In Case you Missed These

I’m sure many of you, like me, are extremely grateful for the comments people leave here. We’ve built up quite a community, haven’t we. This is an unintended, surprising though pleasant spin off to blogging. You’ve given us over 100 comments this month, so it’s hardly a sideline activity. Most, many, nearly all in fact are well thought out and cogent, adding considerably to the debate. And thank you, too, for corrections and amendments.

The problem with comments is that unless they’re made on the day (or very soon after), they can “disappear” from public view, as people may concentrate on current rather than previous posts. We’ve been recently blessed by a number of comments on older posts you may have missed. So, why not jump back in time a little to see some of these recently left & pertinent ones…

Reading Buses bio-ethanol

Far from being a very recent revelation, Digitaltoast commented yesterday that Reading Buses allegedly knew its bio-ethanol buses weren’t quite as environmentally sound as first thought… back in 2008! The blog post itself dates from 19 October so you may have missed what might be a significant revelation made 11 days later. Click here...

Hydrogen Buses

Most people agreed with me about my list of heroic fuel failures except for my references to TfL’s hydrogen buses, seen by commenters as a work in progress. Fair enough. News announced this week is that TfL will be re-entering the hydrogen race, with plans for a hydrogen fuelling facility in east London, for First. Though this is only for a paltry five hydrogen fuel cell buses, clearly I shouldn’t’ve written off the initial hydrogen buses so quickly. Click here...

Fares Farce

Commenting on our Mystery Contributor’s post on fares, many agreed with him that the Campaign for Better Transport had got it wrong. The CBT effectively wanted to cut fares to stimulate growth. And this sort of action does grow a business but the cost is significant (and I know this from bitter experience). Fares cuts rarely generate enough to bridge the shortfall created. Click here...

Why then is Reading Transport doing just that?

First & Citybus

First director Leon Daniels commented yesterday, regarding Monday’s Plymouth post, that First did not pull out of the race to buy Plymouth Citybus… because it was never in, in the first place! TY Leon. Click here...

Photography: lack of clarity?

The information commissioner’s office has confirmed that background shots of passers by in street scenes would not normally constitute a breach of the Data Protection Act. But with possible implications for enthusiasts photographing buses, the commissioner’s office does state there *might* be circumstances where a *published* photograph of clearly identified individuals might be an infringement of their liberty.

This potentially adds to already mounting problems bus photographers might face, such as spurious, unfounded & unjustified claims of terrorism or worse.

Still lawful to take street scenes but will there be a time when published shots need blurred faces?

The information commissioner’s office has confirmed that “there is no law against uploading pictures for personal use or sharing the images taken in a public place on amateur photography websites” and this appears to include Fotopic & Flickr. The commissioner’s office stressed that the Data Protection Act does not stop someone from taking pictures in a public place.

But for a minority of bus drivers who maintain a less than sympathetic view of bus photography and who do not fully understand the detail in the ICO’s statement, there might be some confusion. This may even end up as aggravation towards or and even threatening of bona fide hobbyists.

The implications of the ICO’s statement appear to place a greater emphasis on newspapers and magazines. Meanwhile, expect a code of conduct for online use from the commissioner, next month.

For more on bus photography, see our guide to safer bus photography that includes a strategy for dealing with drivers, or pick from the list on the right hand side.

i Amateur Photography news

Is it Worth It?

I have received an email from someone who wishes to be called “Guy SC-Arab”. Guy asks, “Last month, you suggested that operators could somehow get around the accessibility regulations by fitting a lift system into the an older, inaccessible double deck, such as an Olympian used on a registered school run. Is this really so, and is this a reasonable proposition?”

Yes, it’s really so. As to whether this is a proposition, read on.

Double decks need to comply with disability and accessibility regulations by 1 January 2017. Single decks and minibuses comply earlier. The dates were set sufficiently into the future to ensure operators tooled up. Around 60 per cent of buses & coaches used on scheduled services (i.e. not tours) are accessible.

