Diamond Bus North West

[Winston]

RE: Diamond Bus North West

(16/07/2019 19:33)gilesbus1 Wrote:  Well lets see shall we, the depots are completely at the wrong end of the route, depots at the Manchester end are silly because that is the larger town/city that is were people are travelling from not to at night, the same with the Trafford Centre so there starts a decline, who is going to travel on a point less journey from Leigh to the Trafford Centre that Diamond have made totally piintless by removing the return jsut so the bus can be garaged at Eccles?, so the next journey before gets withdrawn then the next and the next and so it goes till there is nothing left. And don't tell me I am wrong I've seen it all before when the previous Atherton closed, when Swinton closed etc, there is only two routes left from the previous Atherton at Bolton and one of those was from Bolton to Manchester, and one left at Wigan so don't tell it doesn't lead to cuts because it does. None of those routes have been replaced by FirstGroup just gradually dropped over the years, now considering Bolton took 70% of Atherton's fleet and Wigan 20% its a prity poor retention rate. Yet car usership in the same period locally has gone up by 30%, hardly surprising is it? Now how is that good for local people?

What ever the lease is at Atherton is Rotala's problem not mine, and I have suggested alternatives, but simply even if Rotala do get Vantage you have admitted it has no future so why not just terminate the lease and walk away rather than leaving a building to be vandalised?

Super depots are an excuse just to cut services and take the industry into a decline, cutting costs makes things worse not better and saves no services what so ever just depletes them. I note Liverpool has no Superdepots yet there services are pritty much left alone and are growing, Brighton as well. Show me one example were a Super Depot has improved service? One example were a Super Depot has not declined traffic since it opened?

Stagecoach also has only about two super depots in its entire portfolio and both of those are in Manchester, yet service elsewhere isn't declining and the small depots work perfectly adequately, and there bus company profits are growing were First that like Super Depots are in terminal decline so your theory on Super Depots is absolute rubbish. Small is beautiful, big is bad.

Where also did I state anything on Rotala's future plans thats all you saying what they will do? But as you've now admitted they intend to cut services. Hence the drop in vehicles by about 100, its not just down to Vantage, as you claim its down to cutting services and wholesale service cuts that Rotala are probably intending to bring in through the back door in September, in order to recover the costs its paid out on it. Otherwise you explain why there are 100 vehicles fewer within the combined business when there were few spares anyway at either Bolton (First) or Atherton (Rotala)?

And Rotala is hardly a company to write home about is it, when it has the worse passenger satisfaction in the whole Country in Redditch?

Moan, moan, moan..... It's not really surprising, when you've had to put up with the abortion First have made in Manchester. The Fingland's purchase & expansion in to South Manchester was another well orchestrated/ fruitful move, NOT.

I'll respond how I see fit, especially to very blinkered viewpoints. Based on your First & particularly Arriva sale predictions... that post ruined any creditability you had. What were you smoking when you came up with some of those pearls......

Do you not think services would still be around if people actually used them?? And they were profitable to operate?? Check the National Bus Passenger Journey statics, I think you'll find they've been in decline for years and show no signs of changing, long before super depots became popular.

I doubt Rotala would be interested in your alternatives, once again, you're simply posting what you think you can see without knowing all the facts, hence my future plans & lease commitment points, instead of not looking past the end of your nose. I've said no such thing about Vantage having no future.

My theory on super depots is rubbish, really?? Small depots being beautiful is very last century, may have been norm in the 1980's, was a PTE thing, not nowadays, not going to happen accept facts.

Stagecoach only having two super depots in it's entire portfolio? Non in Liverpool, really? Are you certain? do Gilmoss or West Ham not rings any bells ??? Brighton is no comparable to any major city bus operator.

I've admitted to no such thing again about any service cuts or made any claims as such, please stop making things up & get your facts straight before making accusations. There is no 100 drop in vehicle numbers, I think you need to re-check your sums 1+1=3 & all that. I do not have to explain or justify anything to you, you know it all, you tell us! Check the Bus service registrations, Rotala will be taking over all commercial services that First currently run.

And of course you could do a much better job at running Manchester's bus services, here's any idea, why don't you stand for Mayor and show us how it done....!