Cannock and Birmingham

[Discodave]

Can it be made very clear.......CENTRO AND NX WEST MIDLANDS HAVE NO CONNECTION WHATSOEVER.

Funny that as when working for the competition NXWM always had decent stand positions in all bus stations and most of there so called independent bus station supervisors are ex Nxwm drivers (yes some were arriva but they were ok) and forever reporting non nxwm for overstays on stands and allow nxwm to bully you off the stands espically when I was loading on my time slot and due to the nxwm bus being late I was getting a few extra passengers made to move, you were late tough either wait or load/unload your fares when i have gone.  But when the tables were turned I had to unload and leave empty fair competition my arse numerous times Mr Bryce at the time was always on to Centro about this and had witnessed it himself and nothing ever was done.

[D10]

Can it be made very clear.......CENTRO AND NX WEST MIDLANDS HAVE NO CONNECTION WHATSOEVER.

Funny that as when working for the competition NXWM always had decent stand positions in all bus stations and most of there so called independent bus station supervisors are ex Nxwm drivers (yes some were arriva but they were ok) and forever reporting non nxwm for overstays on stands and allow nxwm to bully you off the stands espically when I was loading on my time slot and due to the nxwm bus being late I was getting a few extra passengers made to move, you were late tough either wait or load/unload your fares when i have gone.  But when the tables were turned I had to unload and leave empty fair competition my arse numerous times Mr Bryce at the time was always on to Centro about this and had witnessed it himself and nothing ever was done.

Sorry to have to dispute this but NXWM do not get favourable treatment. There have been numerous occasions when we have been refused bus station departure slots and often other operators have been granted them instead. And believe me there are plenty of occasions when NXWM get penalty fines for picking up from the wrong stands, speeding in stations etc.

[Discodave]

It always looked when I was driving for the competition we were battered at diamond and lots of good routes they tried started well but we could not get a stand nearby to the established route or when gaps infront were possible the were conviently filled by E route extras.  The 126 was a prime example started ok then the 126e must have stopped us using the same dudley stand.  And bye bye 126 diamond route.

[PM]

The weird thing is Dave that you mention driving for the competition and yet you are anti-deregulation. Without deregulation, you wouldnt have been able to get a job with Diamond.

[PM]

And Dave your argument is void-buses have had to make profits since 1969 within NBC even in very unprofitable bus territory. And if you look at municipals which are not run to please shareholders, the fares are no lower than those of NXWM which try to please the shareholders!!!!!

[andy]

The system of partial deregulation, such as they have in London, is the only way you end up with a joined up, integrated network which is designed for its users whilst still taking advantage of investment and infrastructure from the private sector. It works for the authorities as they spend less than they would have if they were providing and running everything themselves, but encourages private companies to provide quality and get results...because if they don't there is another operator waiting in the wings.

Unfortunately the Westminster brigade did what they always do and always will and saved the best for their own, leaving everyone else to chance and private monopolies.

[PM]

London isnt deregulated!!! You don't need regulation for an integrated network such as stagecoach in sheffield-trams and buses link and the Oxford and Birmingham bus networks are integrated and the whole idea of an ITA is to INTEGRATE so we do have a great deal of Integration in Birmingham. Again, you complain of monopolies but may I remind you of the OFT and MMC which control this through investigating and the OFT ensures fair play. And London is often cited as how bad dergulation is as ridership increases when ridership in other areas initially fell. However, this is because LT was so poor and ridership figures are improving somewhat in many areas. I am totally opposed to tendering as in London-it is expensive and wasteful-can Londoners not deal with a bus more than 6 years old??!! Just leave it to the Private Sector and things will perform fine-let's not go to expensive London style networks or reregulation with PTEs in control as Politicians do not know how to run the buses. Leave things be as they are fine!!!

[Bob]

Arriva have a monopoly in Cannock, other than midland who operate 3 tendered services. Wheres the competition there?