The regulations aren’t just about making a vehicle accessible for a wheelchair user, though this is a big part. Whereas fitting a lift mechanism will overcome accessibility issues, an operator will also have to consider other modifications, some of which will be easy and others less so. These include:

• At least one wheelchair space meeting the specific requirements of the regulations i.e. 1,300 x 750mm, rear facing, protected by a vertical stanchion with padded backrest as near as practicable to the entrance point for wheelchair uses.


• Creating a minimum of four priority seats, with a greater seat pitch. This and the wheelchair space means readjusting seating throughout the lower deck.


• Grab rails or stanchions every 1,050mm. These will need to be of a colour that contrast with its surroundings, for people with visual impairments.


• Bell pushes, operable by the palm of the hand.
• A minimum 250mm step height.


• In addition to the front destination display, a full route/destination indicator on the near side and route number at the rear, all illuminated in darkness.

The lift is likely to be the most expensive modification but some of the others won’t come cheap when you compare the sums involved to the value of the vehicle. Few operators will think seriously about this course of action but should they do so, they need to weigh up whether it’s actually worth the time, trouble and expense of making *all* these modifications to extend vehicle’s life by a few years beyond 2017.

Pending Eastern Invasion?

It seems we’re on the cusp of a second major international vehicle onslaught. Revealed at Belgium’s Busworld in Kortrijk, four times as big as any of our own Expos, was a Scania—built entirely in China. So what? Well, the vehicle is designed for the European market. It represents the first European builder to collaborate with the Chinese. Initial production will be to LHD specification aimed first at central Europe, with western Europe to follow. We cannot rule out a UK version to challenge our existing manufacturers.

The Scania Touring is aimed squarely at the European market, will offer good value and will be available from 2010, at a time when European manufacturers will still be suffering from a depressed market

There are currently only some two dozen luxury Chinese King Longs on our roads. Scania’s China project is different. It sets the scene more for the future, as China offers:

• Cheaper labour—reducing costs
• Probably a lower emphasis on health & safety and environmental management—lowering costs further
• A huge national production capacity—other manufacturers may follow Scania’s lead
• Increasing build quality—you can guarantee that Scania will have that sorted
  

Check your mobile phone, the Christmas presents for the children, your computer, the clothes you are wearing and you’ll probably not far from a “made in China” label. Are we about to add coaches and buses? Also represented in Belgium were other Chinese products:

• Asia’s largest PSV manufacturer, the Chinese Zhengzhou Yutong Bus Co
• Anhui Ankai Auto Group Co
• King Long, who won Busworld’s Coachbuilder of the Year
  

The Scania Touring will be manufactured in partnership with Higer Bus Co, a relatively new Chinese manufacturer already exporting to the USA and Russia

The first major international vehicle onslaught had devastating UK consequences. It coincided with a period when demand for upmarket coaches was at its height, when medium-weight British manufactures were caught on the back foot. By the early 1980s, first Volvo then MAN, Neoplan, Kassbohrer Setra, Scania, Bova, Jonckheere and Van Hool had arrived, together with later appearances from the likes of Berkof, Beulas and Sunsundegui. These have all had a direct or indirect impact on UK manufacturing, depressing local demand, threatening Plaxton, and contributing to closures at Beford & Ford, and the take-over then closure of Duple.

Later Turkish imports such as BMC and Temsa have yet to make an impact. Ditto Egyptian MCV and Polish Autosan. That’s because the quality or finish isn’t quite there. Scania already exports European specification all-Polish Omnicity single & double decks. Quality is good, as it will no doubt be from China.

Fares Farce

The September issue of the much debated New Transit magazine included in its Heroes & Villains page a piece on what it describes as ‘User unfriendly pricing’. It results from a competition organised by sustainable transport lobby group Campaign for Better Transport that apparently aims to shame the government by highlighting high fares into investing more in buses.

New Transit quotes the CBT as saying that a 20p per cent cut in bus fares would increase travel by 13 per cent. Really? There’s no supporting evidence on where this figure originates. Rail fares regularly receive attention in the national press and in consumer journals such as Which? but as there is no regulation of bus fares, they tend to vary even more widely than on the train.

