First Manchester

[gilesbus1]

RE: First Manchester
The Yellow school buses are not transferring to Rusholme the contract is due to end at Bolton, all that is going to Rusholme is the Vantage contract simply because its the only base available to operate it from, not out of choice. There is a real likelihood that many staff will leave and the service will get poor being effected by traffic, so I can see the contract being taken from FirstGroup and re-assigned to another operator.

Simply the main issue is all the timetable's start at Leigh, Atherton or Ellenbrook except evening peaks in reverse, and all staff live in Bolton or Leigh area's so its really not a suitable premises the best think for Rusholme would be for the owner to demolish it and sell it off as University accommodation, and to move the buses somewhere else, e.g. to Rotala or Stagecoach along with TUPE of the drivers, thats what will happen in eighteen months in anycase. Plus First have just added to the cost of the contract my adding mileage onto the vehicles which in turn means more fuel and more ware and tare and also longer staff hours so if it wasn't causing a massive loss before it will be now. In preference to Rusholme it would be easier to operate it from Oldham as the M60 could be use to move vehicles and staff around North Manchester quickly.

Also what happens if a bus breaks down in Leigh are FirstVantage going to ask passengers to wait for 2 hours while they bring out another vehicle, especially at Peak times?

The long term future of Vantage really now see's it passing to Stagecoach and being operated from Wigan or going to Rotala and being operated from Atherton depot, but that's for a future biding round.