Is the Solo demo the same one that is/was with HTL Buses?
(17/01/2016 23:11)jcksmnr Wrote: [ -> ]Is the Solo demo the same one that is/was with HTL Buses?
By looking at the HTL thread - I see it is the same Solo
Never knew X511UAT was even with GHA Coaches
(18/01/2016 10:11)E208 WBG Wrote: [ -> ]Never knew X511UAT was even with GHA Coaches
I did report on 24th August 2015
(24/08/2015 20:31)DLG817 Wrote: [ -> ].
The latest arrival is ex Fairbrother Warrington Dennis Dart / Plaxton Pointer X511UAT which has been purchased for spares only and will probably be scrapped once it has donated parts.
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I do my best !!!
GHA would have had the option to acquire a number of modern Solos second hand had they not created a bus war with Network Warrington, who the Solos currently belong to.
Noted today over in Shropshire were DeeBee Solo YJ59 GFX on the 17:50 576 Oswestry to Shrewsbury. Cadet YJ04 BVC was also in use but on the 436 Shrewsbury - Bridgnorth.
(19/01/2016 09:20)knutstransport Wrote: [ -> ]GHA would have had the option to acquire a number of modern Solos second hand had they not created a bus war with Network Warrington, who the Solos currently belong to.
Really, thank you for that insight. Is there going to be a national shortage of Optare Solo's?.
It could be because of the same bus war you mention that WBT have decided to sell these vehicles and raise some cash so they can show a profit on their annual report?.
(20/01/2016 07:23)GHA Coaches Wrote: [ -> ]Really, thank you for that insight. Is there going to be a national shortage of Optare Solo's?.
It could be because of the same bus war you mention that WBT have decided to sell these vehicles and raise some cash so they can show a profit on their annual report?.
From what the Middlewich Guardian said GHA were struggling to find affordable replacements for step entry single decker buses and consequently cancelled a number of services as a result. With the number of registration cancellations on VOSA and step entry coaches appearing on bus services recently that seems to tally up.
I said Network Warrington are unlikely to sell to GHA as you've made yourselves one of Network Warrington's rivals in the past couple of years and operators don't usually want to do anything that might help their closest rivals. When Niddries Coaches used to exist they borrowed coaches and drivers from Bostocks Coaches (one small family business helping another) but when Bostocks and Walkers both got taken over by Holmeswood Coaches, that meant Bostocks were part of the same group as Niddries' main competition (Walkers) and the borrowing of coaches and drivers stopped.
From what's been said in the Network Warrington thread the Solos were put up for sale due to the cancellation of contracted services as a result of government cutbacks, so seems unrelated to what's happening on the 45/46 and 16 routes.
(20/01/2016 09:26)knutstransport Wrote: [ -> ]From what the Middlewich Guardian said GHA were struggling to find affordable replacements for step entry single decker buses and consequently cancelled a number of services as a result. With the number of registration cancellations on VOSA and step entry coaches appearing on bus services recently that seems to tally up.
I said Network Warrington are unlikely to sell to GHA as you've made yourselves one of Network Warrington's rivals in the past couple of years and operators don't usually want to do anything that might help their closest rivals. When Niddries Coaches used to exist they borrowed coaches and drivers from Bostocks Coaches (one small family business helping another) but when Bostocks and Walkers both got taken over by Holmeswood Coaches, that meant Bostocks were part of the same group as Niddries' main competition (Walkers) and the borrowing of coaches and drivers stopped.
From what's been said in the Network Warrington thread the Solos were put up for sale due to the cancellation of contracted services as a result of government cutbacks, so seems unrelated to what's happening on the 45/46 and 16 routes.
Whilst GHA could quite easily acquire a quality and affordable batch of low floor vehicles, I'd have to agree with knutstransport that it would be unfair to attribute the sale of NWs solos to the bus war on routes 45/46 and 16. As previously mentioned the sale of the solos was in fact due to the loss of contracts in Warrington.