So, what is a reasonable bus fare? New Transit asked the question but didn’t provide an answer except to suggest that there needs to be some form of national benchmarking. They quote several examples:

• The first was for a family so, immediately, the bus fairs badly compared to a similar length journey by car. And the example quoted was disputed in the next issue of the magazine by the company concerned, who stated that a group ticket could have been purchased which would have reduced the cost.


• A second example was for a return journey of five miles each way, which cost £4.80. Excuse me, but that doesn’t sound excessive for a rural journey. Yes, in a conurbation one would expect to pay maybe £3 for a similar length return trip, but not elsewhere. Use the car, and with motoring organisations quoting true car running costs at around 50 pence a mile [The AA], £4.80 is cheap. A taxi would likely cost £10 *each way* (though you can cram five people in).
  

It therefore seems that the industry yet again needs to promote its green credentials even more, and convince not just the car using public but even our own trade magazines that we do provide a value for money service.

This is a further post by our Mystery Contributor

A Volte-face

Upon hearing the latest from the Competition Commission, I wonder whether First is kicking itself. Withdrawing from Plymouth Citybus sales contest, First has instead ratcheted up its competition against Citybus, to protect First’s market position or to warn off potential competitors. This leaves Stagecoach & Go Ahead in the frame. First’s decision followed both Preston & Eastbourne, where competition authorities felt that incumbent Stagecoach was abusing its market position by buying its competitors.

We now know that in Eastbourne at least, the CC has undertaken a complete volte-face. Here, you will recall, Stagecoach bought both Eastbourne Buses and in quick succession, competitor Cavendish. The OFT felt this significantly weakened competition. It now seems that Cavendish was in even more of a parlous state than first thought and may have ceased. Subject to conditions, the CC’s decision in favour of Stagecoach may yet have a bearing on Preston, where Preston Bus was in some considerable and mounting difficulties, thanks to competition.

So, should First have maintained its interest in Citybus? The difference between Preston, Eastbourne and Plymouth is that Citybus is no lame duck (though First’s competition may yet have a bearing). Citybus has invested and it generally returns a solid margin for the council. It’s incomparable with Eastbourne Buses.

In fact, under-fire Citybus starts its retaliation today, competing on First’s own patch between the city & Plymstock. Leather-seated ADL E200s on the 5/5A unravel the unpopular changes made recently by First.

First’s sale withdrawal means that Plymothians are now denied the advantages of network benefits, investment, stability and economies of scale a monopoly might bring. As a commenter recently mentioned here, if Plymouth council had chosen to sell in 1970, Plymouth City Transport would have gone to First’s National Bus predecessor (as did Exeter). Had it sold between 1993-97, it probably would’ve joined Badgerline/First, in similar moves to Brighton. Monopolistic Brighton is often held aloft as a major post-deregulation success.

But then again, First & particularly First Devon & Cornwall is a somewhat different animal to Brighton & Hove...

Heroic Failures

The recent failure of Scania’s bio-ethanol double decks at Reading Buses is just one in a long line of miserable attempts at moving away from diesel. Remember all of these?

• London’s hydrogen fuel cell bus trails from 2004 were somewhat ahead of their time. May be this technology will bounce back as development continues. It certainly isn’t ready quite yet.


• Mersytravel’s early Optare Solo hybrids in 2004 were destined for an inner-Liverpool loop. Buses proved troublesome and were almost immediately replaced by hired diesel Darts.


• Merseytravel’s Tecnobus minibuses using batteries had limited range, spent a good deal of their working lives at First’s Rock Ferry Birkenhead garage, substituted by Varios. The Tecnobuses oft required a midday recharge.


• Oxford tried a battery powered Metrorider or two. No one ordered any others.


• LPG or compressed natural gas found themselves under trial in Merseyside, in Southampton, Bristol… and Reading in the 1980s, without much or any real success.


• Three gas buses entered service in the mid- to late-1970s, for Cleveland Transit, South Yorkshire & Ribble. MPG averaged between just 3 and 4.


• In 1975, NBC converted a unique Leyland National, complete with battery trailer. Destined for the Runcorn Busway, I’ve never seen a picture of it actually in service other than in publicity shots.


