(27/03/2015 20:22)DVL418 Wrote: [ -> ]SLT is even more geographically remote for Rotala than it was with regard to D & G.
Preston is a little nearer to Atherton than Crewe.
(27/03/2015 20:27)St Helens Rider Wrote: [ -> ]Preston is a little nearer to Atherton than Crewe.
Fair point with regard to the depots, but D & G already operate in north and east Cheshire, how close does Rotala's Preston operation get?
Even so Rotala are a bigger group than D&G, and without SLT Rotala is remote in Preston from the Midlands so they are simply increasing their presence.
The reasons that Rotala has bought South Lancs are blindingly obvious and are as follows:
1. Franchising in Greater Manchester
2. Franchising in Greater Manchester
3. Franchising in Greater Manchester.
TfGM's head has stated publicly that subject to it being approved in the NE, TfGM will follow the franchising route once it is able to. Rotala is a lean business with low overheads. It doesn't take a genius to work out that buying South Lancs is a low cost method of entering what will potentially be a lucrative new world for it.
(27/03/2015 21:04)DVL418 Wrote: [ -> ]Fair point with regard to the depots, but D & G already operate in north and east Cheshire
The D&G Knutsford town service is a route pretty much the same distance from Atherton and Crewe.
D&G almost started serving Manchester. They won the contract for the 130 Macclesfield-Manchester Sunday and Bank Holiday service. However, when GHA lost the contract they decided to run a reduced service commercially so D&G's 130 service never started. I heard D&G started looking at running Altrincham area services but as a result of losing routes to GHA they had a rethink.
(30/03/2015 08:36)knutstransport Wrote: [ -> ]The D&G Knutsford town service is a route pretty much the same distance from Atherton and Crewe.
D&G almost started serving Manchester. They won the contract for the 130 Macclesfield-Manchester Sunday and Bank Holiday service. However, when GHA lost the contract they decided to run a reduced service commercially so D&G's 130 service never started. I heard D&G started looking at running Altrincham area services but as a result of losing routes to GHA they had a rethink.
D&G DID run into Manchester at one time, providing a couple of Macclesfield-Parrs Wood return journeys on the 130 on weekday evenings for a year or so.
I'll try and dig out a photo and post it on Flickr.
Not sure if it's a typo on the D&G website but they say all 300 services after 11:42 on Saturday will not run due to the May Day Festival. The road signs in Knutsford indicate a road closure between 12:50 and 16:00, so if 11:42 is not a typo they are cancelling 4 services which could operate at the usual time and realistically they could re-time the last three services to depart at 16:00, 16:30 and 17:00 instead of 15:45, 16:15 and 16:45 and operate 5 more services than they are planning to.
D&G are looking up bit now, they've got some cast off from SLT including a couple of 64 plate enviros, very swanky for d&g this!!!
It seems as though the 2 scania omnicitys have either moved or been withdrawn now as their absent from the crewe scene. On a positive note however east lancs spryte 117? poss is still going strong & the rest of the fleet seem to be getting more reliable as of late.
However seems D&G are let down by some of their drivers not wearing proper uniforms, some are wearing trainers for driving in etc. They really need proper uniforms which a couple of the drivers wear which seems to be black/grey trousers, white shirt then red & yellow checked tie & grey jumpers which looks smart overall. If they could all have these it'd improve the entire company image vastly!
the 3 Scania's swapped with the Enviro 200's because the 200's where leased and rotala didn't want them