High Peak

[Mayneway]

RE: High Peak

(11/04/2019 20:04)knutstransport Wrote:  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.


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

The Green Hybrids (sheds) belong solely to TFGM and are loaned to MCT long term for use on TFGM tenders. Innitally they were awarded to specific tenders but I believe that's been relaxed now simply because they spend so much time off the road and the fact yet majority of other operators in GM refuse to have them as part of their fleet - and having driven them I can see why!

The white Solo's, and the 3 new electric optares coming very soon, were awarded directly to MCT so can be used as and where they want so I'd expect these to be predominately used on the 391/2.