If you’d said to me on the date of the first Omnibuses post that 3½ years later I’d’ve reached 600 of them, I’m sure I’d’ve laughed. And if you’d’ve said in September 2005 that I’d achieve (if that’s the word) 18 months of nearly one post a day on Omnibuses, well, I’d’ve doubled up.

It takes quite a commitment to keep this up. I uploaded over 117,000 words in 2006 alone. And I confess that this isn’t my only active blog. “Hello, my name’s Busing and I’m a blogaholic” springs to mind. Most posts take only 20 minutes to write but some require a little research, if only to ensure my memory serves. And with sundry associated Omnibuses blog activities, this often grows to 30-40 minutes per day. Who has that time to spare? Very few of us. Not that there’s much on the telly.

But there have been rewards. It’s always pleasing to see growth in visitor numbers. This was slow at first, then quicker, then exponential, then steady. Steady at the moment, too. Some of this is owing to links from other blogs (so why not return the favour if you haven’t already? See left).

We think Omnibuses is unique but there’s still plenty on the internet and blogosphere to distract people. I conclude that I don’t always provide exactly that for which people are always looking. Although there are newcomer visitors, some regulars may well be getting bored with the eclectic mix I try to offer. Perhaps, for them, reading countless blogs and internet pages is also time consuming. Not that there’s anything on the telly, really.

And also rewarding have been the comments you’ve uploaded, whether positive or negative. It shows people take this blog if not seriously then thoughtfully, even if commenters don’t always agree with it. Thank you for your interaction (if I may call it that), and my apologies for not always coming back to you with my own comments.

And then there’s the band of people who’ve been with me day-in-day-out since I began using a crude stats counter in September 2005. My apologies that the counter can’t identify you all specifically but I do know one works in Glasgow. I wish I could somehow reward his loyalty. I often wonder how he and the other longer readers stumbled upon Omnibuses. He’s the one that sticks in my mind, because of his memorable IP address.

To those long-standing readers and to him specifically I say: you know me far more than I know you. And thank you all.

Guide to the Alternative

London’s setting the trend for alternatives in the UK. It’s quite a revolution, no less important than the super low floor bus.

 2003 – TfL announces it would use London Central’s route 360 to test hybrids.

 2004 – trials under CUTE (clean urban transport for Europe) of three Mercedes Citaro hydrogen fuel cell buses begin.

 Feb 2006 – six Wright Electrocity trials begin with London Central on 360, alongside conventional Darts. Vehicles exhibit some weaknesses. Electrocities replace no-show Enviro 200Hs following Transbus collapse.

 Mar 2006 – mayor of London announces possibility of a large hybrid order to the manufacturer who can make them cheaply and successfully.

 Nov 2006 – EuroBus Expo 2006 sees hybrids from Wright (a decker) and Volvo (single deck). ADL and Optare express an interest in hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), though there are no plans for a double deck, other than at Volvo.

 Feb 2007 – hydrogen bus trials end. Results awaited.

 March 2007 – first of ten double deck in modern hybrid service on 15 March. It was DAF DB250/Wright Pulsar Gemini, on Arriva TfL route 141. Remainder expected by the end of 2007 (four more to Arriva, five to First). See also comment here.

 2007 – Transdev London due to commence trials of ethanol fuelled Scania OmniCity. Scania is the only manufacturer with ethanol fuelled buses under trial.

 2007 – Optare Tempo hybrid due, using GM Allison’s new parallel hybrid transmission, already used in some 500 units in north America.

 Early 2008 – first of six Volvo B9L/Wright double deck London HEVs (remainder expected in 2009).

 2008 – 10 hydrogen powered single decks promised for London (manufacturer details not released).

 End 2008 – possibly up to 60 HEVs to enter London service.

 2012 – total of 900 HEVs expected in London service by this date, with up to 500 per annum delivered thereafter.

 2012 – fuel cell buses in quantity a possibility at or after this date.

Evacuation

The government’s announcement on Monday that it will seek up to 20 school bus tranport pilots seems a neat policy trick in hitting two objectives at once – reducing school peak-time congestion and improving social inclusion by opening access to “good” schools from “poorer” areas.

Could this be approval for West Yorkshire PTE’s MyBus scheme? To date, the government’s seemed reticent to extend such a scheme. Conservative transport policy, favouring yellow buses, may have forced a rethink.

MyBus is highly popular with schools and parents, though with £19mil in grants, it ought to be. Increased attendence, increased punctuality, less traffic around schools, a first taste of independence and improved behaviour, all in one.

MyBus is less popular with other operators, though. They accuse Metro PTE of using buses paid for by DfT grant to pinch schools private hires at cheaper rates. We guess that private hires are part of the formula in making MyBus stack financially – reducing grant and offering a good, value service to schools at the same time. 20 pilots are likely to increase this phenomenon.

But if the government’s 20 extra schemes rely on “US-style” buses, as the headlines suggest, this may favour high capacity 3+2 seating. As many on a bus as possible is clearly the most cost-effective way of transport. We wonder what the EU may think of this.

It’s not widely reported yet but the EU may be considering changes to what in effect are contstruction & use regulations, to control the absolute number of passengers on high capacity vehicles. This could spell the end of high 3+2 school coahces, at the very time when, for behavioural reasons, double decks are out of favour.

It’s all down to evacuating the bus as quickly as possible. Getting 70 passengers off a 12m will take time. But, do we need to balance the risks?

 Given the aim is modal shift, are the risks greater on the bus compared to the car?

 In terms of behaviour, are the risks lower on a single deck than a double deck?

 Can a single deck offer better seat belt provision?

 Are single decks, with R66 rollover standards, inherently stronger than double decks?

 How can manufacturers make evacuation easier? Should such vehicles include more than the standard single rear off-side emergency exit? Could there be subsidiary or secondary exits?

All this is aside from what some heads may think of the overall thrust of education transport policy. On the one hand some already feel parental choice is killing local schools, without busing more pupils away in a government pilot. On the other hand, some “better” schools are already over-subscribed as it is.

Optare Comeback?

A report in Thursday’s routeONE magazine suggests Optare may reconsider double deck production - thanks to TfL.

Aside from one-offs, double decks have not been available from Optare since early 2003, at the conclusion of the distinctive Spectra, built from 1992. This was because of a declining decker market.

What may now tempt Optare back to double deck production is the promise of a lucrative TfL order for hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs). This time last year, the mayor of London made it plain that he would purchase large numbers from a manufacturer who could produce HEVs economically and see them operating reliably.

And TfL has already started the quest, with Arriva operating the Wright Pulsar Gemini HEV decker on show at EuroExpo 2006, on London route 141, from 14 March 2007.

routeONE states that Optare may yet consider the development of a double deck to London’s exact specification.

A modern day Routemaster, perhaps?

Pure Nostalgia

The histories we mentioned yesterday are but two volumes in what is now a burgeoning market in bus nostalgia. More and more people involved with buses tend to be looking to the past. There’s an explosion in bus preservation. To add to the books, there’s two quality magazines indulging in reminiscences; the sights, sounds, shades and nuances of a long-disappeared industry.

