Go Goodwins

[knutstransport]

RE: Go Goodwins

(18/08/2017 15:19)Mayneway Wrote:  Coach firms running tenders seems to have an effect on certain family run firms. Previously Haytons and Ashalls have both suddenly ceased to operate tenders and simply handed them to other operators. Haytons gave there's to bluebird, Ashalls gave theirs to JPT the first time, more recently handing them other to Go Goodwins although it was only schools I believe.

Firms that have both bus services and coach hire operations often keep the two elements legally separate, so they can sell or wind up their bus operations without it affecting their coach operations or vice versa. I'm not sure on the deals you referred to but I'm aware D&G Bus purchased Bakerbus after it got in to difficulty but that didn't affect Bakers Coaches. In doing so D&G acquired a couple of tenders they didn't really want but had to continue running them until the end of the contract term when they chose not to bid for the replacement contracts.

[RedPanda]

RE: Go Goodwins

(18/08/2017 06:35)T42 PVM Wrote:  Why would the majority of the fleet remain in the Little Gem Livery when they are being bought out? totally stupid comment

There was talk of reinventing the brand, I hope 'Rotala' do invest in this brand instead of spreading their boring looking Diamond fleet. All over dark blue and nothing going on except a green triangle, no thanks it's been done before!

(18/08/2017 16:25)Y727 KNF Wrote:  It's not a stupid comment at all, it's his opinion.

Completely agree, my wording might be a bit off as I have learning difficulties.
This isn't the place to discuss this so I'll leave it there.

[T42 PVM (Moderator)]

RE: Go Goodwins
In this case i think its safe to assume Little Gem Services will go into the Diamond Bus brand considering it will fit in with the Atherton Services

[Bevan Price]

RE: Go Goodwins

(18/08/2017 14:26)Mayneway Wrote:  It has to be one of the worst rebrands ever with drivers still wearing GoGoodwins uniforms and some buses still being used In the previous livery/colours. Legals and TFGM publicity still referring to GoGoodwins not Littlegem.

Any new owner has several choices, dependent on any conditions of purchase. They could possibly choose to retain the name & livery of the purchased company. If they transfer the licences to the purchasing company, they need to give the standard 6 weeks notice to the Traffic Commissioner, and until then, they need to operate any services using the previous licence.

[Mayneway]

RE: Go Goodwins

(18/08/2017 19:31)Bevan Price Wrote:  Any new owner has several choices, dependent on any conditions of purchase. They could possibly choose to retain the name & livery of the purchased company. If they transfer the licences to the purchasing company, they need to give the standard 6 weeks notice to the Traffic Commissioner, and until then, they need to operate any services using the previous licence.

Not quite. According to comments here and elsewhere the 'littlegem' brand was officially dropped by GoGoodwins on the 29th June and the bus operation was renamed GoGoodwins bus apparently, as the official date for takeover is September presumably GoGoodwins will retain the littlegem brand??

[Mayneway]

RE: Go Goodwins

(18/08/2017 18:23)T42 PVM Wrote:  In this case i think its safe to assume Little Gem Services will go into the Diamond Bus brand considering it will fit in with the Atherton Services

It will become part of Diamond bus northwest according to the press statement the other week, although Diamondbus Manchester has a better ring to it.
Don't forget they have also got the freehold depot in Eccles?? So services will continue to run from there, it will give them the resources to bid on more 'central' tenders and will also put them in a good place if and when bus franchising comes into play which is what I believe they are most interested in.

[M60lad]

RE: Go Goodwins
Its also planned that Diamond Northwest will operate all their Manchester tenders from their new Eccles Depot as well from what I've been told and that their Atherton Depot will then just be used for their work in Leigh, Wigan and Chorley areas.

[knutstransport]

RE: Go Goodwins

(18/08/2017 22:39)Mayneway Wrote:  It will become part of Diamond bus northwest according to the press statement the other week, although Diamondbus Manchester has a better ring to it.

Don't forgot both the ex-South Lancs Travel routes and the routes they may acquire through an acquisition of Go Goodwins serve towns and villages where residents don't like being referred to as being from Greater Manchester, with some insisting on still saying either Lancashire or Cheshire.

If the deal goes through I wonder if Diamond bus might be interested in some non-GM routes?

[knutstransport]

RE: Go Goodwins

(19/08/2017 14:15)Dentonian Wrote:  "Don't forget" the feeling might be mutual! If Altrincham went back to Cheshire, it will be easier to balance the books under franchising. In GMT days, Altrincham was always the biggest loss maker (by percentage) of the (at one time) 22 depots.

Interesting that Altrincham was such a loss maker for GM Buses, yet in the 90s North Western purchased Star Line Travel primarily for the purpose of expanding their presence in the Altrincham area. I also think you've forgotten that having more affluent areas like Hale Barnes in Greater Manchester increases council tax revenue and more council tax revenue means more money for bus services.

However, I really don't think if you asked GM residents where boundaries should be drawn that they'd even consider bus subsides!

Quote:As regards non-GM routes, I don't think this deal will directly make any difference. Eccles is, if anything, a worse location than Atherton or Preston for accessing neighbouring counties, and Goodwins' interest seems to end abruptly at the GM border, even with a large presecence in Alty, increasing interworking oppurtunities for cross-boundary contracts, at least. If you are thinking of them possibly taking on Cheshire services commercially, then surely they would be looking at operators/locations deeper into the county.

I was actually thinking Eccles is as close to Wigan as it is to Warrington.

The Cheshire East 88 and 200 contracts always seem to attract more bids than ones further from the GM border, suggesting a couple of the GM based operators bid for those contracts. Although, that may change if Cheshire East's proposal to revise and interwork bus services happens and bidding for Altrincham-Wilmslow would mean you'd also have to run Knutsford-Macclesfield.

[knutstransport]

RE: Go Goodwins

(19/08/2017 15:53)Dentonian Wrote:  And clearly, the Star Line acquisition didn't work, as virtually all local services in Altrincham are subsidised and have been for many years.

If it didn't work why do some are some of ex-Starline routes still operated by Arriva on a commercial basis*? Obviously whoever decided to acquire Starline was someone who knew the bus industry well. Other operators created bus wars to acquire routes they wanted which ended badly for everyone. Starline worked well for all parties - North Western gained routes and modern buses, the Starline owner acquired a lot of money and was able to set up Mistral and Selwyns were able to acquire the Airport contract work which North Western didn't want.

* I'll accept part of the 18 became a contracted service last year and the rest of the service is being revised next month but we are now over 20 years after the acquisition took place.

Quote:And whilst you are probably right about bus subsidies being outside the thoughts of Trafford residents - especially as they benefit disproportiantly compared to places like N/E Manchester, South Tameside & N/E Stockport (ie. low car ownership areas where bus subsidies are largely confined to school services) - they were the first to "benefit" from Metrolink.

The benefits to Hale from Metrolink:
- Loss of fast rail link to Manchester and less services via slower 'direct' link
- Loss of direct service to Sale
- Loss of direct service to Old Trafford on match days.

And some places in Trafford are nowhere near a Metrolink line. The reason the Altrincham line was converted was because it was one of the cheapest options for phase 1. They could always have built a new link to connect places which didn't have a good public transport link.