High Peak

[knutstransport]

RE: High Peak

(10/04/2019 10:38)Mayneway Wrote:  Perhaps MCT were the only bidders??

Unlikely. The tenders for routes crossing the Cheshire/GM border tend to be the most popular ones and can get quite a few bids. Some operators see the Cheshire contracts for services which run in to GM as a backdoor way of starting up bus operations in GM. Remember Chadderton based Swans running Northwich-Altrincham and Wilmslow-Manchester Airport or prior to that Selwyns running Wilmslow-Manchester Airport when the only other bus service they ran at the time was a Liverpool Airport one?

Even if MCT were the only bidder the council isn't obliged to give them the contract. The operator still has to satisfy the council that their bid scores enough cost & quality points and if there's no suitable bids the council could even approach operators asking if they want to run the route on a short term emergency tender.

Quote:Be interesting to see what gets used on it once it starts. I would have thought they would like to interwork it with other Stockport work but might be an issue because TFGM sheds, sorry hybrids, are often used and as the 391/2 isn't a TFGM contract I can't see them wanting them to be used.

The hybrids were funded by DfT's green bus scheme. Just looking at the DfT bids the MCT ones came under a TfGM bid, while Stagecoach Manchester and Bullocks ones were awarded directly to the operators. Although, it's worth remembering the MCT ones are now over 6 years old and the services they are used on aren't the ones they were originally acquired for, so do you know what the terms are between TfGM and MCT? The 13 reg Solos at D&G were acquired using Cheshire East funding but it seems D&G are now able to use them on Staffordshire services or the 288/737 in Greater Manchester