The problem I see with merging Dukinfield with Oldham is the licences. The Dukinfield work is ran on the pioneer licence so the legals are slightly different. Surly it wouldn't be effective to have a seperate pool of vehicles at Oldham carrying pioneer legals for Tameside work.
Plus isn't Dukinfield a 'low cost' operation? Surly if their going to bidding for tenders in the Tameside/Stockport areas from Oldham it's going to add to the cost of running them and may mean the loose out to Stagecoach who would still have a depot based in Tameside.
Might be one to raise with a friend who has good links to First Manchester, so can often find these things out.
My guess would be on Dukinfield or Rusholme.
Dukinfield is a satellite depot operating a dwindling number of tenders plus some 348s and 350s. The commercial stuff could go to Oldham and the tenders moved elsewhere of handed back in.
Rusholme could be moved into Queens with some of the Queens stuff moved elsewhere (which would be needed due to space limitations unless the Metroshuttle was handed to someone else next time it is tendered).
Bury is another that has been mooted, but that has all been linked to a relocation rather than a full closure due to the town centre redevelopment.
TBH, I have heard rumours concerning all depots bar Oldham over the last 18 months or so, either closing or selling. So we can't really go too far into the guessing.
To be honest regarding Oldham Depot I dont think its actually going anywhere due to the following reasons:
1> Its First Manchester's Head Office
2> It makes too much money believe it or not so why move
3> Its not been included in the redevelopment of the area surrounding Mumps
4> Its a listed building as far as I know so would cost too much to have anything actually done to it redevelopement wise
As for Queens Road,I think its stopping where it is for now hence why Museum of Transport next door is stopping where it is for the foreseeable future as well
Isn't the depot at Rusholme leased rather than owned??
Obviously it may make sense to move work to other depots and save on rent possibly?
(26/06/2016 16:11)Dentonian Wrote: [ -> ]There has been a lot of analysis in terms of Age and location (but not ethnicity for some strange reason!) of Remain v Brexit voters,
I noticed this too, what surprised me, is the areas with large numbers immigrants, also vote to leave.
Hopefully, the government will spend the money which should be saved by leaving the EU, on public services such as Hospitals, Schools, and Transport.
(26/06/2016 20:23)WhiteVanMan Wrote: [ -> ]I noticed this too, what surprised me, is the areas with large numbers immigrants, also vote to leave.
Hopefully, the government will spend the money which should be saved by leaving the EU, on public services such as Hospitals, Schools, and Transport.
Student numbers maybe stable for the time being as Brexit has the potential to not happen at all yet.
(26/06/2016 20:23)WhiteVanMan Wrote: [ -> ]I noticed this too, what surprised me, is the areas with large numbers immigrants, also vote to leave.
Hopefully, the government will spend the money which should be saved by leaving the EU, on public services such as Hospitals, Schools, and Transport.
Apologies for taking this off topic but you have to remember who's in power. The Tories have done nothing but decimate public transport with thier vicious cuts and if you think suddenly were all going to be splashing about In money saved from the EU then your wrong.
Osborne himself stated before the referendum that if we did vote to leave the autumn budget would be one of the toughest ever with 'belt buckling' essential.
33669 operating this morning with a broken display on the X84. No paper in window either, so the driver was announcing the service number to anyone waiting when arriving at bus stops.
(27/06/2016 18:38)SF07 Wrote: [ -> ]33669 operating this morning with a broken display on the X84. No paper in window either, so the driver was announcing the service number to anyone waiting when arriving at bus stops.
First are starting to slip again regarding displays. There's been a branded Enviro400 on the 409 with no working displays and only a bit of paper stuck low down on the windscreen saying '409' but I've noticed it a few times so clearly their in no rush to fix it, and one of Dukinfields ALX deckers also has a failed front dot matrix display so again a bit of paper stuck on windscreen which is hardly readable.
(27/06/2016 20:26)Dentonian Wrote: [ -> ]Not that they Labour party did any better. They had 13 years to Re-regulate and didn't. And certainly in this region, there are many Labour MPs and Councillors who hate buses including at least one of the latter who permanently parked 2 of the 5 (yes, five) family cars on a bus stop for a decade or more, before getting GMPTE (as it was then) to move the stop to a dangerous location about three doors away.
Sounds about right.
They all p*** in the same pot.
The point I was making is that everyone goes on about the 350 million we're going to be saving a week by not being part of the EU but it's simply nieve to think the Tories are going to 'splash the cash'!