I don't understand why More are planning a route 1 from Bmth to Christchurch. Wouldn't it be more economical just to extend their existing m2? Is there some reason why their new routes have to be separate?
I expect the routes have been kept separate, for now, to simplify their rapid introduction. More could have had these plans "on the shelf" for a while now, without having to recast them if/when they altered their own, established, routes. There is also any union agreement to consider. Where I used to be Scheduler the union required 10 days notice of duty and roster changes, so keeping the existing work "as is" would have been essential in this sort of situation. Sure, the current arrangements won't be the most efficient way of working, for the long term, but as a way of providing near instant cover, and then running things for a while to establish loadings, revenues and schedule adherence it is the way to do it.
Yes, its unfortunate that there are no buses today, but as was repeated here many times earlier in the week, Friday was seen as the last day, and More have clearly worked with that. Something, we don't know what, obviously changed during the week, but for the sake of one day its probably best for More to keep to their original timescale and get things as good as they can tomorrow rather than rushing even faster to get on the road today and then offering a standard of service they come to regret.
Bit poor on NatEx part I'd say. Couldn't they at least have kept things going for a very short time to enable Megabus to source a replacement operator rather than just immediately stopping. I know it's an unusual situation and I get why NatEx want to stop but there are much more professional ways of doing things.
What we don't know is who said "no" to who. I'm sure Magabus would have had an inkling that things weren't too good for Yellow Coaches, and will have had contingency plans "on the shelf" (as they probably do for all of their contractors, even if not worked out in fine detail). And
if National Express said "no" with no notice is that any different to the administrators being unable to find a buyer and saying "that's it" also with no notice?
Having seen the collapse of companies from the Local transport Authority side a couple of times, word gets out, plans can be made, even replacement operators can (or at least were, not so easy now with the driver shortage) be lined up to roll at a few hours notice. On one occasion I was among the council staff out piloting the new drivers around the routes while the previous ones were still on their way to the head office to hear the news, while on the other occasion, with a smaller operator, we got the replacement on the road in an hour, with the service running about 10 minutes late, but clawing a minute back here and there as it went.
Sad times though, not least as my sister's comment, from her pushchair, "they've got hello buses here" is part of our family history. Perhaps the real surprise is that Yellows lasted as long as they did and didn't become Barbies (could have done, perhaps, if Badger-Vectis had had their way) or beachball or teal and ivory.
