Reports have been surfacing since last month that both Keolis and Veolia’s transport arm are looking to merge with Transdev. It appears that of the two, Veolia is the most likely suitor. If true, such moves would create a new European and indeed world-wide transport super group.
Veolia York now over to Transdev
In the UK, there’s quite a contrast between Transdev and Veolia. Veolia has already closed its Lincoln garage; and sold its Kingston-upon-Hull operation to East Yorkshire and its York business has already gone to Transdev. Alongside much needed vehicle investment in south Wales, Veolia has also suffered what seems a poor reputation, and some withdrawals. Veolia controversially scooped many Powys, Wales, local bus contracts back in 2007.
Transdev, on the other hand, enjoys a relatively blemish free reputation as the owner of England’s (hitherto?) most profitable operator. It has inherited the largely successful Blazefield Group and enjoys an 18 per cent stake in successful Nottingham City Transport (plus it runs the city’s trams).
And then there’s Bournemouth, where Transdev Yellow Buses seemingly can do little wrong, with a much vaunted increase in ridership of 40 per cent since the new 2006 network.
Meanwhile...
... fellow Dorset operator Wilts & Dorset is fairing less well, at least in the eyes of Christchurch MP Christopher Chope. Yesterday, the Echo reported that Chope is seeking a meeting with the western traffic commissioner over the way in which W&D arbitrarily holds the community to ransom over its changes. This, in particular, is in response to the withdrawal of the X12 from Burton.
Said Chope, who is of the same party that introduced deregulation, “I want to get to the bottom of the extent to which the traffic commissioner can intervene”.
That should be a fairly short meeting.
Morebus m2 now terminates at Boscombe, not Burton
It’s true that Burton’s seen more than its fair share of changes since deregulation but is no worse off than in 1986 when it had an hourly bus to Bournemouth on the erstwhile 238. Since then, and in rough;y the right order, it’s been hourly, half-hourly, hourly again, every 20 minutes short to Christchurch, every 20 minutes to Bournemouth & then Poole on the 105, back to hourly, half-hourly and every 20 minutes, every 20 minutes on the Morebus m2, half-hourly on the X12 and, currently through a temporary arrangement between TYB and Dorset council, hourly.
Weigh this up with the overall position on the south east Dorset coast. W&D has invested considerably in new Mercedes Citaros, Vovlo B7RLE/Wrightbus Eclipses; and Volvo B7TL/East Lancs Mylleniums (Myllenia?), all-Scania N230UD Omnicities, and Scania/Optare Olympus double decks. It offers night buses, Morebus m1 & m2 between Bournemouth & Poole at every 3-4 minutes, m5 & m6, the Wimborne Flyer and the X3. There’s a simplified network that has seen some chipping away but, renumbering aside, is not too far short of the service offered by Hants & Dorset at the sea change of 1978.
6 comments:
In the summary of Burton changes, I’m deliberately excluding the somewhat complicated 115-116 of old.
I seem to recall that Mr Chope was a minister in the transport department at some stage in his career. Despite that, he does not seem to know a great deal about the subject in general!
Why am I not surprised?
I believe Veolia are further retracting in South Wales with staff given notice at one depot for certain.
Why don't people understand?
If it's not profitable, they won't run it.
And seeing as one of the reasons W&D gave for giving it up was the prospect of a hefty fine from the traffic commissioner as they couldn't run to time, it sets up a nice catch 22!
Christchurch has a large elderly population, many of whom are in all probability Mr Chope's supporters. He is doing what all politicians do - playing to his audience.
Presumably he cannot blame the local councils who are legally responsible for supporting bus services which the commercial operators do not provide as they are of the same political party as he is, so instead the Traffic Commissioner is 'fair game'.
As mentioned, Mr Chope is of the same political persuasion as the government which deregulated and privatised the bus industry.
This is now well over 20 years ago.
To be ignorant of the legislation after such a period of time is totally unforgivable. To plead ignorance is an arrant lie...both are what we now expect of our politicians.
Mr Chote, should be forcibly confronted with this by the media and pressured to resign.
Post a Comment