West Yorkshire newcomers

[Leeds1970]

There appear to be two new companies in the Leeds area, but I am struggling to find any website or information such as contact details/ fleet lists and such like.
The first company has a school contract and goes by the name of City Transport and the only information available seems to suggest it is a company operating from a residential address in Newcastle.
The second company, Yorkshire Travel, is supposed to be taking over the number 61 route from Connexions from Monday but there appears to be no registration submission as yet. The only search results on Google throw up a minibus operator in Rotherham and a fictional company created by a bus enthusiast.
Does anybody know any more about these companies?

 

[Flange Squeal]

There is an operators licence PB2047953 for a City Transport Group Limited which has the Newcastle address but an operating centre at "OLD CONTROL TOWER, OLD AIRFIELD, TOCKWITH, YO26 7QF". Their licence can be found at: https://www.vehicle-operator-licensing.service.gov.uk/view-details/licence/572146

There is a licence for Yorkshire Travel Limited with an operating centre in Rotherham which I suspect is the one you found, but also a Yorkshire Travel Group Limited with an operating centre in Leeds.

 

[Observer]

There is an operators licence PB2047953 for a City Transport Group Limited which has the Newcastle address but an operating centre at "OLD CONTROL TOWER, OLD AIRFIELD, TOCKWITH, YO26 7QF". Their licence can be found at: https://www.vehicle-operator-licensing.service.gov.uk/view-details/licence/572146

There is a licence for Yorkshire Travel Limited with an operating centre in Rotherham which I suspect is the one you found, but also a Yorkshire Travel Group Limited with an operating centre in Leeds.

It's the Leeds one operating this, looking for drivers too:

Yorkshire Buses | Leeds

Yorkshire Buses, Leeds. 891 likes · 53 talking about this · 1 was here. Part of the Yorkshire Travel Group!

www.facebook.com

From Monday 3rd October services 61 & 61A will be operated by Yorkshire Buses.
As an apology for recent issues with the failure of CT Plus, both services will be free to use during October!
Our thanks to the great team at Connexions for operating the 61 during September look out for their great team operating service 11 Leeds to Scholes from Monday the 3rd October.
Come and say hello to our friendly team!

 

[Leeds1970]

Thanks to you both; it's going to be interesting to see how this plays out. After following the link provided and looking at the directors' previous roles, the Tockwith company - City transport look a bit of an amateur outfit, however the Yorkshire Buses company is linked to Brownridge transport which is a haulage company that has been around a while.

 

[WibbleWobble]

What's confusing is there is already a company operating in Leeds called City Transport Limited, who are a corporate removals / "technical services" company. Comparing the license on the DVSA site with the Companies House site show no apparent link between the two.

 

[Tetchytyke]

I'm sure they'll go the way of, among others, Ladies Only Travel soon enough.

West Yorkshire seems to have a never-ending parade of new operators winning tenders then promptly going bust.

 

[Ken H]

It's the Leeds one operating this, looking for drivers too:

Yorkshire Buses | Leeds

Yorkshire Buses, Leeds. 891 likes · 53 talking about this · 1 was here. Part of the Yorkshire Travel Group!

www.facebook.com

That looks like Harrogate Coach Travel aka Connexions.

 

[Swimbar]

A & A Travel, who operate numerous school contracts, are based at the Old Control Tower at Tockwith. Is there a connection?
City Transport appear to have taken over a Wetherby High School contract previously held by Connexionbuses.

 

[SCH117X]

Yorkshire has I gather been set up by two individuals with long experience who seem sensibly to be taking matters step by step rather that wholesale promises that are unfulfilled. They also have a Solo albeit 20 years old acquired from Marshalls of Newark
https://www.flickr.com/photos/stazicker/52402006036/in/dateposted/

 

[NorthernSpirit]

I'm sure they'll go the way of, among others, Ladies Only Travel soon enough.

West Yorkshire seems to have a never-ending parade of new operators winning tenders then promptly going bust.

