Stagecoach MCSL - Chester & Wirral Depots

[326VFM]

RE: Stagecoach Chester & Wirral

(09/12/2013 14:33)R879 HRF Wrote:  Access Floline V138 DND 28538 is currently in rock ferry, presumably on loan covering a vehicle which is unservicable.
EDIT- Apparently here for mot work.

Hi R879,
I never see Floline V138DND back on the road yet or still storage at Rock Ferry? Hope to hear from you soon.

[wirralbus]

RE: Stagecoach Chester & Wirral

(15/01/2014 00:36)R557 ABA Wrote:  

(15/01/2014 00:09)jtd508110 Wrote:  Im glad that it is ousting some of Avon's market share to be honest. I am all for competition and maybe this will make both companies push to make their product better. Avon need better customer service both in a small proportion of their drivers and their head office (which in my opinion leaves a lot to be desired for!)

The stagecoach fleet is more modern and pleasant to travel on from joe bloggs' point of view, but some people from that part of the universe stick to what they know so it won't entirely knock the 22 out. Maybe some usp's that Avon could implement are free wifi, decent priced flexible tickets (a good example is following Stagecoach's idea with child weekly tickets on 38 including weekend travel) and friendly drivers. These all make the journey better for the passenger and may sway them to stick to Avon services.


On a separate note, I wonder what extra vehicles will be needed to account for these changes? My guess is darts from Gilmoss or some B10Ble's if they aren't too old. Hope the Enviro200's find a new home away from Rock Ferry soon.

The 22/25 have a limited target audience at the moment, generally school children in the morning as well as commuters, they offer a £5 return from West Kirby to Chester, which if you think about it is only £2.50 each way or a £6 all zone day ticket. The rest of the passengers as I and others have previously said are concessionary passengers. I do know that Avon aren't just going to sit back and watch, as there have already been a meeting or two regarding upcoming changes with staff.

The Avon fleet isn't all that old, especially when they are currently using buses from 2006-2008 on it which are only eight years old at the most, and in all fairness I'd prefer an Avon Buses ADL Dart with a 4 or 5 speed Allison gearbox over a Stagecoach Enviro 200 with 3 speed Voith on the 22 route but that's down to my own personal taste and opinion.

The question that everybody wants to know really is this the beginning of the great stagecoach revival at the expense of avon .

[R557 ABA]

RE: Stagecoach Chester & Wirral

(15/01/2014 17:21)wirralbus Wrote:  The question that everybody wants to know really is this the beginning of the great stagecoach revival at the expense of avon .

Avon Buses aren't going to sit back and observe. Plans are afoot, put it that way!

[126th street]

RE: Stagecoach Chester & Wirral
They may well not be about to 'sit back and observe' but a small independent taking on a multi-national such as Stagecoach with the financial backing it has in place is only ever going to end one way.

Stagecoach clearly see promise in the Wirral and Chester business and that is good to see after years of clueless, abject neglect from First. They won't be about to let the likes of Avon get in their way.

[mbonwick]

RE: Stagecoach Chester & Wirral

(15/01/2014 01:22)jtd508110 Wrote:  The reason that I would like the Enviro200's to go are because they are hapless, soulless whiney creatures. Its also based on capacity, especially around school time. Its almost as if its stepped back 6 years to the days of cramped pointer 1 step darts (P973/4/5 MBF)

Because 3 seats (40 on a floline vs 37 for an Enviro200) clearly makes all the difference....

[SNL 824]

RE: Stagecoach Chester & Wirral
Reality is that there can be no sustained competition or benefit to the passenger. Perhaps Stagecoach could pick a fight on a major corridor with Arriva. Inevitably in the long term that will result in a QBP with reduced overall service and no real choice for the passenger. Or they can take on independents on routes like the 22. But the passenger still has to decide to buy an Avon or a Stagecoach ticket and then you still only have the choice of one bus an hour. And then after a year maybe one withdraws and your back to square one. Remember it's only a couple of years since Helms tried the 23 Heswall Chester service.

[CX06 EBK (Administrator)]

RE: Stagecoach Chester & Wirral
Stagecoach won't compete with Arriva directly on the Wirral I don't think as Arriva could respond in kind on Merseyside on key routes such as the 20, which would easily sustain another operator on it if they so desired.

[Raawwwrrr!]

RE: Stagecoach Chester & Wirral

(15/01/2014 22:09)CX06 EBK Wrote:  Stagecoach won't compete with Arriva directly on the Wirral I don't think as Arriva could respond in kind on Merseyside on key routes such as the 20, which would easily sustain another operator on it if they so desired.

They tried the 20 after taking over Merseyline and failed miserably.

[CX06 EBK (Administrator)]

RE: Stagecoach Chester & Wirral
Because they ran it badly. This would be a different circumstance, all I was getting at is if Stagecoach started moving on Arriva routes, expect Arriva to return in kind.

[jtd508110]

RE: Stagecoach Chester & Wirral
I think that if arriva expanded as well as stagecoach, then Avon would vanish. Still waiting to see if a company makes use of the 39 bus route.