Why this, why now? The generations brought up with the bus (rather than the car) as part of their daily lives, in the late 1940s, 1950s and early 1960s are probably better off than they ever were. Children have flown the nest and the mortgage’s paid. They still have the energy to pursue their hobby and understandably, they look back to what for them was probably a golden age. This is not a criticism. Looking back is now a national preoccupation – genealogy, for example, has never been so popular; probably more popular than any other interest.

The Omnibus Society illustrates the point well. It’s hard to find a member under 40 of what is regarded as la crème de la crème of industry watchers. Most of its 900+ members are over 55, many over 65.

And then there’s the reaction to what some call the shapeless, characterless buses of today. The Routemaster is perhaps the ultimate antithetical example. Buses find themselves in liveries some see as unattractive or unappealing when compared to the pride of yesteryear.

This leads to a watershed, something along the lines of steam v diesel, locomotives v multiple units, “proper” buses v minibuses, half-cabs v front entrances, individuality v corporatism.

The real tragedy in the age of the motor car is that there are fewer (though not zero) younger people drawn to the hobby. Not only does this mean that if anyone has a book within them, they ought to get it to print now (otherwise they might miss their market); it also means that the industry in years to come will suffer from a dearth of those who are its natural defenders – the enthusiast.

Epilogue to today’s and yesterday’s posts.

As for the notalgist after the real W&D “glory days”, these ended not in 1972 with the disappearance of the fleetname but in 1964, when in assuming managerial responsibility erstwhile Hants & Dorset relegated W&D to a mere trading name. I’d say to remember independent W&D, you have to be at least 60 years old.

Grand National – 8

Happy Birthday Leyland National 1972-1985

Grand National – 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

The Leyland National’s arrival in 1972 truly had the capacity to shock. It was like nothing ever seen or heard in the UK before.

Gone were the mellifluous tones of Gardner 6LX, 6LW, 6HLW, 6LHX, 6HLXB and even Leyland 0.680 engines, in favour of the rattles and rings of the strange sounding, turbo-charged Leyland 0.501. This gave a quite characteristic clatter at layover and, when accelerating, this sound was coupled with a short lasting, penetrative whine.

If they chose to listen, passengers towards the front would also hear the pop associated with air-activated doors and the hiss when the driver either applied the foot brake or changed gear. Air operated everything meant that pressure would sometimes fall (or become difficult to build after a period of being stationary). The frowned-on remedy was for the driver to throttle vigorous in neutral, to build the air back up.

Putting a stationary National in gear would momentarily unsteady the vehicle, causing it to rock gently. This was most pronounced when selecting reverse.

I have already made mention of the utilitarian interiors. Seats in sticky vinyl came in three shades – light tan, dark green and dark brown. Their legs were unceremoniously bolted to the floor without the customary slightly raised platform. This aided sweeping out but added to the functional appearance. The roof sections were finished in a sort of yellowish cream, reminiscent of pub ceilings subjected to years of cigarette smoke. The cab was basic, uncluttered and easy to live with.

All so strange when set aside the familiar Bristol products associated with former Tilling fleets. Whereas the ECW bodied Bristol RE – National’s sort-of predecessor – tended to rattle around the hoppers and ventilators, the National bodywork (unlike its engine) was usually pleasantly rattle free.

Two Come Along at Once

You wait several years for an history of the original Wilts & Dorset, then two come along at once.

A short while ago someone asked through the comments box whether “Glory Days Wilts & Dorset” was a good buy. I hadn’t then seen a copy but I have now. Not that I’ve bought one, yet.

Also on the market is “The Definitive History of Wilts & Dorset Motor Services”, published locally on 20 December 2006. It’s rushed printing coincided with the news that Ian Allan was about to bring out a Glory Days W&D volume. For those at the King Alfred Running Day on 1 January 2007, you’ll have had a chance to thumb through the volume. It’s by Colin Morris and Andrew Waller. Morris, you may recall, produced the now out-of-print “Hants & Dorset - a History” plus Bournemouth Transport’s own Glory Days. Glory Days Wilts & Dorset is also by a respected transport author, John Hypher, with a number of titles under his belt, inlcuding Glory Days of the VR.

It’s been 2½ months between my comparing these volumes. My own views are that, true to Ian Allan’s style, the portrait Glory Days suits the way the subject is depicted. As you’d expect, Glory Days comes with interesting and varied photos, some in colour, and is well laid out, possibly even lavishly so. I recall that the Definitive History, though well illustrated, has fewer photographs but much more text, inlcuding more social history. There are appendices at its rear, with some technical information. The Definitive History has at least half as many pages again as Glory Days. Both are systematic in their approach and I am sure that any employee or local enthusiast will wish to purchase both. For those living further away, the volumes may appeal to different types of people. For my money, at £3 more, I’d probably go for the Definitive History. Those who recall W&D from a distance might prefer Glory Days.

Whatever Happened to...

... the Eclipse Commuter?

Is Wrightbus the UK’s most creative bus manufacturer?

They pioneered the British low floor single deck in 1993, with the Pathfinder. Is Wrightbus’ lead in innovative technology set to continue with its trailblazing double deck hybrid?

On the other hand, what happened to the Wright Eclipse Commuter on the Volvo B7RLE? This was a different sort of innovation. It was Wright’s attempt at marrying low floor accessibility with high frame passenger comfort as a way of overcoming expensive lifts.

So far as we know, outside Ireland, there are only two vehicles operating, both with Stagecoach Western, delivered in December 2005.

The Eclipse Commuter features a long front overhang with stepless access. Passengers in chairs board the bus in the usual low floor manner and for their journey park at and remain on the rear of the platform area. When a chair was in place, the rearmost leaf of the asymmetric open-outwards doors remains closed, other passengers only boarding via the longer forward leaf.
Those passengers not in chairs need to climb two shallow, angled steps to the seating area.

The pros and cons of this type of design seem to be:

aA higher than usual seating capacity (51 seats rather than typically 43)
aLockable luggage stowage
aAll seats face forward
aAll seats are higher, on a high frame
aPassengers in chairs face forwards (no embarrasing staring at others)
aNo need for time-consuming and expensive-to-maintain lifts

r Feeling of isolation for disabled people
r Need for anchorage for forward facing chair
r Possible drafts at the front near the door
r A less good ride than those able to reach the higher seats
r A long front overhang, precluding some routes
r No space for buggies
r Elderly people need to climb steps (albeit shallow)

Private Equity

Over the years, the bus industry has adapted to and even sometimes overcome structural change. Amalgamations, rail control, state control, fragmentation, privatisations and groupings have been a part of it since the 1920s.

The editorial in the current Buses magazine talks of private equity companies. Until Macquarrie (now flirting with NCP) took Stagecoach London, few had linked private equity with the bus industry, though the phenomenon is active elsewhere in the economy. A fictitious illustration is Richard Gere in Pretty Woman focusing on splitting and selling an under-achieving shipping manufacturer (until, that is, he refocuses on Julia Roberts). It could be that those operators perceived to be under performing might find themselves the subject of a hostile bid, as in other sectors.