With LOT (since it had to be advertised that the bus services were available to men too), they only went bus after the woman who was running it drained the company's finacial accounts of council subsidy, sold the fleet and anything else that they had, relinquished the depot on Sherwood Road and scarpered off abroad. Leaving the staff redundant, how I know of this is through a mate whose mate worked for LOT.

I do recall that there was one operator in the Batley area called Loonat Travel who won the 384 (Brighouse to Huddersfield)/385 (Fartown to Huddersfield) tender. God knows what happened to them as Centrebus ended up taking over the service and allocated a former Wilts&Dorset Solo to run it.

 

[Andyh82]

There is another newcomer "Lethers Travel" who seem to have one bus - B7TL/Plaxton President LK51XGW

lethers travel of leeds LK51XGW

KODAK Digital Still Camera

www.flickr.com

 

[GusB]

Thread re-opened for @34D to provide an update.

 

[O539]

There is another newcomer "Lethers Travel" who seem to have one bus - B7TL/Plaxton President LK51XGW

lethers travel of leeds LK51XGW

KODAK Digital Still Camera

www.flickr.com

Lethers Travel also has B7TL Gemini LF52 ZSO which is an Ex CTPlus Yorkshire bus, not too sure how long they have had it.

 

[34D]

Thanks to you both; it's going to be interesting to see how this plays out. After following the link provided and looking at the directors' previous roles, the Tockwith company - City transport look a bit of an amateur outfit, however the Yorkshire Buses company is linked to Brownridge transport which is a haulage company that has been around a while.

How what plays out?

Websites of the operators you ask about are https://www.citytransportgroup.com/ and https://www.yorkshirebuses.co.uk/ and also https://www.letherstravel.com/

Don't think any come across as amateur?

 

[markymark2000]

How what plays out?

Websites of the operators you ask about are https://www.citytransportgroup.com/ and https://www.yorkshirebuses.co.uk/ and also https://www.letherstravel.com/

Don't think any come across as amateur?

Lethers Travel only has half a website. Most of it says
"I'm a paragraph. Click here to add your own text and edit me. Let your users get to know you.".

Yorkshire Buses seems like one of those who will be good for enthusiasts but not sure how they'll be with legal obligations. Their Bus Open Data is often lacking and their buses are all in vastly different liveries. Not the most professional firm.

 

[M803UYA]

How what plays out?

Websites of the operators you ask about are https://www.citytransportgroup.com/ and https://www.yorkshirebuses.co.uk/ and also https://www.letherstravel.com/

Don't think any come across as amateur?

I'm intrigued how City Transport are a 'disability confident' company when the founder of it is referenced by name negatively in an employment tribunal judgment concerning A&A Coach Travel.

Bus driver with Asperger's Syndrome wins payout after harassment by colleagues

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11803091/Bus-driver-Aspergers-Syndrome-called-illiterate-imbecile-wins-30-000-payout.html A bus driver with Asperger's Syndrome who was called an 'illiterate imbecile' and 'sp****' by work colleagues has won a £30,000 payout. I’m very pleased to see...

www.railforums.co.uk

22. On starting his employment with the respondent, the claimant was invited
to join its WhatsApp messaging group which included all members of staff.
The claimant was targeted with insults about his disability, predominantly
from Mr James Fairchild of the respondent. The claimant’s uncontested
evidence is accepted.

23. These included being referred to by Mr Fairchild as “special needs” on 24
May 2018, as a “cretin” on 17 December 2018 and as being one of “the two
special needs ones” on 14 February 2019.

24. Mr Fairchild had also called the claimant an “illiterate cretin” on 22 January
2019. On another occasion on 27 June 2019 Mr Fairchild called the claimant
an “imbecile” and referred to his “****tardness”. He referred to him as “the
spakka” in September 2019 and on 24 November 2019 Mr Fairchild said to
the claimant: “just do what you are told to do you special need waste of
space”. On 5 December 2020, Mr La Pilusa, the respondent’s Transport
Manager, referred to the claimant as “Mr Bean”.

