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RE: First Manchester
All the "Free Bus" vehicles have been refurbished at either Stagecoach Hyde Road, Preston or Birkenhead.
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RE: First Manchester
(04/03/2019 09:50)Nwales Bus Wrote: Stagecoach were awarded the contract for upgrade works by TFGM
Thanks for correcting that, I misunderstand.
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RE: First Manchester
(02/03/2019 21:02)Brickmill Wrote: Correct, with 53145 since being withdrawn there. Oldham have 53146/7/8/50 left along with about four other second hand examples (a couple swapped with Doncaster for the above Solos, with the third -53808 - returning east later. Queens have the newer 53065, but I haven't the foggiest what it is used on.
53065 was operating today (4th March) on the 33 to Eccles.
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RE: First Manchester
Very unusually this morning with the local paper through the letter box has come a leaflet from First Manchester calling themselves First Vantage Buses and offering Free Travel for over 60's people with a pensioners bus pass around Greater Manchester on Vantage buses, and telling them if they don't already have a bus pass they can apply using a link on their website. Very strange me thinks.
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RE: First Manchester
(08/03/2019 09:41)gilesbus1 Wrote: Very unusually this morning with the local paper through the letter box has come a leaflet from First Manchester calling themselves First Vantage Buses and offering Free Travel for over 60's people with a pensioners bus pass around Greater Manchester on Vantage buses, and telling them if they don't already have a bus pass they can apply using a link on their website. Very strange me thinks.
Reading between the lines, I'd suggest that the Vantage services won't be part of any forthcoming sale of the Bolton operation.
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RE: First Manchester
(08/03/2019 19:16)EDB325 Wrote: Reading between the lines, I'd suggest that the Vantage services won't be part of any forthcoming sale of the Bolton operation.
This has been rumoured for a while. It's been 'suggested' First are looking for a smaller base somewhere up in Bolton to run the Vantage work from. Seems like it's a very lucrative contract they don't want to part with.
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RE: First Manchester
(08/03/2019 19:19)Mayneway Wrote: This has been rumoured for a while. It's been 'suggested' First are looking for a smaller base somewhere up in Bolton to run the Vantage work from. Seems like it's a very lucrative contract they don't want to part with.
That's the complete opposite to what I understand i.e. that Vantage is losing money hand over fist. More likely any buyer of Bolton doesn't want to take it on.
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RE: First Manchester
(08/03/2019 19:28)Winston Wrote: That's the complete opposite to what I understand i.e. that Vantage is losing money hand over fist. More likely any buyer of Bolton doesn't want to take it on.
How can that be the case when they are throwing extra buses on it and they fill up really well with paying passengers. They wouldn't keep putting extra trips on it all if it was losing money.
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RE: First Manchester
(08/03/2019 19:28)Winston Wrote: That's the complete opposite to what I understand i.e. that Vantage is losing money hand over fist. More likely any buyer of Bolton doesn't want to take it on.
Can't see that given the constant increases in frequencies because buses are full.
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RE: First Manchester
(08/03/2019 22:00)iMarkeh Wrote: How can that be the case when they are throwing extra buses on it and they fill up really well with paying passengers. They wouldn't keep putting extra trips on it all if it was losing money.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't 'Vantage' effectively a 10 year contracted service to run the Manchester - Leigh guided busway on behalf of TfGM. First will have contract obligations to meet, TfGM will decide if the services needs to have an improved frequencies due to passenger loadings etc.
Do you know how much First Manchester bid to gain the contract? And whether it covers all Bolton's operating costs?
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First Manchester