Stagecoach’s sale to Macquarrie was as much about staving off any hostility by rewarding shareholders as it was about banking cash for future purchases or concentrating on a deregulated rather than regulated London market.

Should the industry fear this potential new phase in its development? No one really knows, of course, but the industry’s been through a number of (at the time) equally unappealing phases and although not unscathed, it has survived and grown.

One thing’s for sure. Either existing operators must focus on a decent return for their shareholders or private equity companies will do it for them, by splitting and selling. With profit margins lower than they were five years ago, will this translate into the re-regulation debate?

NATIONAL

In exactly 20 days time, we celebrate (if that’s the word) the 35th anniversary of the unveiling of the National Bus Company corporate image. Of the two main reasons why NBC went corporate, one was to establish a marketable, unified express coaching brand. Although coaches began appearing in 1972 in the then familiar all-white-with-NATIONAL-name-and-logo style, it was the following year that saw the National Express name launched.

The NatEx brand still exists, albeit in private hands, although the corporate Double N logo met its demise in March 2003, when National Express as sole user updated its image.

The other constituent NBC bus identities lasted for a much shorter period. In fact, when you think about it, this was a very short period indeed, given its ubiquity – from 1972 to the day of the first privatised bus operating company, in 1986. Just 14 years, in fact.

Chesterbus

On the face of it, the similarity between the pre-Transdev Yellow Buses Bournemouth & Blackburn Transport and municipally owned Chesterbus was the desire by the respective municipal owners to secure each’s future and see investment.

In practice, the difference at Chester may be marked. Investment at Chesterbus might be considered essential, whereas at Bournemouth and Blackburn it was simply desirable. Blackburn and Yellow Buses had their problems but were not beset by them. Is Chesterbus in a different position? Here are some reflections. We would welcome any corrective views.

 Is the concentration on peak work inflating the PVR without making an adequate return? The fleet has almost doubled in the years since deregulation to over 80, yet Chesterbus requires only some 20 to operate daylight, weekday commercial services, plus 12 for P&R.

 Does an average fleet age of 14 years, something like double the national average, come with an unacceptably high engineering overhead?

 In trumping both First & Arriva to scoop a monopoly on the Chester Park & Rides, has Chesterbus missed a life-line by relying on low cost, low entry – and some would say troublesome – BMC Falcons?

 Will commercial services grow sufficiently with a reliance on a high proportion of non-SLF stock? The number of non-P&R SLFs is only a quarter of the fleet.

 Have Chesterbus’ four unusual all-Marshall minibuses (inlcuding two second-hand from London General) seen more than their fair share of difficulties?

 Did the Chester City Transport decision to withdraw from the Saltney corridor, upon the cessation of South Lancs Transport, effectively give lucrative Lache to First?

 Is Chester too wealthy a city for some of its bus services? Parts of the city are very well off – in terms of personal wealth *and* bus frequencies.

 To what extent is an outdated depot, from 1878, a millstone around Chesterbus’ corporate neck?

On the positive side, Chesterbus sits on a depot site within an arc of land ripe for development. The former tram garage is therefore of immense value to the city council. The city council has recently won a grant of £1.4mil to invest in the rail station and surrounding areas.

Whether or not Arriva has a role in securing future Chester services, investment and staff remains a decision of the court. There are others who have worked what appear to be miracles recently on former down-at-heel local networks & operations; the task at Chester may be more challenging but it will also be the more rewarding for it.

i Additional information & photo by Omnibuses’ Northern Correspondent

Not for the Squeamish

It seems that passengers are no longer content to report problems to operators’ complaints departments. They must first run to the press so that operators may expiate themselves fully in public. A reprehensible trait.

I suppose I have to mention Friday’s Echo article in which a very flushed Bournemouth-London National Express passenger lifted the lid on a certain stench emanating from an on-board lavatory. Passengers originally attributed the odour to someone forgetting to pull the chain. That is, till a passenger ventured to look (yup, honest).

It transpires that passengers, who by Ringwood had been driven round the bend, came into “pongflict” with the driver, who said three others had reported the issue. National Express subsequently apologised.

So, has National Express gone down the pan? There’s no way that you can describe its coaches as “bog standard” but we guess that the lavatory will always be a vehicle's Achilles heel. As long as it’s not its Waterloo.

Adverts for Cars

If you’ve missed the debate on whether or not bus operators via their agents should accept commercial adverts for cars, why not take a look? It's an old issue. After all, there've been adverts for cars on buses almost ever since there were adverts on buses.

As you’d expect from more-or-less regular contributor Cogidubnus, the level of discussion is high.

It all started as a post on climate change, with an observation that juxtaposed amid a lengthy set of reports from a relatively pro-green newspaper there was a full-page advert for motor cars.

To Cogidubnus, what seemed stranger was “the number of buses still (my italics) running around with car adverts on the back. What can the companies thinking of… Don't they believe in their own product enough to care? Or is it a case of supping with the devil?”

The counterpoint came from Anti-clockwise, who asked, “Why shouldn’t the bus industry make a few bob by selling advertising space for cars?” To Anti-clockwise, car adverts will only sway or reinforce existing motorists’ brand loyalty. Later, Anti-clockwise stated that motorists probably don’t even consider the bus as a competitor; yet, passengers would rather have the lower fares that adverts may help to reduce and that, by extension, this will keep passengers loyal to the bus rather than the car.

With no tobacco and alcohol advertising, if the bus industry turns away from motor car adverts, where will it find sufficient advertising revenue?

If you have any thoughts on this, add them here.

Dorset Niches

It’s almost a year since Roadliner took over the 168/9 as previously operated by Yellow Buses. Poole-based industry watchers will know that this route is remarkably historic. In latter years, it passed to Wilts & Dorset and in something of a coup, Yellow Buses won the tender 18 months ago, but gave it up in, what, seven months.

Roadliner’s contract isn’t exactly like its predecessors’ services but it still operates along the core Rossmore Road and Trinidad Estate sections.

The Rossmore Flyer, a name re-introduced by those within Poole Borough Council with a sense of history, has been a marked success. A revised route, decent marketing, free travel for people over 60 and not least Roadliner itself, with dedicated buses and crews, all contribute.

In fact, Roadliner is a most unusual operator. To its ever-growing fleet of interesting vehicles, this month saw a further high capacity addition. Alongside the existing 101 seater (bought new), comes a 1993 ex-Hong Kong City Bus 100-seat 12m Olympian, via Shamrock, also of Poole. Both are used to transport EFL students, there being no shortage of them in Bournemouth.

Roadliner, in fact, is a good example of a bus industry niche player. Operators such as this are able to tender for contracts at favourable prices, generally owing to lower margins. Local authorities can become reliant on them for those routes the larger companies cannot so easily handle, and for school buses.