 

[GusB]

The case mentioned in post #16 was discussed in this thread:

Bus driver with Asperger's Syndrome wins payout after harassment by colleagues

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11803091/Bus-driver-Aspergers-Syndrome-called-illiterate-imbecile-wins-30-000-payout.html A bus driver with Asperger's Syndrome who was called an 'illiterate imbecile' and 'sp****' by work colleagues has won a £30,000 payout. I’m very pleased to see...

www.railforums.co.uk

All the relevant details are there for anyone who wishes to read about it, but it's probably best that we don't re-open that particular discussion.

 

[34D]

Further new Yorkshire area operators are Viscount Travel 2 discs (who are/were covering some Yorkshire Buses services as well as a prebook thing on Scarborough seafront) and DM Motor Services 9 discs (who previously hired vehicles to A&A Travel).

Mr Kilvington is Transport manager for DM Motor, and City Transport, Lethers and Viscount share the same TM.

City have transferred their WY school to Lethers, and are focusing on Newcastle more.

Yorkshire Buses add the Huddersfield uni contract and also a further disc increase, to ten.

 

[noddingdonkey]

Yorkshire Buses are taking over the 113 (which links Dewsbury, Pinderfields and Pontefract hospitals) from Arriva this weekend, according to a tweet from Metro.

https://twitter.com/MetroTravelNews/status/1710304589222654284?t=3AubJ9F3BCn1398evPPoGQ&s=19

@YorkshireBuses_ will run service 113, between Dewsbury & District, Pinderfields and Pontefract Hospitals from this Sunday, 8 October

 

[PaulWC]

Lethers Travel only has half a website. Most of it says
"I'm a paragraph. Click here to add your own text and edit me. Let your users get to know you.".

Interesting site. The About Us page names the 'Lethers Travel Team' -

About | Lethers Travel Ltd

www.letherstravel.com

These are apparently the same people who work for Cross Street Cars in Swindon, except that Simon Lether is now called Andy De Witt-

About | Cross Street Cars

At Cross Street Cars, we provide private hire taxi services in the Swindon area and surrounding towns and villages. Delivering a comfortable ride to all of our clients. Whether you need airport transportation or a business trip or simply want to enjoy a night out on the town, we've got you covered.

www.crossstreetcars.co.uk

In fact, a Google search for 'Marty Paik driver' shows that in addition to Lethers Travel, he and other members of the 'Lethers Travel team' apparently work for companies from the USA to Australia-

marty paik driver - Google Search

They'd be better off not having a website at all than using templated rubbish like that.

 

[Flange Squeal]

I noticed the following posted on the Yorkshire Buses (YB) Facebook page today:

Due to a large volume of complaints regarding our line 9 service running late during the morning rush hour period (7-10am) asking why it runs late.

I would like to invite you all to complete a full round trip on our 0740 or 0840 departures from White Rose Shopping Centre to see for yourself as I can assure you our drivers are not getting their nails done, haircut or doing their weekly shop making the service late!

I then had a look at the timetable and it appears that these peak hour journeys are given the same running time as early morning, late evening and off-peak journeys. Yes this creates a nice clockface timetable, but if these journeys really are always late then surely it’s down to YB to look at adjusting these timings rather than essentially tell passengers to shut up and put up with the regular delays? I note on BusTimes.org the route shows as partially supported by subsidy (“In Part”), but one assumes there must surely be scope in contracts to allow for minor changes mid-term in instances like this?

 

[Leyland Bus]

"I would like to invite you all to complete a full round trip on our 0740 or 0840 departures from White Rose Shopping Centre to see for yourself as I can assure you our drivers are not getting their nails done, haircut or doing their weekly shop making the service late!"


I'm pretty sure a simply explanation (traffic, can't adjust times etc) would have been fine, rather than that childish statement...

 

[SCH117X]

For all the praise they have had they are quickly losing reputation - quite clearly the peak hour 9s need around 20 minutes extra running time. There also seems to an often a late morning issue the result of which afternoon journeys are turning round short at Morrisons in Horsforth in a bid to regain the timetable. At present the timetable is pointless for most of the day.

 

[34D]

No reason (even on a WYCA contract) why times can't be adjusted.

They simply need to approach their contact person with the issue and they will be given consent to a short notice variation; WYCA might even cover the fee.

