Travel Express / Lets Go

[mranon]

@ bn think I was there then, and that was just as an examiner found something wrong worthy of a pg9 lol!

@ countryliner. If mr chumber knew what he was doing, and has all of this experience, then why isn't he operating today! as tony commented about rotten vehicles etc, ive seen myself a Carlyle dart running around with the bottom skirt panel missing for weeks! then there was the x-uks dart running around with a bungee cord half heartedly holding the engine panel down for months. not forgetting a tax issue well commented on the internet. even his long standing staff had enough before the final nail on the coffin, and jumped ship. I don't dislike mr c personally, but could he really hand over full control? cant see it. however you never know, raj banga has certainly done well turning the former banga travel around. not perfect but they always have an identity.

[Adam 404]

@ bn think I was there then, and that was just as an examiner found something wrong worthy of a pg9 lol!

@ countryliner. If mr chumber knew what he was doing, and has all of this experience, then why isn't he operating today! as tony commented about rotten vehicles etc, ive seen myself a Carlyle dart running around with the bottom skirt panel missing for weeks! then there was the x-uks dart running around with a bungee cord half heartedly holding the engine panel down for months. not forgetting a tax issue well commented on the internet. even his long standing staff had enough before the final nail on the coffin, and jumped ship. I don't dislike mr c personally, but could he really hand over full control? cant see it. however you never know, raj banga has certainly done well turning the former banga travel around. not perfect but they always have an identity.

Mr Chumber could do with Mary Portas explaining how to run things properly! I could just imagine the programme now... But I doubt he will want help as he probably doesn't want his "company" coming back into the headlines...

[fleetline6477]

Yes i realise that the TC does deal with larger bus operators as well but the large operators always get let off with much smaller restrictions and fines. The large operators never get their licenses revoked where as the smaller operators do. For example i remember one time when Stagecoach (in Hastings) were running a bus all over East Sussex for at least eight days with completely different registration numbers at the front and back of the bus and they got away with it. Also these large operators (in particular mainly Go Ahead) always get away with running buses early / running buses late / skipping out parts of the route where as if the small independent operators do that they are far less likely to get away with it. I think that many members of the public would be more than happy to use Travel Express again - the condition of the vehicles was really not that bad - i think that lots of passengers were probably quite happy with Travel Express. A lot of the stuff that people read in the papers about them was untrue and over exaggerated. We also have to remember that Kishan Chumber has operated Travel Express successfully for over fifteen years so he and his team certainly have experience in the industry and know what they are doing. I personally think that people should be more positive about Travel Express as they are definetly not as bad as many people seem to think.

I cannot believe that you can claim 'the condition of the vehicles was not that bad.' Travel Express could not even be bothered to remove previous operator names and route branding on buses they owned for a number of years (e.g. former ACL Travel Darts K 118 SRH and K 565 NHC, several Carlyle Darts ran around with Rossendale livery and Handyrider logos, MUI 1346 ran around with Travel Express on the front and JPT Travel on the sides). Even when updating the fleet Dart SK 51 AYD retained Munros fleet names and Y 131 GBO Wave. All-over yellow Dart NK 51 NKE looks smart but will confuse passengers because the Wolverhampton CC fleet is all-over yellow. Sunny Travel and Banga adopted previous operators liveries as their livery. The fleet looked a shambles about 20 vehicles in a dozen or more liveries and no consistency with removing previous operator names and adding TX in a consistent way. 

You claim a lot of the stuff in the papers was untrue and over exaggerated, from what I read the journalists had done their homework and were directly quoting what the TC report stated. The reports draw attention to mechanical issues and faults found on the vehicles, things which cannot be seen by passengers using the vehicles and are dangerous and potentially life threatening for drivers, passengers and members of the public.

You are right Mr Chumba has been running buses for 15 years. He began by running buses in previous liveries and is still doing so 15 years on. This is plenty of time to sort out the basics of a standardised fleet livery and fleet names. There are many issues that the TC's report highlighted that are 'hidden' because they cannot be seen and it is for those reasons that his recommendations and decision was made. The TC does not make findings of this magnitude without hard evidence. I recognize been a small independent is tough but can never be an excuse for running a bus company in the shambolic way the TC's report highlights. When there is concern about a new Transport Manager not being allowed to do their job without interference this seems to suggest that Mr. Chumba completely fails to understand the implications of the report and the serious failings it lays at his door.