Shamrock is another. It’s predominantly a school bus provider but it undertakes local bus services, as well. Last Monday saw it begin operation of service 31, the lost link between parts of Christchurch and Soutbourne and Bournemouth Hospital & Castlepoint. It’s one of those services filling gaps in the network created upon Transdev Yellow Buses’ revisions last summer. Remember the fuss at the time? The replacement 31, at a maximum of four journeys on Mondays to Fridays only, really does show the scale of demand.

Shamrock also operates the 32 between Poole and Bournemouth, connecting otherwise disparate links between Throop, Kinson, Bearwood, Canford Heath, Merley and Broadstone. The 32, from October 2006, covers former Wilts & Dorset stops as well as those once served by TYB. Roadliner ran on the Poole section to the end of September.

Other TYB gap-fillers are the more frequent (and technically experimental) 37 Bournemouth to Glenferness Avenue/Braidley Road service and the very irregular 41 Throop to Boscombe (both Transdev Yellow Buses).

They Can’t be Serious

Oh yes they can.

There can be few examples of such consensus. It seems that everyone is against the Competition Commission’s plans to de-merge Scottish Citylink and Megabus. Everyone, that is, except the Competition Commission.

Senior Scottish politicians, a raft of Scottish councils, Parks of Hamilton, regional transport partnerships, the CPT, the CIT CILT and Bus Users UK are all calling on the UK government to intervene.

Bus Users UK said of the de-merger that it would “drastically reduce the choice for coach passengers”.

Meanwhile, Stagecoach states that under the joint venture, the Scottish coach network has benefited from a simpler, integrated timetable, faster and more frequent journeys, and value-for-money fares. Passengers have responded positively to such improvements. Stagecoach states that there’s been an increase in passengers of 41 per cent on the Saltire Cross services, the very ones likely to be forced to de-merger.

All believe that passengers are better off now, rather than in a divested future. What does the Competition Commission say in response? Nothing, so far.

There’s every possibility that the competition authorities mean well. But in steadfastly refusing to understand that the bus and coach competes not with itself but with the motor car, the Commission is once again in danger of having the opposite effect to that intended.

 Citylink and Stagecoach’s Megabus merged as a joint venture in September 2005

 The joint venture operates services under the Megabus.com and Scottish Citylink brands, and is the leading provider of express coach services in Scotland.

 Stagecoach acquired 35 per cent of Citylink’s share capital, in return for transferring certain rights to the Motorvator and Megabus.com operations in Scotland. Braddell PLC owns the remaining 65 per cent of Citylink's share capital.

Grand National - 7

Happy Birthday Leyland National 1972-1985

Grand National – 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

Greenways were an attempt to modernise the National and not just to extend their lives, at a time when many Nationals were believed to be nearing the end of their lives. The resultant refurbishment was to the much-trumpeted DiPTAC standard of its time, for elderly and disabled people, the mainstream low floor bus being some way off, even then. There were some derogations from DiPTAC, though.

The Greenways were therefore a product of their time. Even after more than five years of deregulation, the early 1990s were still difficult times for both manufacturers and operators. There was less money available to invest in new stock and operators sometimes felt uneasy doing so. The solution, so far as the then British Bus group was concerned, was the National Greenway, in partnership with East Lancs, which British Bus then controlled.

The Greenway project was the mother of all refurbishments. East Lancs replaced all major mechanical components (including new engine, differential, reconditioned gearbox and new front mounted radiator). Each Greenway benefited from a Gardner 6HLXB engine rather than Leyland 501 unit. It also transformed the body with interior and exterior refits. Outwardly, there were styling changes, especially at the front, though some would say this made them look severe. The frontal treatment included revised light clusters, a new more bowed windscreen and the boxing in each side of the destination display.

When re-registered on Irish or classic plates (as many if not all were), there was no reason for the travelling public to know such vehicles were anything other than brand new. It was an illusion that worked well. Passengers actually commented that they were on new buses, something that was sometimes a rarity in those days.

Between 1991 and 1995, East Lancs converted over 175 Nationals to Greenways. They weren't cheap, either. Greenways even made their way to London, with some 12 sporting plates once carried by Routemasters.

The Greenway wasn’t the only answer, though. Faced with market uncertainties, pre-Stagecoach Western Travel refurbished its own Nationals in a similar though less intensive fashion, calling them National 3s.

Time to Take the Offensive

Sandwiched between five pages on the climate change bill in yesterday’s morning paper was a full-page advert for Citroën cars. Doesn’t that say it all? And not a diesel hybrid in sight.

When will the message hit home among motorists? Are road tax increases nowhere near high enough to be a disincentive? Aren't they just viewed purely as a stealth tax?

Yet, not since Jonathan Porritt and David Bellamy have green issues climbed so high up the political agenda – with an almost all-party consensus. Then, green fizzled to grey. Now, 20 years later, we have more traffic, an emerging & polluting Asian economy, low cost flights and yet more out-of-town centres reliant on cars.

It all seems too bleak to tackle. What to do? In the transport sector, it emerged yesterday that the railways won’t have the answer. There’s already terrible overcrowding on key routes, with a further 10 per cent increase in passengers last year. A promised £130mil per annum plan for 1,000 new carriages won’t be on stream till 2014. And forget any new lines or significant capacity improvements unless you are patient.

And the tram? Even though the Manchester Metrolink extension finally has the go-ahead, others in England were dropped. Anyway, trams also take time. Perhaps bus rapid transit can take its place but even then, urban road space remains at a premium.

There’s only one possible solution and that’s the flexibility of the bus – local service or traffic-busting school bus. The bus already carries double those travelling by other public transport modes. Buses and coaches carry five times the number travelling by rail. Passengers have grown on the buses, too, every year in the last six (thank you, London). But the thing is, there’s still plenty of spare capacity.

It’s time for the industry to go on the environmental offensive and trumpet itself as a solution rather than a problem. For the environment, for time-consuming queues, for noise reduction, for asthma mitigation, for equity. If Megabus.com can do it for coaches, who will champion the bus?

And, in Putting Passengers First, is the government correctly balancing market forces, regulation and subsidy to ensure the bus service is an attractive environmental alternative?

Old Fashioned?

Is Wilts & Dorset a conservative organisation, an old-fashioned operator? A commenter thinks so.

On balance, the years to 2003 were certainly more conservative than at a number of W&D’s contemporaries. Leaving aside the rather avant-garde choice of double decks – over 75 of the distinctive DAF DB250/Optare Spectras from new, delivered in the ten years to 2003 – there was much about the company that indicated “caution” or “tradition”. While many held the post-privatisation livery in high regard, it said something not necessarily negative but certainly not especially positive about the company. It was always difficult to put your finger on what that was exactly. Perhaps a certain friendly old-fashioned-ness; perhaps the slightly shabby feeling of a well-worn cardigan; the snug warmth of a coal fire; the faithfulness of a Labrador dog. Nothing inherently wrong in that. Yet, against fellow NBC survivor Trent Barton, for example, W&D was decidedly middle aged, middle England and middlebrow. But not old and infirm.