WYCA - West Yorkshire Combined Authority

 

[noddingdonkey]

Yorkshire Buses are withdrawing the 9 citing "challenges with the appalling road network" and that they aren't receiving enough revenue from MCard to make the service viable.

Yorkshire Buses - Service 9 and 29 announcement

Service 9 and 29 announcement

www.facebook.com

I'll quote it in full as the original is woefully inaccessible for screenreader users.

Yorkshire Buses

Services 9 & 29 withdrawal

Since we started service 9 in April 2023 passenger numbers have grown by 32%, and whilst every day we have challenges with the appalling road network delivered in the city, our team do their best daily to deliver a service.

We have recently seen massive rise in app sales of tickets both on the Metro app (MCARD) and other operators' apps, as a smaller operator whilst we have an app it does not contain the Metro products unlike bigger competitors. This means that when ticket is purchased on another app, we receive either no payment or a very small percentage of that ticket value to date we have been unable to find out why this disparity exists.

Following the latest payments made for ticket sales outside of our control it has become clear these do not meet the actual numbers of customers being carried (even though we have provided evidence of this) and we have reluctantly had to make a commercial decision to cease operating services 9 and 29 (to prevent any further financial impact this has already had on our business) Service 29 will cease after service on Friday 22' December and Service 9 after service on Saturday 23rd December 2023. Metro have issued a tender for new service 10 (currently operated as number 9) to start after Christmas and details can be found once awarded on www.wymetro.com

Service 29 will resume in January but operating only on days that The University Leeds is sitting and operating only between Hunslet, Atkinson Street and The University of Leeds Steps.

On a further note...

With the impeding franchise introduction where small operators will inevitably be squeezed out there is no ability or desire to invest in newer vehicles and service improvements when these will be effectively "nationalised" in 2027 when franchising begins.

We thank you for your custom and our team will continue to deliver service 9 until the final day with their usual fabulous efforts.

Pete and Steve

I'm not sure how MCard operates in terms of revenue getting to operators but something doesn't seem right here.

 

[Andyh82]

Their timetables were not realistic. They extended the 29 significantly at both ends with running times pretty similar all day. I think they are realising the reality of running buses in Leeds

The 9 has very little recovery time either. If there is a delay the bus stays delayed all day

 

[WAB]

Didn't help that they weren't able to tap into the lucrative university market from the city centre to Headingley as the FirstBus app doesn't show live times for the 29, and the FirstBus tickets aren't valid. FirstBus have a sponsorship deal with the student unions, and have a presence (sometimes with a double decker bus) at the freshers fairs.

 

[Andyh82]

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid026Rb6QLn2nLkJ3m2tQEV2LPsmkVcrPMRAqvJSZkVzRzM9DzsW2DBxgtNUJ4exZh7sl&id=100084845648980

Service 29 Operational Dates 2024

Below are dates of operation Monday to Fridays only excludes Bank Holidays

Monday 15 January to Friday 22 March 2024

Monday 22 April to Friday 21 June 2024

Metro ticket products will not be accepted on Service 29 from 15th January 2024 due to poor reimbursement rates, cash and card payments will be accepted as normal and weekly and monthly tickets are available on the myTrip app

Yorkshire Buses have today announced that they will no longer be accepting Metro ticketing products on service 29

This is extremely unusual as it’s the norm for every operator to accept DaySaver, M Card etc in West Yorkshire

 

[markymark2000]

This is extremely unusual as it’s the norm for every operator to accept DaySaver, M Card etc in West Yorkshire

Most of the other operators aren't operating commercial services though, they are running tenders only so they just increase the tender cost to cover the costs. Yorkshire Buses are running commercially and so rely on this income. There's been issues in Merseyside with this sort of thing and Diamond is just about to withdraw from Staffordshires multi operator scheme. Low reimbursement is commercial services

 

[Tetchytyke]

Yorkshire Buses have today announced that they will no longer be accepting Metro ticketing products on service 29

In my opinion, and given the previous past performance of small independents in West Yorkshire (Ladies Only Travel anyone?), I reckon they’ll have gone bust by Easter.