Webberbus ceases trading from tomorrow

[JoNi]

http://www.itv.com/news/west/2016-05-12/webberbus-to-stop-operating-from-tomorrow/

[winston]

That's been coming for a long time, it will no doubt benefit Buses of Somerset

[Tony]

That's been coming for a long time, it will no doubt benefit Buses of Somerset

Four Webber bus StreetLites have already turned up at First

[Adam 404]

Four Webber bus StreetLites have already turned up at First

Assuming these are the ones used on Taunton Park & Ride, they moved in 2014 because of a dispute with the Council over late running. I am not aware of any other Streetlites with Webberbus.

[T840MAK]

Does anyone know what the Webberbus fleet consisted of at the time of closure? TIA.

[Tony]

Does anyone know what the Webberbus fleet consisted of at the time of closure? TIA.

This may not be completely accurate, but it is what I have with them
(w)    511 SKM   Ld   TRCTL11/3R
   BC 06 NBC   Vo   B12M
   BT 14 DLN   Vo   B11R
   BT 63 UUP   Vo   B7RLE
   BT 63 UUR   Vo   B7RLE
   BT 63 UUS   Vo   B7RLE
   BT 63 UUV   Vo   B7RLE
   BT 63 UUX   Vo   B7RLE
   BU 14 EHY   Vo   B7RLE
   DK 06 OXD   Oe   M850SL
(w)   H123 TYD   Ds   Jv
   H124 TYD   Ds   Jv
(w)   H159 EJU   Ds   Jv
   J 41 EYB   Vo   B10M-60
(w)   JIL 2018   Vo   B10M-60
   KV 02 USH   Ds   Tt
   KX 57 FMA   AD   Dt
   KX 57 FMD   AD   Dt
   L  6 ABC   Oe   MR09
   M416 VYD   Vo   B10M-62
   M418 VYD   Vo   B10M-62
   MX 05 OTK   Oe   M850SL
   MX 09 HHV   Oe   M710
   MX 13 BAV   Wt   StLt DF
   MX 13 BBF   Wt   StLt DF
   MX 13 BBJ   Wt   StLt DF
   MX 55 BYA   Oe   M850
   MX 55 BYB   Oe   M850SL
   MX 62 ARU   Wt   StLt DF
   P285 LJH   Vo   B10M-62
   P532 CLJ   Vo   B10M-62
   RB 06 JSB   Vo   B12M
   RK 08 CYJ   MAN   14.220
   RK 08 CYL   MAN   14.220
   SO 12 WJA   Vo   B9R
(w)   UJI 3793   Vo   B10M-61
   WA 05 JWJ   MB   O815D
   WA 05 JWK   MB   O815D
   WA 54 FSF   Io   150E24
   WA 54 GOE   Io   150E24
   WA 54 GPJ   Io   150E24
   WA 54 GPK   Io   150E24
   WA 54 LSX   Io   150E24
   WJ 51 FDK   DAF   DE33WSSB3000
   X235 PFR   Fd   Tt
   X574 BYD   Vo   B10M-55
   YJ 10 EYS   Oe   M880
   YJ 10 EYT   Oe   M880
   YJ 10 EYU   Oe   M880
   YJ 10 EYV   Oe   M880
   YJ 10 EYW   Oe   M880
   YJ 57 YCA   Oe   Vrsa
   YJ 57 YCB   Oe   Vrsa
   YJ 58 CEK   Oe   V1100
   YJ 59 GGA   Oe   M880
   YJ 59 GGE   Oe   M880
   YJ 60 LTA   Oe   V1110
   YJ 60 LTE   Oe   V1110
   YJ 60 LTF   Oe   V1110
   YJ 60 LTK   Oe   V1110
   YJ 60 LTN   Oe   V1110
   YJ 60 LTO   Oe   V1110
   YJ 60 LTT   Oe   V1110
   YJ 60 LTU   Oe   V1110
   YJ 62 FBC   Oe   V1100
   YJ 62 FBL   Oe   V1100
   YJ 62 FCD   Oe   V1100
   YN 53 GGE   Sca   N94UB
   YN 53 GGF   Sca   N94UB
   YR 52 MBO   MB   O814D
   YS 03 ZKT   Sca   N94UB
(w)   YXI 7381   Vo   B10M-61
   BU 16 UYH   Vo   B11R
   YJ 16 DZO   Oe   M9250SR
   YJ 16 DZP   Oe   M9250SR
   YJ 65 ERO   Oe   M9250
   YJ 65 EUY   Oe   M9250SR
   YJ 65 EUZ   Oe   M9250SR
   YJ 65 EVY   Oe   M9250SR

[T840MAK]

Many thanks Tony.

[winston]

I'm quite surprised Webberbus have folded so quickly & without warning..... Although many have seen this coming for some time, they have only very recently introduced new services / made service changes designed to intensify competition with First (Buses of Somerset), this also included taking delivery of brand new 65 & 16 plate Solo SR's, as well as repainting its existing fleet, non of which suggest that they were struggling financially.

Does anyone have any more specific info on what the quoted reason i.e. 'financial difficulties' actually entailed? 

[T840MAK]

From what I read elsewhere, they were in a large amount of debt which sadly caught up on them - but same post also suggests that their entire fleet was leased. Not sure how true though.

[winston]

Even if the fleet was leased, you still need to be in the position to meet the monthly payments / pass credit checks before being allowed to take out new lease agreements i.e. for example on the very recent additions such as the 65 & 16 plate SR's delivered only a couple of months ago.

[Steveminor]

Well I remember back to the serverse travel days the company appeared on the outside to be in a sound financial position. However the bank decided to suddenly call 8n the loans & overdraft facility without warning (for what reason I don't know). This effectively left the company bankrupt & the company gave notice to the council in much the same way as webber bus have done.
I think it's a real shame that they've gone they invested heavily in their fleet & at one time their fleet put first to shame although first did start reinventing themselves & tidying up their image.

[Tony]

Well I remember back to the serverse travel days the company appeared on the outside to be in a sound financial position. However the bank decided to suddenly call 8n the loans & overdraft facility without warning (for what reason I don't know). This effectively left the company bankrupt & the company gave notice to the council in much the same way as webber bus have done.
I think it's a real shame that they've gone they invested heavily in their fleet & at one time their fleet put first to shame although first did start reinventing themselves & tidying up their image.

I'll go along with the It's a shame they've gone. But they didn't invest heavily in their fleet, they took out expensive leases on vehicles the routes they were operating on didn't pay for. On the commercial routes this was caused by First fighting back so is understandable. If you think you are winning a battle the new vehicles could finish the fight off, but they also leased expensive new  vehicles for tendered routes which the income doesn't seem to have justified.

[Steveminor]

The killer blow on the tendered front was the fall out with the council over the park & ride. Buses leased & contracted for over the full contract period but then being thrown off the contract before the end of term left them short.
Whether bought or leased they did invest in their fleet & had they gone down the cheap second hand Rd then u don't believe they would have lasted as long as they did. It was the new buses that generated their passenger Base & had they not made some silly mistakes on some route choices I think it would have paid off. I.e they went up against firsts route 7 in weston a route that acl couldn't sustain with cheap wrecks that owed nothing so that was never going to pay any lease. Or the Taunton locals that berry's tried with cheap motors.
They should in my mind stuck to the core successful competitive routes that they were doing so well at.