Stagecoach MCSL - Chester & Wirral Depots

[chester285]

RE: Stagecoach Chester & Wirral
Cheshire west and Chester would of actually taken this into account when the tendering process was issued, When first gained the contract a total of 14 buses including spares were ordered for the park and rides, when First Sold Chester and Wirral to Stagecoach the fleet and the contract was included in the deal, Stagecoach wouldn't operate the contract on behalf of First as they wanted out of the region full stop, the renewal of the existing contract is scheduled to be 2016 so no renewal has been made at all as yet! Of the 14 buses allocated 13 remain in dedicated livery for the park and rides with one vehicle been painted in to corporate livery, Renewal of contacts in the summer would not have any affect at all for services at Christmas as different times of the year require different levels of service.

(23/11/2014 09:46)Dentonian Wrote:  I'm not sure why you automatically say that the drivers are "poor", without knowing all the facts. If an extra bus is required in the build up to Christmas, then the tendering authority (Chester City Council?) should build that in, and allow for the extra cost.
I wasn't even aware that the contract had changed hands from First - which begs the seperate question of what has happened fleetwise, given that it's something like 8 buses worth, isn't it? - suggesting the lead up to Christmas is he wrong time to renew such a contract.
Such large contracts should be let in the Summer (eg. start of the school holidays), so that there is spare capacity to cope with unexpected problems, and less customers to be inconvenienced if said problems do occur.