May be life ticked over for W&D. Passengers were in decline but the situation was neither desperate nor serious. A rash of over 100 MCW or Optare Metrorider minibuses from 1987, partly in retaliation to competition, signalled a more modern approach, but little else.

And then Go Ahead took over and after a while began to shake things up a little. For one thing, W&D unveiled a brand new image. Disliked by those who with good reason previously favoured the post-privatisation livery, the new nonetheless repositioned the W&D brand with more drive and vigour.

And for another, there was more. It’s hard to find a modern bus industry marketing concept so well devised and thought out. It catapulted a once reluctant W&D into the industry limelight.

more alone, including the on-off-on Canford Heaths and the related Pulseline and Wimborne Flyer, demonstrates beyond any reasonable doubt that W&D can be as forward looking as any English operator. But there are other routes, of course. There’s an argument that W&D is interested solely in more, leaving other services to tick-over, rather like the older pre-Go Ahead W&D. Those proffering this opinion aren’t right, even if there is an element of truth in what they say, if only because more's the killer route.

Naked Roads

The detritus on the internet would have us believe, “The longest spell spent oblivious to traffic lights whilst applying make up was one of 1hr 51mins by Miss J. Dobson at a road junction in the centre of Preston...” Such confusion would be rather fun if the tale were only true.

On the other hand, on those rare occasions when urban traffic lights fail, chaos only sometimes strikes. Often, quite the reverse, or so motorists think. Conclusion? Do away with them and we’d all be more considerate and careful drivers. Do away with traffic management and the painted white line altogether and so-called naked roads foster lower speeds, as motorists behave very differently without the security of road markings and red & green signals. Speeds dip by some five per cent, it’s said. That’s good, isn’t it?

From a bus perspective, imagine life caught in traffic travelling five per cent slower. Imagine no traffic lights. Who’d let a bus out at such a junction? Bus priorities in Britain are already woefully inadequate, without naked roads removing them altogether.

Fewer people travelling, quicker dwell times and faster acceleration means that the bus journey time between Poole and Bournemouth today is generally no less slow than when Hants & Dorset introduced one person operation in 1980. Speeds average at approximately 12 mph. Decrease general traffic speeds by five per cent and the extra four minutes round trip time plus five minutes return between Bournemouth & Christchurch begin to load costs onto operators. And peak travel is slower still. See Blunt Pencils.

The idea of naked roads was first mooted in 2005. Every now and then the idea returns but, thankfully, it’s not yet gotten very far. From a bus operator’s perspective, let’s hope it stays that way. We need to speed the bus in relation to other traffic, not slow the bus with the rest.

One for the Archive

With the Chester City Council v. Arriva court case now closed, we await the judge’s decision, next month. The speculation, though, continues. Who will win? The answer is probably the lawyers, barristers and the court, with costs amounting to six figures for sure. And that’s only in the battle for the Chester-Saughall and Chester-Blacon city services. Though First is still tipped to take over Chesterbus, there’s still nothing official. And that doesn’t mean that another of the initial twelve operators expressing an interest may buy, though how many actually carried on beyond the initial information request we don't yet know. Everyone is awaiting the decision of the court.

You’re still turning up at Omnibuses having googled (if there is a past participle such as this) the likes of ‘Chesterbus sale’, ‘Chesterbus court’ and ‘Arriva Chesterbus’.

Meanwhile, Omnibuses’ Northern Correspondent writes, “If you are contemplating visiting Chester, now might be a good time. Remarkably, there are still usually four or five elderly double decks on service in the city each weekday. For example, one might be on a park & ride service, in the absence of the less-than-reliable BMC Falcon single decks.

“There’s often at least one out on the 1/1As to Rhuddland/Aukland Roads, one route Arriva North West & Wales wants to operate with SLFs. If you are in the right place at the right time, you may even spy ancient Fleetline/Northern Counties BCB 613V, surely the most elderly closed top vehicle of its type now operating in any of Britain’s significant fleets.

“New to Lancashire United [as one of its last vehicle purchases when an independent subsidiary of GMPTE–Ed], it dates from 1980, arrived at Chester City Transport ten years later, was withdrawn and reinstated into service in 2002 ahead of the delivery of Chester’s BMC Falcons, where it has remained ever since. It retains a semblance of the ‘traditional’ Chester City Transport maroon and cream livery [adopted in the 1946–Ed], one that was otherwise recently swept aside by Chesterbus’ blue.”

Chesterbus analyses will follow during the week...

Photo is courtesy of Omnibuses’ Northern Correspondent

35 Years Ago - W&D

It was 35 years ago that little more than what had amounted to the trading name of the original Wilts & Dorset Omnibus Services Ltd disappeared.

Appropriate, then, that there should be published “Glory Days: Wilts & Dorset”, covering the story to 1972. Accompanying the book’s Salisbury launch on Saturday 3 March were two buses, both with their own story.

One was a reasonably modern Wilts &Dorset Activ8-liveried Optare Spectra SLF T160 ALJ. The Spectra typifies the once rather unique double deck buying policy of the new W&D.

Activ8 was officially launched just about one month ago and is W&D and Stagecoach’s joint ticketing and branding exercise on route 8, between Salisbury & Andover via Amesbury. Wiltshire and Hampshire councils support the marketing campaign. Branded buses retain their base livery, with the adornment of a series of variously sized roundels.

Salisbury’s route 8 (also once the 208) is a survivor. Apart from all buses now serving Perham Down and the improbably named Zouch Estate (where once they alternated), there’s very little difference between the current incarnation and that operated by the original pre-1972 W&D, years ago. It’s still half-hourly (weekdays, daytimes), still leaves both ends at the same times as it ever did, and the overall running time’s been decreased by just two minutes over what was an 82 minute journey. Mind you, the Sunday service was also half-hourly, supported then by much coming and going associated with the barracks along the route. Now, Sundays are at best every hour-and-a-half… ish.

The other vehicle at the launch was TRU 947J, no. 846/620, a 1971 Bristol RELL6G/ECW. The RE was ubiquitous rather than unique, though like its parent W&D through its neighbour/partner/successor Hants & Dorset was in the habit of buying dual-purpose vehicles like 620, with low- rather than high-frames.

846/620 appeared in the last livery as worn by the old W&D company (before it was finally and totally subsumed under the H&D name, in 1972). Even so, what was striking at the launch was actually how *modern* the RE still looks, even today. Not only was it an engineering masterpiece of its time, combining front entrance, flow-frame, high capacity on an 11m chassis, it became a watershed between the distinctly old-fashioned Bristol/ECWs of the late 1950s/early 1960s and those few to follow. Livery it in the current W&D offering and we’d guess outwardly that passengers wouldn’t see any difference if it pulled into Salisbury Bus Station.

→ Glory Days: Wilts & Dorset

Transforming York Pt 3

Continuing the reflection on First's ftr in York…

Parts 1 & 2 considered the vehicle. This part examines the other component – the ‘track’.

