GHA Group (Bryn Melyn, Vale Travel + Others)

[knutstransport]

RE: GHA Group (Bryn Melyn, Vale Travel + Others)

(20/01/2016 07:23)GHA Coaches Wrote:  Really, thank you for that insight. Is there going to be a national shortage of Optare Solo's?.

It could be because of the same bus war you mention that WBT have decided to sell these vehicles and raise some cash so they can show a profit on their annual report?.

From what the Middlewich Guardian said GHA were struggling to find affordable replacements for step entry single decker buses and consequently cancelled a number of services as a result. With the number of registration cancellations on VOSA and step entry coaches appearing on bus services recently that seems to tally up.

I said Network Warrington are unlikely to sell to GHA as you've made yourselves one of Network Warrington's rivals in the past couple of years and operators don't usually want to do anything that might help their closest rivals. When Niddries Coaches used to exist they borrowed coaches and drivers from Bostocks Coaches (one small family business helping another) but when Bostocks and Walkers both got taken over by Holmeswood Coaches, that meant Bostocks were part of the same group as Niddries' main competition (Walkers) and the borrowing of coaches and drivers stopped.

From what's been said in the Network Warrington thread the Solos were put up for sale due to the cancellation of contracted services as a result of government cutbacks, so seems unrelated to what's happening on the 45/46 and 16 routes.