• SELNEC PTE introduced its Silent Rider, an early battery bus. This only ever operated at peak periods as it needed the inter-peak to recharge.


• Bournemouth Corporation, always seemingly keen on electric traction, tried a battery powered minibus in 1973 on a specially created town centre circle. The vehicles were monster heavyweight and the design was dropped, though the route remained, thereafter with *petrol*-operated vehicles!
  

Which then leads us onto the post Merseyside modern hybrid era, to come. Could it be that we have actually found an intermediate solution to soaring cost of diesel, one that can tide us over to fuel cell technology? Thanks to TfL announcing that all new orders from 2012 would need to be hybrid, all the main manufacturers are taking hybrid technology seriously, even if some recent attempts have faded away.

Getting all Misty-eyed

Omnibuses Blog Post no. 1,456 on Buses Magazine celebratory no. 656

It’s easy to get misty-eyed and even sycophantic about Buses magazine, celebrating throughout 2009 its 60th anniversary. It’s certainty an achievement. When we posted on this very subject in February 2009, we remarked:

• In the internet age of groups & forums, was there a market for a magazine that devoted 1/3 of its space to fleet news? The conclusion was “yes”.


• It was unusual to see there were so few editors over its sixty years.


• How far the magazine had developed since its early days.
  

(And I might add that few magazine editors have a library named after them.)

I wish I remembered those earlier days with more fondness. The last editions badged Buses Illustrated seemed OK but the early Buses held within a pitifully small selection of articles, usually written in an impenetrable style with all the life of a flat batteried Leyland National on a frosty morning. What I mean is that its approach back then was inaccessible to a younger person of the time, as I was. Little seemed lively or off-beat. Even the pages of fleet news held no interest beyond the stage operators in my neighbourhood.

How things change. Nowadays, I can resist Buses though I enjoy its colourful vividness, variety and especially its usefulness as a repository. Yet, I much prefer the more ethereal writing that you find in Transit (though New Transit No. 4 was something of a disappointing) and the industry comment in the other trade press. But I accept that life might well be duller without Buses.Many people reading this post will have a fondness for Buses. When we ran a survey in March 2009, two-thirds of respondents felt Buses was the best for them.

With all this in mind, we’d like to congratulate Buses on reaching its diamond anniversary and the way in which its recent editors have modernised the publication, made it accessible and extended its coverage.

The cover of anniversary Buses November 2009 features a new Scania/Optare double deck for Wilts & Dorset as the example of the industry in 2009 contrasting with a suitably vintage plain green Bristol K type once of predecessor Hants & Dorset.

Banged to Rights

On the case of the Scottish operator who the traffic commissioner said lied at public inquiry, misplaced documents, forged O-licence discs, passed off as Stagecoach, failed to run bus services satisfactorily and defiantly continued to operate free after its O-licence was withdrawn last April, Stewart Brown, who could hardly contain his contempt, commented in Bus & Coach Professional, “If ever there was a case for having vehicle-specific O-licence discs, this is it. It’s the kind of story which paints the worst picture of what can go wrong in Britain’s market-led bus industry” and “if it wasn’t so serious, it would be laughable”. The operator receiving an indefinite ban? Bankfoot Buses.

Where Others have Failed

This blog has previously covered the Bournemouth-Ringwood-Southampton corridor, for long the home of hourly services provided by Hants & Dorset and then primarily Wilts & Dorset.

Bright in their modern lime livery, Travelguest’s buses seem younger than they actually are. Note the Dorset Sprinter branding

In the 1990s, fast services, rather than the traditional ‘limited stop’ but meandering X17 & X27, came into their own, as W&D launched the X5 running via the M27 and A338 spur road, primarily to compete with the western end of Stagecoach’s short-lived Brighton to Bournemouth express service. The X5 was revamped by Go South Coast with three ex-Oxford coaches, providing an hourly service between Southampton & Bournemouth but that failed, as did a later 300 service just between Ringwood & Southampton provided by Black Velvet under contract to Hampshire council.

Hence the announcement by small Bournemouth based operator Travelguest that from 5th September 2009 they intended to launch a four times a day service over this corridor. As you might imagine, this caused something of a stir.

