(27/02/2015 06:49)M60lad Wrote: [ -> ]I wonder who will get the tendered 157 Ashton-Rainford service, as in the past when I've seen this service in Ashton it has been well used.
The most ideal operator in terms of location for the 157 would be Stagecoach Wigan with very minimal dead mileage.
Avon Buses are not averse to sending a bus or two over the water.
The problem with small operators is they tend to rely on tenders to much rather than having a secure commercial network to fall back on.
Some small companies manage pretty well on just tendered work, the problem starts when they start commercial services which don't work. This maybe the case for Ace Travel.
Stagecoach Gillmoss has been awarded the emergency work, or at least some of it, don't know full details
Ace had debts that management never paid, roughly a quarter of a million.
Shame what’s happened here to Ace Travel. I generally liked them and felt they were okay when I’ve used them with both good drivers and buses. Hope the Ace drivers get work elsewhere and such a surprise that an independent of this size in the region has died.
(27/02/2015 15:20)moreton407 Wrote: [ -> ]Some small companies manage pretty well on just tendered work, the problem starts when they start commercial services which don't work. This maybe the case for Ace Travel.
But its when the councils are cutting services to save money it will hit them hard if its some of there services that get cut.
(27/02/2015 14:49)motormayhem1 Wrote: [ -> ]The problem with small operators is they tend to rely on tenders to much rather than having a secure commercial network to fall back on.
I think it's very much a double edged sword for smaller operators. Well established commercial services are all good and well but it's difficult nowadays for smaller companies to find good viable routes that don't compete with the big boys. Establising a service can take up to 6 months before it starts paying and obviously divers still need paying and if the service isn't a success it's effectively dead money.
Tenders are obviously a safety bet these days. It's garenteed income for the entire contract which offers stability, but the problem is, as we have seen with so many smaller companies, when you loose a number of contracts in one go it's a major blow and can be the difference between make and break.
How long have Ace been trading?
ACE have been around for at least 10 years, I think they started around 2003/4 not too long after LMS closed up. The Saturday 211 (Speke Circular) will be operated by HTL Buses who already operate the Monday - Friday tender.