Stagecoach MCSL - Chester & Wirral Depots

[kuyoyo]

RE: First Chester & Wirral

(02/12/2012 11:09)Penny Return Wrote:  

(02/12/2012 10:35)cumbria0902150 Wrote:  

(01/12/2012 22:41)clarkethomas94 Wrote:  Enviro 200 are a bit of a disappointment and ridiculous in my opinion especially if they are for service 1.

They're not.

They are ! be told by people who use the 1 day in day out

Understand what he means - the Enviro200s are NOT for the 1, they are for other work.

[PO62 MKA]

RE: First Chester & Wirral
A few rare sightings today X612 OBN has green on 51/53 first time I've seen it. S341 KWU is on 51/53 as well and a YK53 G?? B7 is on Blacons

[gilesbus1]

RE: First Chester & Wirral
In regards to the sightseeing Olympians at Chester, as I understand it they don't belong to FirstGroup and never have and neither will they belong to Stagecoach, they are leased as part of the City Sightseeing Contract. So it will not be up to Stagecoach to replace them but upto Citysightseeing instead, unless the terms of the contract are reviewed.

Stagecoach of course in Stratford and Cambridge have brought their own buses in after agreeing new contracts. DDA compliancy in the next few years will mean replacement so a new contract could be agreed to avoid City Sightseeing having to replace them. On the other hand another contractor could win the contract such as Arriva, GHA or Helms as there is nothing to stop them from bidding for the work although that might throw a spanner in teh works so to speak. If City Sightseeingw as to lend the buses again it no doubt would be the stuff thats at other fleets now that is low floor and that in turn could be replaced by new stuff, or it could be chopped down ex London Low Floor deckers but not Gemini's as they cannot be converted as the structure would simply come apart as the roof is core to the types construction.

[CX06 EBK (Administrator)]

RE: First Chester & Wirral
As far as I know the two you have outlined there are actually owned by Stagecoach with the rights to the name, livery etc purchased from Ensign. I believe the same kind of deal exists in Liverpool where ACE Travel own the rights to the City Sightseeing franchise so they couldn't possibly lose it. Stagecoach could easily work out the same sort of deal for Chester if they deemed it worthwhile.

[J654UHN]

RE: First Chester & Wirral
I think the deal in Liverpool is Ace own the Liverpool arm of City Sightseeing bought from Ensign so as you say they cant loose it as the vehicles belong to Ace

[Penny Return]

RE: First Chester & Wirral
In the long term new sightseeing buses are the answer than converting old wrecks all
the time

[mbonwick]

RE: First Chester & Wirral
City Sightseeing will probably never get brand new vehicles as it doesn't make enough money to justify them.

Conversions of existing vehicles are perfectly fine and much cheaper.

[R879 HRF]

RE: First Chester & Wirral

(04/12/2012 19:03)mbonwick Wrote:  City Sightseeing will probably never get brand new vehicles as it doesn't make enough money to justify them.

Conversions of existing vehicles are perfectly fine and much cheaper.

Correct, sightseeing only usually sees investments in new buses in big cities such as glasgow, london etc as in a lot of areas its not feasible to invest in new buses costing more than the route actually earns!

[Penny Return]

RE: First Chester & Wirral
stagecoach takeover is 13 january

[gilesbus1]

RE: First Chester & Wirral
The situation with Sightseeing vehicles was set out by Ensign some years ago. For services to merit new Citysightseeing buses they need to operate around the clock all year round as otherwise there is no income coming in to pay off the HP agreements when the service isn't generating any income because its not operating.

Yes new sightseeing buses would be nice, but unless its going into a 364 days a year operation it simply won't happen. What would be sent is vehicles that have been fully paid off in terms of HP, when I say HP of course I mean Hire Purchase charges, Or vehicles that are not on any type of full lease arangement.

In terms of vehicles Stagecoach have if it did decide to buy the franchise out, the most likely stuff in would probably be ex-London Tridents that are owned by Stagecoach outright rather than some they would have to purchase off a lease agreement, or alternatively some of the older V plate or W reg Tridents that are knocking about in Stagecoach Provincial fleets like Manchester.