Note the queue of passengers awaiting the X55. This loading is not untypical but with large swathes of open countryside, even passengers of this magnitude cannot always guarantee a good return. At least Travelguest's overheads are lower.

The stage was set for failure when Travelguest’s attempt to run a four times daily Bournemouth to Weymouth service 274 during the school summer holiday ceased operation after just one week, with the operator stating on its website that fares revenue hadn’t even covered fuel costs. The true reason is the refusal of at least one local authority to reimburse concessionary passes on this ‘tourist’ service.

With the 274 not running, proprietor Paul Guest and his one full time driver were able to spend time promoting the Bournemouth to Ringwood X55, and connecting Southampton X5. The result has been what appears to be a successful first six weeks. The service requires one all day bus, plus another that fits around a school contract. Three ex-Cardiff Bus Leyland Lynxes in a bright lime livery form the available fleet, and they are ideal for the route, giving a decent ride but also offering reasonable accessibility to the mainly elderly, pass-holding clientele.

Observations reveal buses regularly operating at least half full, no doubt helped by the good autumn weather and, assuming that the revenue & reimbursements are sufficient to ensure the future of the service, Paul Guest certainly seems to have found a niche where others have failed.

We welcome back Mystery Contributor and thank him for this contribution to Omnibuses

Upon Velvet withdrawing from the Ringwood-Suthamptons, W&D won the tender from Hampshire council, providing two return journeys on the 35. The journey time via Lyndhurst is 57 minutes compared to Travelguest's 39 minutes direct.

Available Wednesdays for Free

Bus industry watchers need no longer wait till the mid-month publication of Buses magazine, or subscribe to the expensive Transportxtra.com daily site from New Transit, or pay a reduced subscription for the PDF version of the fortnightly Bus & Coach Professional.

The publishers of weekly routeONE magazine now offer their entire magazine online, free of charge. This is the latest round in the battle for circulation that sees:

• The e-book routeONE available on *Wednesday* mornings (today!), one day earlier than the print version arrives. The screen version’s printable. The Wednesday e-publication nicely coincides with rival Coach & Bus Week’s Wednesday printed magazine arrival. There’s currently no need to register or subscribe for routeONE.


• Annual routeONE contacts directory available in three formats, as a hard copy (not usually sent out), searchable CD-rom (sent to all subscribers), or the first ever online industry directory. CBW offers a hard copy only.

Bus & Coach Buyer also offers a similar, weekly free service to routeONE, though you need to register. And Bus & Coach’s pages are filled with adverts & classifieds, with a smaller amount of news and comment.

i routeONE

Force to be Reckoned With

That’s Stagecoach. We wondered after the collapse of the Cosmen-CVG consortium to buy National Express Group, whether this might actually prove an opportunity for Stagecoach. Previously, Stagecoach was only after the bits the consortium didn’t want.

We were right. Though only in its preliminaries, Stagecoach has declared an interest in NEG lock, stock and smoking rail franchise. What could emerge, therefore, is a new Stagecoach-dominated super-group with NEG having no more than a 40 per cent ownership.

What will the competition authorities make of *that*? Because of the way rail is structured, there are no real issues. Better yet, there’s little overlap regarding the highly prized Travel West Midlands bus operation.

True, there are Stagecoach operations to the south and east of the conurbation. You could argue that Stagecoach is in no different a position than Arriva to the north & west or or First to the south west.

But should the new group emerge, it will be an amalgam of both Stagecoach & NatEx, not a take-over. Add to this a rescue package that safeguards a vulnerable NEG and surely both would satisfy the OFT. Ultimately with the OFT, it’s difficult to judge.

NEG’s Travel Dundee is somewhat different. It’s surrounded by Stagecoach. The Traction Group bought neighbouring Strathtay in 1991 but when Traction passed to Stagecoach in December 2005, so did Strathtay.

Meanwhile, Stagecoach could be force to be reckoned with in Plymouth. Our recent survey indicates (and do look at reader comments) that just over two-thirds of respondents felt that Stagecoach’s take-over of Plymouth Citybus would pose the greater threat to First’s expanded Ugobus network than the other reported front runner, Go Ahead.

