OFT Investigations

[T42 PVM (Moderator)]

RE: OFT Investigations
if they have to get rid of it they are not going to let them have the buses they put into the fleet

[mbonwick]

RE: OFT Investigations
If the OFT order Wigan to be disposed of, which I sincerely hope is unlikely, then the excels would form part of the fleet again and Stagecoach would keep all their native MANs and the enviros ordered.

[Metroline1511]

RE: OFT Investigations
I would understand Stagecoach redeploying their new buses at Wigan if instructed to sell it again. I wonder what the OFT would think if they force Stagecoach to sell it, and the only bidder is Arriva?

I have a theory about why the OFT seem to have it in for Stagecoach. When Nicholas Ridley deregulated buses, he had a vision of hundreds of small bus companies competing for business, just like Newsagents do. Conversely, Brian Souter's vision was that his company Stagecoach would be the no 1 bus company in Britain. Well, 1994 briefly and 1996-2010 aside, Stagecoach has been no 1, meaning the score has become Souter 1 Ridley 0. So maybe this is why the OFT do not appear to like Stagecoach?

[T42 PVM (Moderator)]

RE: OFT Investigations
if stagecoach have to sell the depot and they withdraw the buses they put in would they have to put the excels threw tax and MOT if they needed it? otherwise they would be impossibly short

[MPTE1955]

RE: OFT Investigations
Interesting point that somebody is bound to know, if the OFT decided that stagecoach could not have Wigan I wonder if could be that the new buses allocated to Wigan may be swapped with First buses that stagecoach still have in service with Rock Ferry and/or Chester.

[mbonwick]

RE: OFT Investigations
I think the OFT bear a grudge from the agressive days of Stagecoach back in the 90s. Either that or they're not comfortable with the fact that Stagecoach ownership is usually a good thing....

If the divestment of Wigan is ordered, then the Enviro200s/300s would be retained by Stagecoach and redeployed (they weren't part of the business as sold), and the Excels would need to be MoT'd etc as they were part of the original business as-sold and would be needed to keep it a going concern.

[wirralbus]

RE: OFT Investigations
How many of the First vehicles that have been swapped out of Rock Ferry and Chester though are TfGM compliant .