tfgm.com
Very conveniently, that got moved over to the Go Goodwins (coaching) licence as of Monday just gone (18th April) and everyone was confused as to why they would do this. I therefore think what is going on is that they are going to keep running the 391/392 and this is a winding up of the Little Gem business and operation. As the 391/392 has moved to Go Goodwins, not Little Gem, this wouldn't be included.
When I click on the press release I'm taken to their website, and beside the press release is an announcement called 'Say yellow to your buses'.....Little Gem have ceased operations
Little Gem bus services
Information about Little Gem buses ceasing operation and new operators for services.
Not exactly. The franchised area will be Wigan and Bolton and the 'yellow buses from April' is Diamond and GoNorthWest repainting some of their buses into the franchising Yellow in preparation for the franchising.
In terms of 'normal service', you are looking at the following:
In respect of your final paragraph, perhaps they didn’t want to burn that bridge in case they want to pursue opportunities in Cheshire east from Warrington at some point?
It depends on the leanings of the owner, I guess. There is some historic evidence that the owners of Go Goodwins may possibly have right of centre learnings rather than the left leanings of the current Mayor of Greater Manchester.
As soon as franchising started this was bound to happen. Speaking to a few operators some have said there is no more room to start a bus company.
I’d also say good riddance to operators who behave like this.
A couple of the services are operated at certain times (280 Sundays, 288 evenings/Sundays) by Arriva, who also operate many of the other bus services in the Altrincham area (both commercial and tendered). Arriva will also have a number of surplus buses after today following the closure of their nearby Winsford and Macclesfield depots - could these be re-allocated to their Wythenshawe depot to run some of these services, at least for the short-term?
www.flickr.com
I’ll be honest as an occasional user of little gem buses I agree with some of this. I’m sure it’s mechanically sound but one of the solos looked utterly dreadful, especially from behind.
I can surmise that the owners aren't too concerned about the response from the traffic commissioner - which might be a ban on running local bus services. Clearly they see no future in local bus work and to them there is little point carrying on when the medium term future is one where everything is yellow?
On paper a small bus franchise is no different to a collection of gross cost tenders, you’re right. However, the hoops one has to jump through to win - and retain - the franchise package, and the service standards one will be held to, are much much higher, with proportionately higher financial penalties for failures. I’m speaking in general terms, not specific to Manchester, but this could be why they’ve decided to move away from local bus.
From my limited understanding of Greater Manchester, their tender conditions are fairly stringent compared to those of local authorities. Evidently the conditions required to run under a franchise regime would be even more stringent. I can see why the owners of Go Goodwins may have little to no interest in that side of the business.
I think under your requirements for improved standards you might see an absence of operators willing to operate services - so overall fewer services and fewer buses at a higher cost to the taxpayer. I don't see many new entrants to the industry at the present time. You have the likes of Jim Stones, so much complimented by the mayor of Greater Manchester exiting the industry thanks to the acid yellow vision on offer. I wouldn't have classed them as a poor quality operation, neither would their customers.
flickr.com
Source for this please?
Not quite. To bid for a large franchise a performance bond is required to be lodged and a parent company guarantee required. Small and school franchises are not required to provide either.
Personal experience. The reason that Arriva have turned Bolton depot loose, and are not bidding for the area.
The problem is the way the Mayor is trying to arrange things. A system like London where operators bid on a package of routes, would have been a perfectly simple and well worked way forward. To have a "winner takes all" system, is ridiculous.
