Chaserider

[Vulcan]

In reply to Grinders points raised , these facts are very true
On a recent TV discussion it were stated that
in Yorkshire annual public money spent per head is £350 approx
In London it's £ 850 plus approx
I doubt that rural Staffordshire even spends as much as Yorks
NX in the old WM County received far far more subsidy off the
metropolitan councils which obviously provides funding for fleet improvements & more services with
more favourable fares.
Routes must be used or lost !

[Stu]

Moderator Request

This topic is for discussing the bus operator Chaserider and their services/operations.

They are not the only bus operator in the Cannock area, nor in the wider Staffordshire county.

If people want to discuss bus service provision and issues in the Staffordshire area, I would recommend someone starts a new topic for that purpose, rather than using this topic.

Thank you all.

[IMarkeh]

Why on earth would any business want to participate in 'managed decline'? Don't you think that if a bus operator didn't want to run something then they would just cancel it? This idea of running a service into the ground over time so as to eventually withdraw from it is a load of twaddle as it just doesn't happen.

You may not like what bus companies do, but as an 'armchair spotter' I'm sure you have a wealth of experience to dispense sage advice on how to fix all of the issues!!

Why an operator would do it, because if they kill all of the demand, no one else will want to take over and it keeps their area pretty stable. Arriva have done this a good few times. If a competitor was to take over the route which they were dropping, it would affect other routes revenue along their key corridor so kill the demand. The main corridor was covered and had spare capacity so the costs relied upon the area of the route which was exclusive to that route. They weren't fussed about it and so they wanted it gone but because of the main flows from the exclusive area to the town involved their main corridor, they didn't want someone else to take it and risk the competition on the key corridor.

You are in denial if you think it doesn't happen and especially at some places, it happens more than it should.

If I am just an 'armchair spotter', go on, prove that what they are doing is saving the business. Because you can see it isn't. Moving the 826 out of the housing estate to bypass it saving no time at all but losing out on potential passengers. Yes, that's a growth tactic isn't it?! Not!

I use the 74 fairly regularly and can honestly say I have not experienced the 'crap' service that Chaserider are portrayed as giving on this site. I've yet to ride on a smelly filthy dirty one, rattly yes but smelly no.
IMarketh writes 'Sooner they sack off the bus network and leave, the better' I ask him to tell me who is going to take over the 74 and 826 services out of Stafford, obviously he lives in an area where there are already other providers and couldn't care less. Does anyone really think that NXWM or First are going to come in for them, nuts.
Yes they do sometimes use vehicles that are too small at busy times, especially on the 74 and yes their buses are on the whole old second, third or maybe 4th hand but they run them. They've tried to introduce new services but have had to pull the plug because of poor patronage. Perhaps the critics could run for council and try to introduce a tax on everybody to run the services with the quality of vehicles they allude to, fat bloody chance.
Constructive criticism is good for any company but constant knocking, no way.

I think you must be lucky with not having a bad experience. My experiences were dismal, never again. Dirty and falling apart.

Services can and would be taken over because one mans dust is another mans gold. Companies will take stuff on if it's left. Until the time comes, none of us know who would or wouldn't step up to the plate. If there is money to be made, someone would turn up.

As for your later comment about running for council, I'd love to but I like voicing my opinion and others dislike that (as proven here). Too many kiss backsides and I am certainly not one of them. If someone (in this instance D&G/Chaserider) is in the wrong, I will tell them. IF you want to sit there thinking D&G/Chaserider are doing the right thing all of the time here, you're deluded. With first hand experience and a number of contacts, Chaserider is going down hill and to be fair, so is D&G so it's unsurprising.  I've been on cowboy operators with higher standards than Chaserider and that is saying something!
You can tell even half the drivers don't care anymore with their earphones in and no customer service skills. And yet.... And Yet..... when the same drivers move up the road to Select, they are like different people. Chatty, helpful, I don't think I saw earphones.

[888DUK]

Centrebus Solo 260 on Pye Green 26 this morning.

[Westy]

Someone has put a survey online about the loss of the 62 on Saturdays!

[Bob]

They had two buses missing on 74 today the 12.17 and 12.47 from cannock to stafford didnt run. 2 breakdowns on the 841 and a 74 bus was taken off to cover. Made me late for work. Looks like the 15.25 from Stafford isnt running either. The 4om one already gets rammed 🤷‍♂️

[Mayfield]

Centrebus Dart 555 still at Leicester and appears not to be in use.

[LNational]

It was in Stafford today on the 74 ...

[tphi12000]

Centrebus E200 MH07HTC in service this morning noted in Stafford.

[Bob]

2 hour gaps in service today on the 70 and 62, due to the wonderfully suitable Solos lol

[Bob]

And buses missing on the 74

[Vulcan]

How come the Traffic Commissioner isn't picking up on all these lost mileages ?

[Bob]

How come the Traffic Commissioner isn't picking up on all these lost mileages ?

How would they find out?

[IMarkeh]

How would they find out?

Anyone can email the Traffic Commissioner if they wish.

enquiries@otc.gov.uk

[Bob]

2hr gap on the 63 btwn Cannock and Rugeley between 3.45 and t.45pm yesterday too. The replacement bus ( recently transferred in Centrebus Dart) managed one trip to Rugeley and broke down as well