First Manchester

[gilesbus1]

RE: First Manchester
This all did the rounds last year. It is no surprise though if they are considering selling it.

First of all they don't like the idea of a franchised network, they sold operations in London for that reason.

Second reason is over the years they have made bad management decisions, like closing so many depots that the dead mileage is astronomical and also de-registering services, so people don't use the feeder services.

Also Metrolink is trimming away at mileage in the North between Oldham and Manchester, Manchester and Rochdale and Rochdale and Oldham.

Fares are also constantly being increased so they don't compete with Metrolink effectively.

Vantage is an issue, in that the bid price is said to be wrong so they cant make a profit off it despite buses being generally full.

Traffic is an issue lets not forget an astronomical figure of extra cars went on the roads of Greater Manchester in the last two years, no doubt some of it because of the collapse in reliability of the buses.

Then we take a look at the 36 and 37 were First are clearly losing ground to Stagecoach on the 38, when I go into Manchester I regularly see 36's and 37's carrying next to nobody and 38's and 50's very busy though Salford, obviously a bad mistake to carry on both the 36 and 37 rather than amalgamating them into a single route or altering one of them to serve places poorly served like Roe Green and parts of Worsley.

Another issue has been giving up school work as that was a guaranteed income, much of this passing to Tyrers who has a smarter fleet than First Manchester.

In terms to buyers I would think its more or less certain that Stagecoach want Bolton, although Bolton would be the most attractive depot as the competition with Metrolink isn't there, and if in the mid term the Vantage contract could be re-secured at a better rate that could be highly profitable.

If Stagecoach was to get it it eliminates some competition for tenders out to the West should franchising take place.

Other likely buyers could be Comfort-Delgro and Transit Systems both of which have experience in the franchised market in London, although both of those would want to buy more than one depot in order to cut out competition.