Whereas slightly under two-thirds felt that Go Ahead would offer the city and its residents a better service overall (that is, for every two people voting for Stagecoach, approximately three voted for Go Ahead).

Just Can’t ‘Beet’ Diesel

It will come as no surprise that Reading Transport has withdrawn from the forthcoming Bus Oscars 2009, the annual UK Bus Awards. It was one of six contenders within the Innovation category. Reading based its bid on the UK’s first fleet of bio-ethanol fuelled double decks on its busiest route, the 17 to Tilehurst.

Bosses at Reading Transport have not only found that in the teeth of recession the costs of the bio-ethanol experiment means they must abandon their experiment, they’ve had to admit the source was not Norfolk sugar beet as first thought, but Swedish wood pulp & paper waste.

I’m no expert on bio-fuels but there’s an increasing body of opinion that argues they simply take agricultural land out of food production and therefore contribute to. rather than mitigate, environmental degradation.

Ironically, in Reading’s case, this means that the wood pulp-sourced fuel is actually more environmentally friendly than the sugar beet Reading thought it was using. This is because wood pulp is genuinely a waste product rather than from land specifically cultivated for sugar beet-to-fuel, or from speculative beet production.

Last week, Reading Transport removed references to bio-ethanol from its website, including a statement that once read, “Our joint investment with Reading Borough Council for these 14 bio-ethanol buses will bring about a massive change in Reading's transport…”

It’s said the buses reduced carbon emissions by some 80 per cent. The bad news was that they used approximately double the fuel when compared to diesel. It’s reported the Scanias were each purchased at a £50,000 premium plus a £200,000 investment in the fuelling system.

You have to feel sorry for Reading Transport, as it appears it was genuinely misled about the source of the bio-fuel it was using. Critics of the company would do well to remember that this was a bold experiment aimed at demonstrating transport as a green alternative. Like man such experiments before it, It just goes to show that you need to go a long way to “beet” dear old diesel.

John Preece doesn’t intend giving up his desire to operate Plymouth city services, not without a fight. Though it appears the council has rejected his bid to buy Plymouth Citybus, he threatens court action. Preece himself says he’s been waiting for Citybus for 21 years. It was in 1988, one year after his Plympton Coachlines bought Western National (with a little help from Badgerline) that Preece as MD began what was to be a doomed combative action, throwing at Citybus much that was second hand, plus a half-dozen or so brand new Leyland Lynxes. But that wasn’t the first time Plympton Coachlines had tried. No, the first time was back in regulated 1983... Read more »

Back then, Preece didn’t appear as Plympton Coachlines’ front man. Plympton Coachlines was one of a handful of operators who tried to exploit the Transport Act 1981 that made it easier for operators to gain stage carriage road service licences (as they were then called). Though the 1981 Act is famous for deregulating express coaches and for trial bus service areas, the forgotten provision was that it allowed start ups to challenge established operators, through the traffic courts. Stagecoach famously tried and only marginally succeeded. Plympton Coachlines completely failed.

Plympton Coachlines applied for two licences, one from Plymouth to its airport and the other between Plymouth & an area in outer Plymstock. Both offered something new. Opposed were Plymouth council and Western National, (partners in the then Plymouth Joint Services) and Devon council.

There were concerns, too, about abstraction. The only way, for example, that Plympton Coachlines might make either service pay was by abstracting along its route. Solicitors were successful in persuading the traffic commissioners that Plympton Coachlines’ lower fares and hourly frequency would force PJS to lower theirs. Since the city council expected PJS to break even, there would inevitably be compensatory cuts elsewhere, between £375,000 and £1mil worth per annum. The traffic commissioners were not prepared to see such damage inflicted upon Plymouth and refused Plympton Coachlines’ applications.

One of defendants’ main arguments was Plympton Coachlines’ zero experience in operating bus services. To think that in just four year’s time, Plympton Coachlines would have all the knowledge it would ever need, upon the take-over of Western National and the 1988 bus war that ensued.