The Track

If ftr is to become a viable alternative to the car and light rail (and grow the market significantly to justify the £300,000 investment per vehicle), local government has to play its part in delivering the ‘track’. Will getting stuck during the evening peak on the Tadcaster Road and arriving in Acomb 11 minutes later than scheduled – extending the journey by one third – negate all the positives associated with the vehicle itself? (Regulars on board seemed to accept the delays – but would a car user?).

There was also some evidence of bunching at the evening peak.

The western part of the route along which ftr service 4 travels is more testing for the driver. Where off-peak progress along the Tadcaster Road is unhindered, the ride quality is good. ftr would seem to be best suited more to straight, well-maintained main roads.

Turning off the Tadcaster Road, service 4 threads its way along roads of a more residential nature, cluttered in parts by parked vehicles & traffic speed deflections, requiring the driver to give way (at junctions or to let oncoming vehicles through). Two passengers commented that in the early days ftr had a habit to taking out road bollards. There were a number of minor scuffs on at least one nearside front corner (and mirror, too).

Are these really the best roads for such a vehicle? Or put another way, is ftr more suited to a route with substantial rapid transit-type infrastructure?

It was along the residential sections that the quality of the ride deteriorated, and although it would be an exaggeration to say that the passengers were thrown around, the ride did become unsettled at times, thanks to sometimes harsh braking and the usual problems associated with urban roads.

To be concluded

Renewal Time (6 Months)

Dear Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute of Transport Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport,

We are sending you this questionnaire ahead of the autumn membership renewal date. We would like to ask your views on the value your membership brings you and whether you will be renewing. Kindly tick all the relevant boxes below.

Reminder: fees are £148 p.a. for charted members and £183 for charter fellows.

I will be glad to renew my ILT membership because:

The Institute gives value for money
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I need the membership "meal ticket" to keep my job or apply for new ones
My employer pays so I don't really care about the cost
The free buffet at each Institute meeting is usually very good
I get lonely and really look forward to Institute meetings, even those talking about the supply chain

I shall not be renewing my membership because:

I have retired or will do so soon
The cost of membership no longer represents value for money
There's no Continuing Professional Development (CPD) within ILT
The membership benefits are not great enough
Now that most members are in the 'supply chain' and not passenger transport per se, I find that the enlarged Institute no longer meets my professional needs
Now that most members are in the 'supply chain' and not passenger transport, I feel another Institution better reflects my professional needs
The range and depth of Institute events is poor
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Institute meetings clash with Corrie
There are few members of the opposite sex in the local branch whom I can date
I have exhausted the few members of the opposite sex in my local branch, none of whom wish to date me. I shall join Dateline instead
There was just one person in the local branch who agreed to date me but we were both equally desperate, so I said "no". I shall join Dateline instead

Thrown Off W&D Bus Story

You may have noticed two comments yesterday, one about the BBC and one on the recent Wilts & Dorset incident. Click here for both comments and Omnibuses’ take on the latter.

Quality is Everything?

We mentioned yesterday that American scheduled express services were ever focusing at the cheaper end of the market. It’s actually the same in the UK.

National Bus Company’s "National" brand introduced in 1972 was originally based on the US Greyhound concept. In spite of the Rapide sub-brand from 1981-2001, and the new up-market brand image from 2003, express coaches retain a semblance towards low cost travel. Some would say it’s almost a stigma.

Witness the advertising campaigns over the years. They’ve concentrated on fares (e.g. “Boomerangs come back free”) or appealed to younger people (“Beeper”). Even now, NatEx majors on “Be an Early Bird”, “Free Range Students” and routesixty fares. Megabus.com takes the focus on fares to a new level, with fares from £1 plus booking fee though here, Megabus has also tried to refocus on the environmental benefits of coach travel.

And it’s not just in the UK. Emulating Megabus, New Zealand’s recently launched and stripped-down Nakedbus.com introduces the no-frill coach in the antipodes. It started in North Island in September 2006 and from February 2007 spread nationwide. Fares start at NZ$1 (about 36p!) plus 70c booking fee. As a comparison, petrol per litre in NZ is about 70p. New Zealand’s established InterCity Coach Lines is retaliating with cheaper fares and a loyalty scheme. Growth on Nakedbus is nevertheless said to be five per cent per *week*.

There have been and continue to be exceptions to the low-end image. Both the Oxford Espress and wi-fi enabled Oxford Tube, while continuing to attract plentiful students, also garner a fair share of commuters who prefer the coach to the train. These and others like them tend to be exceptions.

It was something of a surprise that in England, National Express is looking towards aiming at the business market.

The Times on Monday reported that National Express is to consider some repositioning, emulating the work of its Spanish Alsa subsidiary. Coaches could have leather seats, 2+1 passenger seating to a maximum of 40, internet, choice of meals, and videos per seat. Apparently, it would be better than air business class and would be the first time a British provider has contemplated such luxury on such wide a scale.

There’s a downside, though. To be competitive, journey times would need improvement. This means tackling congestion. The possible introduction of road pricing outside London alongside the coach as quality alternative might help. Sharing bus and improving coach priorities would be essential. This shifts the focus a little from buses to coaches in the argument about allocating scarce urban roadspace, and puts the coach back on the map.

As the Downing Street e-petition has shown, road pricing will not be easy. There’s already a reaction against the view that motor-born CO₂ is causing climate change (tonight, C4).

Neither will the industry easily attract business users. But perceptions *can* change. WA Shearings’ goes for the high spender. Highly paid footballers and rock musicians are happy to use luxury team coaches...

Diversion

Try this diversion. It’s a multiple-choice transport quiz from the BBC. If you get less than 9/10, we’d be *very* disappointed!

The Fight Continues

Are old rivals First & Stagecoach set to extend their enmity across the Atlantic? With the expansion of Megabus.com’s Chicago operation next month, almost exactly one year after the services started, and plans for new routes in the south western states along the Mexican border, Stagecoach subsidiary CoachUSA looks increasingly likely to worry First’s now almost-acquired Greyhound operation.

That’s presupposing First retains Greyhound. Tipsters believe First will sell – not that there’s a precedent for First doing so. First has not sold *anything* it has bought, clutching on to even the poorest UK performers, unlike Stagecoach, which isn’t afraid to buy and sell as it suits. Perhaps Stagecaoch might buy Greyhound.

Greyhound clearly won’t take matters lying down. It’s already lowering fares with offers on some of its competitive routes though, as yet, it has been unable to offer Megabus’ $1-plus-booking-fee for those who can plan their journeys well in advance. Greyhound has recently been refurbishing its terminals, too.

On 2 April 2007, Megabus.com is introducing new services from Chicago to Pittsburgh, Louisville, Columbus and Kansas City and increasing services to Minneapolis, Cleveland, Indianapolis and St Louis.

But Greyhound offers more Chicago-based departures on these routes, albeit at higher standard fares. Those travelling further afield can benefit from Greyhound’s network of “transfers” (changes), given that a reformed Greyhound since 2005 has concentrated less on the iconic trans-national services and more on shorter distance regional flows. Some of Greyhound’s routes are still staggering in their length, though.

