it publicly until any registrations made are published, then it shows the intention is purely to 'milk' an existing operator and will not increase overall ridership on buses by a single passenger.

[notepanel]

Discount are also coming off the 97 from 20 April and starting back on the 966 the following day, according to VOSA today.

[fleetline6477]

Discount are also coming off the 97 from 20 April and starting back on the 966 the following day, according to VOSA today.

Sounds like a good strategy! Pull off one route because profitability is low, try another for a matter of weeks before pulling off before due to lack of profitability,  then go back to plan A. I assume they'll pull off the 966 by June / July and the re-register on the 97!

[justlookingaround]

The way things are looking they should have just joined Social Travel in their round adventure!

[andy]

Discount are also coming off the 97 from 20 April and starting back on the 966 the following day, according to VOSA today.

Sounds like a good strategy! Pull off one route because profitability is low, try another for a matter of weeks before pulling off before due to lack of profitability,  then go back to plan A. I assume they'll pull off the 966 by June / July and the re-register on the 97!

It is far too easy for this sort of behaviour to go on, offering nothing to the travelling public.  I live on the 966 route and will make it my business to keep Centro and VOSA well informed with any 'discrepancies'.