[Tony]

Can it be made very clear.......CENTRO AND NX WEST MIDLANDS HAVE NO CONNECTION WHATSOEVER.

Funny that as when working for the competition NXWM always had decent stand positions in all bus stations and most of there so called independent bus station supervisors are ex Nxwm drivers (yes some were arriva but they were ok) and forever reporting non nxwm for overstays on stands and allow nxwm to bully you off the stands espically when I was loading on my time slot and due to the nxwm bus being late I was getting a few extra passengers made to move, you were late tough either wait or load/unload your fares when i have gone.  But when the tables were turned I had to unload and leave empty fair competition my arse numerous times Mr Bryce at the time was always on to Centro about this and had witnessed it himself and nothing ever was done.

Sorry to have to dispute this but NXWM do not get favourable treatment. There have been numerous occasions when we have been refused bus station departure slots and often other operators have been granted them instead. And believe me there are plenty of occasions when NXWM get penalty fines for picking up from the wrong stands, speeding in stations etc.

Centro's rules on bus station departures are normally fairly straight forward. Any new service allowed on a stand must be 5 minutes away from any existing departures already using that stand. So for example in Dudley NXWM had a 7/8 minute frequency on the 126 towards Wolverhampton, so no other buses could use that stand because it would always be closer than 5 minutes to an existing bus. Anyone else registering on the 126 would be given the closest stand with a frequency of 10 minutes or less and allowed to register in the gaps.

[wilmotm (Matt Wilmot)]

Well why does the Green Bus 558 depart from the same stand as the 126 to Wolverhampton from Dudley? And why was it moved from the number 1 stand? As this only from what I can see penalises the Green Bus company

[D10]

Well why does the Green Bus 558 depart from the same stand as the 126 to Wolverhampton from Dudley? And why was it moved from the number 1 stand? As this only from what I can see penalises the Green Bus company

Just checked the Network West Midlands site and generally the 1 operates every 8 minutes whilst the 126 operates every 10 minutes in between the peaks. As the Green Bus 558 also operates in between the peaks there is more room on the 126 stand. It is the next stand though isn't it so it is hardly the other side of the Bus Station.

[Tony]

Well why does the Green Bus 558 depart from the same stand as the 126 to Wolverhampton from Dudley? And why was it moved from the number 1 stand? As this only from what I can see penalises the Green Bus company

Just checked the Network West Midlands site and generally the 1 operates every 8 minutes whilst the 126 operates every 10 minutes in between the peaks. As the Green Bus 558 also operates in between the peaks there is more room on the 126 stand. It is the next stand though isn't it so it is hardly the other side of the Bus Station.

Correct. Because the 1 is every 8 minutes no other services are allowed to use that stand because of the 5 minute rule. In my original quote about the 126 it was every 15 through to Birmingham with short journeys between Dudley & Wolverhampton. Now it is just a basic 10 minute frequency there is room on that stand for other services

[Discodave]

The weird thing is Dave that you mention driving for the competition and yet you are anti-deregulation. Without deregulation, you wouldnt have been able to get a job with Diamond.

I am not anti de regulation just against the bulling attitude of large operators espically NXWM as soon as someone starts to provide an alternative they are driven off by flooding of route with E shorts etc I self funded my pcv so owe nobody money (including bonding agreements with NXWM) left by choice.  There is enough people for everybody on most busy routes. The system should be like London all routes are contracted fair play and everyone gets the same, for people whom are against an alernative should be like the 10 route in Wolves evenly spaced buses with nxwm and midland and accept each others returns could be done on many routes too many buses on track routes in walsall 97 in bham 404 there are many.

[MW]

NXWM is a business, not a charity. If someone attacked my business I'd fight back.

[PM]

When companies opertate genuine alternatives they are not driven off the road. When they duplictate, companies try to and any complaints of unfair play can be taken to the OFT which investigate and do act-eg, against Cardiff Bus. So, fair competition can exist in the West Midlands without london style QCs, which not many people are willing to pay for!!