It’s interesting that both Greyhound and Megabus are focusing on the cheaper end of the market. Not only is this how the Americans tend to position coaching, in a market driven by the automobile or internal flights as first choices, not coaches. Greyhound has from 1972 also had a rather Hispanic focus.

New v Old

A comment attached to yesterday's post on the continued daily use of 30 year old Leyland Nationals prompts me into considering whether newer buses per se are better than older.

"It's a difficult tightrope to walk when the prevailing opinion among the markets that the industry is trying to court is new=good, old=bad. The National, whether built to last thirty years or not, has clearly proved its longevity; will the Dart or E200?"

So, old or new? Ask a fleet engineer and the answer is obvious. Older buses bring with them a far higher engineering overhead. They require more maintenance, more down time, a higher engineering spares contingent and a larger parts bin. They are intrinsically troublesome and, if the fleet has to operate them at all, they should be confined to school duties.

Ask the marketers and they will point to the obvious opportunities of a new versus old bus in terms of ‘saleability’. There’s much experience of passenger growth where a new SLF’s replaced an ageing conventional low frame bus. You don’t have to ask the passengers because the marked increase in revenue tells is evident.

As for drivers, the popularity of new over old is (generally – though not always) obvious. Nationals had well laid out cabs and power streering, yet they are still way behind modern accepted standards, which includes fully- rather than semi-automatic transmission. Mind you, Nationals have no irritating interlocks.

The fact that Chase’s 30 year old Leyland Nationals are still on the road proves the National’s worth. Yet, they were never designed for that sort of longevity and Chase’s were very much the exception that proves the rule.

What every fleet needs is a range of ages, to avoid the sort of replacement problems that come with an age profile of either totally new or totally old buses. The age range should reflect the usual economic serviceability of a bus - it rarely extends to 30 years. There must be a cut-off, after which buses will have fully depreciated and after which they will become an increasing liability.

That’s not to say that a poorly looked after a new bus doesn’t have its problems. Witness the former pre-Stagecoach CMT fleet of Glenvale’s in Liverpool. The purchase of CMT by Glenvale brought with it a surprising number of modern, low floor buses, many of which spent too much time off-the-road owing to basic mechanical failures, while the older Titans and whatnot soldiered on (thanks to a high spares ratio). This is a recipe for disaster, as Glenvale’s performance probably showed. In a sense, this will become First York’s problem in 10 years, following its one-hit, massive fleet investment, all of which will age at the same time.

Will modern buses like the Enviro200 last as long as Chase’s Nationals? Perhaps they will, perhaps they won’t. But they don’t need to. They’ve been designed for a specified life and accountants will have written them down to that point. It’s at that time that replacements need to be considered to ensure the fleet has its share of regularly serviceable vehicles across a good spread of ages, meeting the accepted and legal environmental and safety standards in force at that time, something that a 30 year old National will never hope to achieve when compared to a modern vehicle.

Conclusion – neither new nor old but a decent spread, without excessively old vehicles in the fleet. And maintenance at its highest throughout.

Remember, also, the government's own age-related targets for the industry.

Bournemouth Catch-up

This week… Megabus, First & Stagecoach, W&D timetables, ftr...

Nostalgia

If you want to wallow in a little nostalgia, why not venture down to Bournemouth’s “new” Homebase store, recently opened?

Except the store isn’t new. Although it has been redeveloped, it retains the fabric of the former Mallard Road Yellow Buses transport department garage, a listed building.

In spite of rumours at the time of the bus move to new the Yeoman’s Way premises that the former shed might terminate in housing or flats, planning permission was granted for Homebase in June 2006.

Homebase Bournemouth joins two others in the conurbation and Mallard Road’s is within spitting distance of what is reputed to be the largest Block & Quail (B&Q) in the country.

Mallard Road depot was opened by Bournemouth Corporation’s transport department in July 1953, on the site of a former corporation farm. It was said at the time to be the building with the largest span of pre-stressed concrete in the country and beyond. It closed to bus operation in March 2006. Its successor site at Yeoman’s Way cost £5mil to construct.

Be my Valentine – Success

Transdev Yellow Buses has beaten neighbouring Wilts & Dorset at its own game – innovative marketing. Valentine’s Day may seem an age ago, but TYB’s St Valentine’s initiative has been dubbed a success.

Not only did TYB distribute a St Valentine’s car to 7,000 homes within walking distance of Parkstone’s busy Ashley Road commercial centre, the company gave out 800 red roses at local bus stops. All this to urge the public to use its 1b/1c. The St Valentine’s card offered all day travel at £2 for the day.

This fare matched W&D’s maximum single/return. W&D introduced its £2 capped fare in July 2006 on more branded services between Poole & Christchurch at the time TYB began a 10 minute service from Poole to Bournemouth and operated every five minutes between Bournemouth and Christchurch. The W&D £2 maximum fare is believed to have a positive effect in generating passengers but done little if anything to improve the overall W&D revenue base, as existing passengers simply pay less.

W&D undertook a similar though less romantic campaign in October 2005 by distributing free oranges to passengers waiting for its services in Winton, Moordown & Northborne. This was to promote the short-lived Orange Circles, part of an aborted campaign along the Winton corridor against what was then plain Yellow Buses.

Grand National – 6

Happy Birthday Leyland National 1972-1985

We found this picture recently on a well-known transport web site. Is the bus a Leyland National operated by Chase of Chasetown, now part of Arriva Midlands; or is it the front end of a Leyland DAB articulated bus making a comeback from 1979?

In the Leyland National’s 35th year since full production began, the passing of Chase Bus Services to Arriva Midlands sees the withdrawal of what amounts to England’s largest fleet of remaining Leyland Nationals.

Chase’s Nationals were all Mark 1 stock. This means they must be at least 27 years old, 1980 being the year when Leyland brought out the National 2.

Chase’s Nationals were in reasonable condition for their age, too, though we’d suppose that they swallowed considerable engineering overheads. As someone commented on the London Bus Pages in Exile, why did the industry go through the process of refurbishing Nationals under the Greenway project when they needn’t’ve bothered? They would’ve lasted anyway.

A good point. But no matter how well maintained Chase's Natioanls are, it’s difficult to see how a 30 year old bus can get anywhere near presenting the sort of image passengers expect and the industry deserves.

And while there will be those who will lament the passing of yet another colourful operator (literally & metaphorically) hiding beneath the livery of an all-embracing, all-encompassing group, twenty years after deregulation we are seeing significant improvements in quality. A legend the Leyland National may have been, but does it really have a place in the 21st century?

What Arriva will do in replacing its inherited Nationals is anyone’s guess. Initially, we suspect the replacements will be nothing more than slightly less old hand-me-downs. And it will seem odd to see Arriva buses in such numbers in Walsall.

All the Fours

It was in 444 AD that Pope Leo laid down the principle that St Peter had received the primacy and oversight of the whole Church and that his successors in the papacy should decide all matters of church doctrine.

Quite by coincidence, 444 is the number of buses Stagecoach announced in its huge £55mil order at the end of February.

