9 January 2014
PH0006741/45 - WESTERN GREYHOUND LTD, WESTERN HOUSE, ST. AUSTELL STREET, SUMMERCOURT, NEWQUAY, TR8 5DR
Variation Accepted: Operating between Liskard, Parade and Plymouth, Exeter Street given service number 593 effective from 01-Mar-2014.To amend Route and Timetable.
PH0006741/47 - WESTERN GREYHOUND LTD, WESTERN HOUSE, ST. AUSTELL STREET, SUMMERCOURT, NEWQUAY, TR8 5DR
Cancellation Accepted: Operating between St Columb Major and Liskard given service number 593 effective from 01-Mar-2014.
PH0006741/113 - WESTERN GREYHOUND LTD, WESTERN HOUSE, ST. AUSTELL STREET, SUMMERCOURT, NEWQUAY, TR8 5DR Registration Accepted
Starting Point: Bodmin (Mount Folly)
Finish Point: Liskeard Via: Trago Mills and Dobwalls
Service Number: 593 Service Type: Normal Stopping/Hail & Ride
Effective Date: 01-MAR-2014
Other Details: Mondays to Saturdays Hourly / daytime. Sundays 4 journeys in each direction.
PH0006741/65 - WESTERN GREYHOUND LTD, WESTERN HOUSE, ST. AUSTELL STREET, SUMMERCOURT, NEWQUAY, TR8 5DR
Variation Accepted: Operating between Okehampton and Launceston given service number 510 effective from 01-Mar-2014. To amend Timetable.
PH0006741/97 - WESTERN GREYHOUND LTD, WESTERN HOUSE, ST. AUSTELL STREET, SUMMERCOURT, NEWQUAY, TR8 5DR
Variation Accepted: Operating between Okehampton, West Street and Exeter Bus Station given service number 510/599 effective from 01-Mar-2014. To amend Timetable.
PH0006741/75 - WESTERN GREYHOUND LTD, WESTERN HOUSE, ST. AUSTELL STREET, SUMMERCOURT, NEWQUAY, TR8 5DR
Cancellation Accepted: Operating between Callington and Plymouth given service number 576 effective from 01-Mar-2014.
PH0006741/77 - WESTERN GREYHOUND LTD, WESTERN HOUSE, ST. AUSTELL STREET, SUMMERCOURT, NEWQUAY, TR8 5DR
Cancellation Accepted: Operating between Bude, Strand and Callington given service number 576 effective from 01-Mar-2014.
As usual I will refrain from commenting too much at this stage and wait till Western Greyhound make full announcements on these changes. All to often VOSA changes can appear over the course of a few days so you do not always get the full picture straight away.
Looks like the 576 is no more, which makes sense since First are taking most of the customers, at least other routes will be able to get more low floor buses!
ReplyDeleteRe: Cancellation of 576, unless Western Greyhound are in a worse state than we thought, I would guess they have perhaps won the tender for this route from First ?? Therefore cancel the 576 and take over the 76 ?? If that is the case this will free up more First resources for additional routes/services in Plymouth. First do seem to be repositioning themselves in Devon and Cornwall to be mainly town based.
ReplyDeleteAs I suspected this story is still developing. See Thursdays blog post for the latest news!
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ReplyDeletePH0006741/111 - WESTERN GREYHOUND LTD, WESTERN HOUSE, ST. AUSTELL STREET, SUMMERCOURT, NEWQUAY, TR8 5DR
Registration Accepted
Starting Point: PLYMOUTH
Finish Point: ST STEPHENS (NEWPORT)
Via: SALTASH, CALLINGTON, STOKE CLIMSLAND AND LAUNCESTON
Service Number: 576
Service Type: Normal Stopping/Hail & Ride
Effective Date: 01-MAR-2014
Other Details: Monday to Saturday - hourly daytime. Sunday 3 journeys in each direction.
WG have to buy almost 40 buses in 12 months to continue trading past January 2015. That's a big ask for any operation.
ReplyDeleteAlways take VOSA notifications with a pinch of salt, often, replacement registrations appear a day or so after a de-registration.
ReplyDeleteThe big question for Western Greyhound's future, is what will happen with the Cornwall tenders due soon, and how are they going to replace almost 40 Mercedes Varios? Assuming the loophole can be found - as the Vario is under the weight class for full sized coaches which have until 2019 to comply with DDA - then what will replace the Vario. 10 to 15 new Solos would address the issue, but where is the £1.5m to pay for it. Even assuming a down payment, that is 6 figures to find for routes that will have rising costs and reduced revenues.
I think WGL will be selectively commercially registering bits of the network to occupy the low floor buses in the fleet - a loss of 15-20 vehicles (say, withdrawing the Wadebridge to Bude work, the Exeter to Okehampton services and the Liskeard outstation) from the daily PVR will mean one purchase of 5 to 10 Solos of DDA spec will see the fleet DDA compliant in 2014, thus making it a saleable proposition, albeit one with a marginal commercial operation. The loss of the above areas would allow for the existing low floor fleet to be used - meaning penny numbers of solos to purchase. That is doable for a firm with WGLs problems.
I expect First to gain more tenders.....WGL might not even submit a tender for the work.
Sad fact is WGL could have avoided all this contraction of business had they made some sensible buying decisions. PSVAR was known about when WGL was set up, the regulations were in place from 2000. Clearly WG had a short term strategy in mind, as they ignored it and continued to buy step entrance buses. And experienced people know the economy runs in cycles, and know to plan for a recession.
The Cornwall tender submissions may produce more of a headache to the Council than the main operators as prices are likely to be a fair bit higher than present rates with proper returns required and ever increasing costs of running a passenger vehicle.
ReplyDeletePer First Group Investor Day briefing on 23rd Jan 14 UK Bus aims to improve to double digit margins through further cost optimisation from more disciplined operations,clearly FDC must play their part in achieving this.The days of going for volume & making a loss are no longer an option.
Similarly for WGL they will ensure their costs are more than fully covered as they do not have the luxury of a parent company that will bail them out if anything else goes wrong.They still have a good core business but some of the tendered routes if lost wouldn't cause them too many problems.
So when the tenders are up & there is only a limited pot of money then some tough decisions will be required at County Hall,the Passenger Transport Unit must be congratulated for managing to keep much of the network so far but is facing an increasingly difficult task.