Sandwell Travel

[PM]

Does the fact that Sandwell are banned from Bradford Place and are registered to operate on the 63 mean that they are about to make a return to the Bristol Road corridor do we think?

[fleetline6477]

Does the fact that Sandwell are banned from Bradford Place and are registered to operate on the 63 mean that they are about to make a return to the Bristol Road corridor do we think?

I don't think the previous registration has ever been cancelled, since recent articles about them refer to them operating this route. They are currently operating 2 buses on the 80, they may simply increase to 3. Having said that I'm not sure if there low floor darts will comply with new emission levels for Birminghasm.

[Steveminor]

As long as they aren't operating more than 3 departures an hour then emissions won't come into it

[nx4737]

As long as they aren't operating more than 3 departures an hour then emissions won't come into it

IMO Centro need to take a TfL type approach and impose regulations regarding bus age/condition not just emissions, you wouldn't see the likes of Thandi, Sunny and Sandwell using questionable tat in London.

[arrivaaston]

Never used these but seen them, there was only once I saw a driver uppercut a thandi driver in bradford place, but hang on, taking these off fair enough but E words here..... Travel Express???

[Ash]

The Darlaston to Walsall section is so competitve with 4 companies running it im not suprised things mentioned happened.

[bwsau cymru]

ok never used Sandwell travel but have always had my eye on them as thought they would be ideal to buy to start out in the bus world. some of the old east lanc buses are horrible. but have to say fair play to them for signing up to swift. it seems that everyones beloved nx haven't done that yet. and yes ok there are some not so great smaller operators but why shouldn't we have smaller operators surely we should allow someone who wants to set up a bus company to do so?
and on a personal note I complete hate nx, if companies like Sandwell travel were to go that would increase nx's 88% share of wm operations....very bad. nx are too big already and don't allow for competition!!! these small companies also save people money offering cheaper fares, im sure if you went and asked customers in Walsall would you mind going on an older bus which there service might not be as good but it will be 40p less what do you think they would say....I know I would say no I don't mind.
Competition should be encourages in the wm. it is unfare that nx have an 88% share its a complete monopoly,how on earth arriva can get investigated is beyond me when you see the size of nx in the wm.

So heres another point..... I really don't like the layout of Bradford place maybe if the layout was better buses could get out quicker and then there wouldn't be bay hogging!? maybe centro is to blame?

[D10]

The reason why Sandwell have signed up to Swift must surely because most of their passengers are cash fares and OAP's rather than Travelcard holders.

NX haven't joined yet as surely it would be madness for the biggest operator to become part of Swift  until all the faults that new systems always have to start with have been sorted.

And yes NX are far from perfect but at least you know their vehicles are kept in a safe condition, and if their drivers do misbehave, they have a proper disciplinary policy in place.

[PM]

ok never used Sandwell travel but have always had my eye on them as thought they would be ideal to buy to start out in the bus world. some of the old east lanc buses are horrible. but have to say fair play to them for signing up to swift. it seems that everyones beloved nx haven't done that yet. and yes ok there are some not so great smaller operators but why shouldn't we have smaller operators surely we should allow someone who wants to set up a bus company to do so?
and on a personal note I complete hate nx, if companies like Sandwell travel were to go that would increase nx's 88% share of wm operations....very bad. nx are too big already and don't allow for competition!!! these small companies also save people money offering cheaper fares, im sure if you went and asked customers in Walsall would you mind going on an older bus which there service might not be as good but it will be 40p less what do you think they would say....I know I would say no I don't mind.
Competition should be encourages in the wm. it is unfare that nx have an 88% share its a complete monopoly,how on earth arriva can get investigated is beyond me when you see the size of nx in the wm.

So heres another point..... I really don't like the layout of Bradford place maybe if the layout was better buses could get out quicker and then there wouldn't be bay hogging!? maybe centro is to blame?

You had your eye on buying Sandwell Travel? TBF i admire anyone willing/wanting to start their own bus company tho Im sure u could probably do a better job from scratch than Sandwell Travel. I dont love NX for one-diamond are my favourite company and yes I believe in competition and low fares and yes Im a huge deregulation fan but we have to try to eliminate this kind of cowboy operator for deregulation to actually work-we cannot have dangerous driving and poor buses which are badly maintained. And actually recent surveys in places such as brighton suggest that the vast majority of people are more concerned about quality than price.... And also with swift as D10 has mentioned it, a famous small company failed to sign up for swift as they were concerned over reimbursement rates.

[winston]

The reason why Sandwell have signed up to Swift must surely because most of their passengers are cash fares and OAP's rather than Travelcard holders.

NX haven't joined yet as surely it would be madness for the biggest operator to become part of Swift  until all the faults that new systems always have to start with have been sorted.

And yes NX are far from perfect but at least you know their vehicles are kept in a safe condition, and if their drivers do misbehave, they have a proper disciplinary policy in place.

I reckon NXWM will eventually introduce their own smart card for passengers paying cash fares to compliment their existing travelcard range rather then sign up to Swift

[Nathan4775]

lovely article in today's Birmingham Mail about this. Company has banned from Bradford Place for 3 years from next February and have also been told they can only operate 3 buses max.

The article goes on to say that the firm was described as being " an amateurish operation" with "drivers driving dangerously, blocking departure stands, and running services early to stop a competitor picking up passengers in Walsall despite several warnings" The report also describes the firms sole director Sukhwinder Singh as a "Poor Communicator"

The firm released a short statement that they would be appealing the ruling.

I think if there banned from operating in Walsall they will just focus on there 80 ?

[Tony]

lovely article in today's Birmingham Mail about this. Company has banned from Bradford Place for 3 years from next February and have also been told they can only operate 3 buses max.

The article goes on to say that the firm was described as being " an amateurish operation" with "drivers driving dangerously, blocking departure stands, and running services early to stop a competitor picking up passengers in Walsall despite several warnings" The report also describes the firms sole director Sukhwinder Singh as a "Poor Communicator"

The firm released a short statement that they would be appealing the ruling.

I think if there banned from operating in Walsall they will just focus on there 80 ?

Won't get much choice if they are restricted to operating 3 buses

[Ash]

http://www.route-one.net/issues/467/index.html#/22/

Apparently from this article they will be running 2 buses only, having there license reduced from being able to operate 5 buses to only 2.

[tank90]

What I find funny is that First stand block in Redditch's Bus Station which was why Red Diamond stopped there 55A and 56A because First layed over on the stand rather than the bay and it blocked up the Bus station and First didnt get into any trouble it was Diamond.
Sandwell shouldnt have done it but I can see why they may have done it.

[notepanel]

I may be wrong, but with regards the above example, I think First owned that bus station, which caused issues.

There is no excuse for the behaviour shown by Sandwell Travel. Two common examples I would see would be the 333X and 9 entering Stroud Ave at the same time, and then the 333X turning around and returning back (rather than looping Stroud Ave) to beat the 9 to re-start the route towards Walsall. This is 'illegal' in the eyes of the Traffic Commisoner on two counts, in that the bus is not following the registered route and that it would also be leaving timing points early.

The most common thing I'd see would be at Darlaston Bus Station. A Sandwell bus would sit on the stand, when another operator came they would have to sit behind it somewhere or try to pull in an obsecure place, but when another Sandwell bus came, the bus would reverse off stand, the second Sandwell bus would pull on stand and passengers off the first bus would transfer onto the second. The Second bus would then leave and the first bus returns to stand block.

This is not providing a good experience to passengers at all.