Stagecoach continues to favour Alexander Dennis Ltd for its chassis, and particularly for its bodies. Apart from integrals or complete vehicles, no other body builder gets a look-in. That this results from Brian Souter’s interests in both Stagecoach and ADL is a coincidence; both parties insist on full transparency. Over half the chassis ordered are British and from ADL. What the order does is strengthen the UK manufacturing sector and ensures some diversity within it, alongside Wrights and the smaller bodybuilders.

But ADL didn’t have it its own way. There were surprises. Till now, Scania had not been a major supplier to Stagecoach. 34 Scanias feature in the order. This includes 25 double decks with ADL Enviro400 bodies and nine complete Polish built 13.7m low-entry OmniLink single decks at 13.7m. The Scania number’s low in comparison to ADL vehicles, though.

Optare will have to be satisfied with Stagecoach’s autumn 2006 £9mil order for 75 Solos and 25 Versas. The February order is disappointing for Optare, with just 17 Solos in all, with no repeat for the new Versa.

In terms of coaches, Stagecoach is ordering 25 Plaxton/Volvo B7Rs similar to previous deliveries with entrance wheelchair lifts. No additional 15m Panthers, unlike the October 2006 order for 45.

And the link between Pope Leo and Stagecoach? None actually but we thought we’d get you wondering.

The full breakdown is as follows:

Vehicle Type	Double Deck	200
	Single Deck	127
	Midi/Mini	92
	Coach	25
	Total	444
Chassis	ADL	218
	MAN	150
	Scania	25
	Volvo	25
Bodies	ADL	393
	Plaxton	25
Integrals/Complete	Optare	17
	Scania	9

3 Industry Consolidations

1. Chase Bus Services → Arriva Midlands

The recent sale of Chase Bus Services provides a case study illustrative of the changes currently ongoing within the bus industry.

What is probably the last substantial operator of Leyland Nationals, 27 vehicle Chase Bus Services of Burntwood, passed to 735 vehicle Arriva Midlands on 25 February 2007. That Chase is predominantly a Leyland National user is interesting in itself. 23 of its vehicles are Nationals (the others being three Dennis Darts and a sole DAF Ikarus). The take-over will see the phasing out of the elderly Nationals.

The continued use of Chase’s LN1s into 2007 is remarkable given that this year is the 35th anniversary of their appearance in production form. Leyland produced the last LN1s in January 1980, following the arrival of the updated LN2 design.

Chase characterises recent moves towards consolidation within the industry, as the larger groups’ appetite continues to show no sign of diminishing.

Compare this to twenty years ago. As the régime passed from regulation to deregulation, larger operators were more inclined to compete against rather than buy smaller operators. The argument then was, why should a larger operator buy a smaller one when it can operate the smaller’s routes in any case. That such competition is now often viewed as wasteful and expensive is indicative of the way in which the industry has evolved and matured, and is moving more towards quality than quantity.

Chase is also an example (albeit a small one) of a company restructuring its operations to concentrate on bus services rather than coaching. It was a year ago that Chase sold its two coaches to Zak’s, now part of AIM-listed Rotala.

It's interesting as an aside that the Rotala website shows a picture seeingly of a First Hampshire Wright bodied Volvo B7LA articulated bus. It's equally interesting that Chase did not pass to Go Ahead’s growing portfolio of bus services in the West Midlands.

2. NCP → Macquarie

There’s news of more consolidation. The possible take-over of 3i-owned NCP (National Car Parks) by Macquarie Bank, operators of former Stagecoach London services, would bring with it 65 vehicle NCP Challenger. NCP Challenger commenced operations in November 2005 with two west London TfL contracts and has subsequently added a further three.

NCP also provides airport-orientated park and ride, airside, air staff and hotel courtesy services, including the 2005 formed NCP Interline operation.

Macquarrie bought Stagecoach’s 1,300 London operation in August 2005 for £264mil.

3. City Sightseeing (north east) → Stagecoach North East

A franchising agreement giving Stagecoach unlimited local rights to Ensignbus’ City Sightseeing brand follows the recent sale of Ensignbus’ Stratford Blue and Cambridge Blue operations in January 2007 and December 2006, respectively.

Like the deals further south, that in the north east involves no vehicles. Stagecoach aims to grow the City Sightseeing operation.

The take-over of Stratford Blue marked Stagecoach’s return to local bus services in that town, following its retrenchment in 1999, owing to poor performance. Stratford services first passed to open top operator Guide Friday, then to a re-emerged independent Stratford Blue, soon to be taken over by the Status Group (of Milton Keynes City Bus fame). Status closed its Stratford operation in 2000. Upon open top competition in Stratford between Ensignbus’ City Sightseeing and incumbent Guide Friday, Ensignbus acquired Stratford Blue’s legal entity and began operating local services from Stagecoach’s former premises.

Spring Request

Anyone operating bus services will have received well-meaning requests from local cyclists to accommodate bikes on ordinary, regular bus services. These normally come with the arrival of spring or from 1 March (today) onwards. Replies to such correspondence always seem terribly negative but it has to be said, bikes and buses don’t (generally) mix, in spite of an initial common interest known as “sustainable transport”.

The cycle fraternity has four parts:

 The tourist, who likes to cycle one way and bus back. Leisure cyclists tend to come as families and accommodating their bikes on buses is difficult.

 The commuter, who likes to think of the bus as an insurance policy against precipitation. They rarely use a bus but come bad weather, there could be any number of them queuing.

 The mountain biker, who needs a shower before he can get his mud anywhere near any upholstery.

 The bike enthusiast, who tends to hunt in large packs. How do you accommodate 30 cycles on an Optare Solo?

If each group has its own issues and problems, so have the bus services upon which they may wish to travel. How, for example, should you accommodate a bike?

 Rear cycle racks – modern interlocks mean that a bike can be stowed relatively safely on the bus’ rear. But generally, there’s space for only two. What happens if there are more? Should an operator introduce a booking system? Doesn’t such a system detract from the immediacy of travel? Should the cyclist pay a fare commensurate to the administration costs of booking? But most importantly, is it safe to load a bike at a lay by-less stop, on the side of the road, or busy reverse-out bus station?

 Front cycle racks – do not confirm to the UK’s C&U regs, so are ruled out. The same issues apply, added to which there is a more acute danger to pedestrians in the event of a front-end collision.

 Internal stowage – gone are the days when you can get 52 passengers on an 11m bus. Any cycle pen (for perhaps two cycles) would relieve passengers of at least six seats, reducing the capacity on today’s 11m bus to 30 or less. Then, there are issues of scuffing, dirt and soiling.

 Trailers – don’t even go there!

May be the Dartford Tunnel Ford double decks of 1963 had it about right, with a lower deck bike (and pram) storage area and (steep stepped) upper deck for passengers.

So there’s the answer – convert every route to double deck and make sure everyone, including elderly passengers, moves upstairs.

No, bikes and buses don’t mix.

But may be there should be secure bike parking at major bus stops and stations...