Routemaster Buses Nantwich

[knutstransport]

RE: Routemaster Buses Nantwich
Routemaster have confirmed the C84 will be suspended

Routemaster Buses Wrote:We have suspended our service on the C84 from the 29th March owing to predatory competition damaging our revenue base. Our loyal customers are recommended to use Arriva, who will operate a full daily service.

[wirralbus]

RE: Routemaster Buses Nantwich
Routemaster have confirmed the C84 will be suspended

Routemaster Buses Wrote:
We have suspended our service on the C84 from the 29th March owing to predatory competition damaging our revenue base. Our loyal customers are recommended to use Arriva, who will operate a full daily service.


Wow that's very pointed by Routemaster Buses and aimed squarely at GHA.

[BHA]

RE: Routemaster Buses Nantwich
I have followed this saga very closely being a resident of Nantwich and a regular user of the Nantwich to Chester services. The truth is Routemaster recognised an opportunity when Arriva took out one of the hourly Chester 84s ( Didn't they consider new buses/Sapphire for this service in 2014? ) and started a gap-filling service around last Christmas. From regular observations the Routemaster service was quickly establishing itself with reasonable loadings although mainly from the bus pass brigade.

GHA I assume recognised their success and felt they should get a piece of the action. To this end they started their service a few weeks ago running a few minutes ahead of Routemaster and not surprisingly were carrying few passengers. By this time they had invested in the ex-Arriva London Geminis DW70-73 ( numbers they still carry on their superbly painted bodies ). So we had the sight of empty DDs following well-filled GHA Centros most of the day.

I feel extremely sorry for Routemaster. I hope the TC is sympathetic to their plight and does not penalise them. I think they have tried hard to provide a decent service only to be squashed by a larger operator.

I realise most of this is repetitious from previous posts but I think Routemaster have been hard done by,

[wirralbus]

RE: Routemaster Buses Nantwich
Not that its going to happen but if Arriva decided to go back to there half hourly service I do wonder how long GHA would last .

[knutstransport]

RE: Routemaster Buses Nantwich

(26/03/2016 14:15)wirralbus Wrote:  Wow that's very pointed by Routemaster Buses and aimed squarely at GHA.

Post on another forum claims GHA have approached Routemaster drivers with job offers.

[knutstransport]

RE: Routemaster Buses Nantwich

(26/03/2016 14:21)BHA Wrote:  I have followed this saga very closely being a resident of Nantwich and a regular user of the Nantwich to Chester services. The truth is Routemaster recognised an opportunity when Arriva took out one of the hourly Chester 84s ( Didn't they consider new buses/Sapphire for this service in 2014? ) and started a gap-filling service around last Christmas. From regular observations the Routemaster service was quickly establishing itself with reasonable loadings although mainly from the bus pass brigade.

GHA I assume recognised their success and felt they should get a piece of the action. To this end they started their service a few weeks ago running a few minutes ahead of Routemaster and not surprisingly were carrying few passengers. By this time they had invested in the ex-Arriva London Geminis DW70-73 ( numbers they still carry on their superbly painted bodies ). So we had the sight of empty DDs following well-filled GHA Centros most of the day.

I feel extremely sorry for Routemaster. I hope the TC is sympathetic to their plight and does not penalise them. I think they have tried hard to provide a decent service only to be squashed by a larger operator.

I realise most of this is repetitious from previous posts but I think Routemaster have been hard done by,

Routemaster suggested at one stage they would be registering a C82 service despite never having the resources for that as well as a C84. With hindsight maybe they should have cancelled their C84 as soon as GHA had submitted their registration for the 84 and registered a C82 15 minutes ahead of some of the 82 services, given GHA moved all their 82 services by 15 minutes when they started running the 84 Routemaster could probably have got a significant number of route 82 passengers who were unaware of the timetable change prior to arriving at the bus stop.

Are Routemaster's green buses purchased or leased? They are going to have a surplus of buses on Tuesday.

[Mayneway]

RE: Routemaster Buses Nantwich

(26/03/2016 15:04)knutstransport Wrote:  Routemaster suggested at one stage they would be registering a C82 service despite never having the resources for that as well as a C84. With hindsight maybe they should have cancelled their C84 as soon as GHA had submitted their registration for the 84 and registered a C82 15 minutes ahead of some of the 82 services, given GHA moved all their 82 services by 15 minutes when they started running the 84 Routemaster could probably have got a significant number of route 82 passengers who were unaware of the timetable change prior to arriving at the bus stop.

Are Routemaster's green buses purchased or leased? They are going to have a surplus of buses on Tuesday.

The new deckers were acquired through ensign so probably purchased with finance rather than leased.

[LJ51DCX]

RE: Routemaster Buses Nantwich

(26/03/2016 17:45)Mayneway Wrote:  The new deckers were acquired through ensign so probably purchased with finance rather than leased.

I have a feeling that Routemaster's new deckers may well appear on some other work in the area in a few weeks time????

[R557 ABA]

RE: Routemaster Buses Nantwich

(26/03/2016 14:15)wirralbus Wrote:  Wow that's very pointed by Routemaster Buses and aimed squarely at GHA.

It reminds me of the indirect dig at GHA made about Routemaster's ticket machines or lack thereof of electronic ticket machines?

It all seems very much tit for tat.

[Lynx]

RE: Routemaster Buses Nantwich
It's a shame Routemaster are pulling out. I had my first and last go on there c84 today and the loadings are something to shout about. The full fare paying passengers certainly outweighed the number of pass holders. On the Chester-Tarpoley leg the bus was nearly full down stairs and had a half decent loading upstairs as well. I also noted that the commander on the leg back to Chester was pretty full with around 20-25 people seated. GHA appeared to only have CA07 GHA on the whole length and several workings for them appeared no shows. Personally GHA could offer a £1 return to Chester over a £5.20 Arriva day and I still wouldn't use them because I don't trust there operation.