I must agree with your final comment that TX are definitely not as bad as many people seem to think, they are considerably worse than many people seem to think.

[barry619]

Yes i realise that the TC does deal with larger bus operators as well but the large operators always get let off with much smaller restrictions and fines. The large operators never get their licenses revoked where as the smaller operators do. For example i remember one time when Stagecoach (in Hastings) were running a bus all over East Sussex for at least eight days with completely different registration numbers at the front and back of the bus and they got away with it. Also these large operators (in particular mainly Go Ahead) always get away with running buses early / running buses late / skipping out parts of the route where as if the small independent operators do that they are far less likely to get away with it. I think that many members of the public would be more than happy to use Travel Express again - the condition of the vehicles was really not that bad - i think that lots of passengers were probably quite happy with Travel Express. A lot of the stuff that people read in the papers about them was untrue and over exaggerated. We also have to remember that Kishan Chumber has operated Travel Express successfully for over fifteen years so he and his team certainly have experience in the industry and know what they are doing. I personally think that people should be more positive about Travel Express as they are definetly not as bad as many people seem to think.

OK, I give up with you. You have no comprehension of the severity of some of the things that got Travel Express into the situation that led to its O-Licence being revoked in the first place, and nor do you understand how the bus industry is regulated and what standards operators are legally obliged to uphold when they are granted an O-Licence.

Be gone with you.

[barry619]

You claim a lot of the stuff in the papers was untrue and over exaggerated, from what I read the journalists had done their homework and were directly quoting what the TC report stated.

Certainly, and I believe that the journalist quoted in the trade press article linked to earlier will have been present at the Public Inquiry.

[countryliner]

I must say that Travel Express has constantly been improving over the years. They recently replaced their entire step entrance fleet with a fleet of 100% low floor buses. Travel Express have been operating low floor buses on all of their routes where as at the same time many of the large big group operators (including Arriva / First / Go Ahead / Stagecoach) were still operating very large amounts of step entrance buses in their fleet. As for the livery and fleetnames - i really do not think that not having a livery or fleetnames on the bus or running buses in the previous operators fleet names is a problem - there are far more important things for bus operators to focus on. The majority of normal bus passengers will not mind about the liveries or fleetnames. They will just want to get to and from their destination and get cheap good value fares. There are lots of much better things for bus operators to concentrate on and spend their money on.

[Tony]

I must say that Travel Express has constantly been improving over the years. They recently replaced their entire step entrance fleet with a fleet of 100% low floor buses. Travel Express have been operating low floor buses on all of their routes where as at the same time many of the large big group operators (including Arriva / First / Go Ahead / Stagecoach) were still operating very large amounts of step entrance buses in their fleet. As for the livery and fleetnames - i really do not think that not having a livery or fleetnames on the bus or running buses in the previous operators fleet names is a problem - there are far more important things for bus operators to focus on. The majority of normal bus passengers will not mind about the liveries or fleetnames. They will just want to get to and from their destination and get cheap good value fares. There are lots of much better things for bus operators to concentrate on and spend their money on.

Like Maintenance!

Shame Travel Express didn't!

[countryliner]

@Tony - I do agree that it is much better to spend money on maintainance than on liveries and fleetnames.

[Solo1]

onre of the drivres from travel express now with banga

[Steveminor]

He didn't spend money on either

[Solo1]

Public Inquiry (52070) to be held at The Public Inquiry Room, 38 George Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 1PL, on 02 March 2016 commencing at 10:30(Previous Publication:(2245)
)
PD1140735 SI
TRAVEL EXPRESS LTD
Director(s): NIRMAL NIRMALA CHUMBER, KISHAN SINGH CHUMBER.
30 COTON ROAD WOLVERHAMPTON WV4 5AT
PSV - S14 - Considerat

[Steveminor]

Obviously he's found a TM

[RS]

Obviously he's found a TM

@Steveminor i have been told from a reliable source face to face he has but will only be limited to 4 vehicles and 2 routes

[Tony]

@Steveminor i have been told from a reliable source face to face he has but will only be limited to 4 vehicles and 2 routes

Yes, I've been given a name as well, someone with history in the West Midlands

[646]

TJ?