NatEx in Crisis

Troubled National Express Group shares see falls on news Cosmen-CVG Capital consortium deal is off. Cosmen nevertheless backs NatEx equity fundraising. NatEx attempts to stabilise shares by announcing NatEx has a “strong future” with a “compelling case for investment”. Stagecoach no longer in discussions with the consortium over bus & rail purchases.

What future, then, for NatEx?

• What frightened the Cosmen consortium into backing out, after a whole month of examining NatEx’s books?


• What will investors who will be asked to stump up fresh equity make of the consortium’s decisions?


• Are NatEx’s rail uncertainties insurmountable?


• Will this inevitably lead to a fire sale, similar to those elements already sold?


• Could Stagecoach still pick up a bus or coach bargain, independent of the consortium?

Using Scrappage to our Advantage

Today Omnibuses2.0 joins 13,000 bloggers worldwide*, including some of the web’s other most influential bloggers, in celebration with Gordon Brown of Blog Action Day for Climate Change...

Yesterday, Southern Vectis hit the headlines with its own version of the government's infamous ‘car scrappage’ scheme. Unlike the government’s, you don’t trade in your old car for a new one, you get on the bus instead.

SVOC has certainly found an innovative idea to boost its public profile—and reduce the island’s carbon footprint. Under their scheme, anyone can swap their car for up to a year’s unlimited travel on SVOC’s buses. The scheme certainly presses all the right buttons:

• It delivers a financially advantageous way out of car ownership for those struggling with motoring costs


• It promises to deliver real modal shift for every car that they exchange


• The promise to scrap every car, bike or van they make will remove cheap vehicles from the road and the local market, and


• This will reduce carbon emissions from the older, more polluting vehicles.
  

But does it do more than that? SVOC’s clearly put a fair amount of effort into the scheme, with what suspiciously looks like a Best Impressions marketing campaign. They enjoyed a big public launch and are backing the scheme with bill boards, bus backs and even a micro-website with its own URL.

i http://www.scrapmymotor.com/

It looks like they may reap the wider benefits of promoting bus travel positively, in an innovative way, and in an environmentally and socially responsible manner.

With hundreds of islanders left unemployed by ecologically-sound wind turbine manufacturer Vestas and indeed Woolworth’s before them, SVOC may have hit just the right time to benefit strongly from the local PR generated.

The scheme has the potential to get people talking about bus travel, and Southern Vectis' version of that is at the higher end of the quality range. More importantly, it’s billed as the possible forerunner to similar schemes rolling out across great swathes of Hampshire, Wiltshire and Dorset, and the conurbations of Poole, Bournemouth and Southampton.

There's a challenge to other bus operators to introduce similar schemes too, championing the bus and raising its profile across the country.

*—OK, so the rest of the world celebrated Blog Action Day for Climate Change yesterday. We’ve chosen today ; )

Bus & Coach USP

On-board wi-fi may just hold the key to encouraging motorists to use bus & coach services. It’s becoming increasingly common on selected types of bus and coach services, after such pioneering work such as Stagecoach’s Oxford Tube in 2007, Fife express services a year later and Trent Barton’s Nottingham-Derby Red Arrows also in 2008.

Wi-fi now available on the Trent Barton Nottingham-Derby The Red Arrow though not when this shot was taken in 2006. Interesting bus stop on a roundabout, BTW. Equally ‘interesting’ decker! With interesting destination

Wi-fi of itself will have limited impact without suitably comfortable, high quality and punctual service. But what wi-fi does is add a unique selling point (USP) to a bus service. It offers passengers something they can do fruitfully on the bus or coach that they cannot in their car. Already popular on some of the longer distance rail network, it’s not uncommon to see whole carriages of busy executives plugged in and wired up. The laptop and smartphone are modern day balls-and-chains so why not make use of otherwise down time to gain extra time.

We have to accept that using public transport is often seen as slower than the car. But this disadvantage can so easily be mitigated by using the journey profitably. This is where the bus wins. It turns an unproductive and often stressful event into a productive and (we trust) less pressured one.

It’s true that, without wi-fi, you can use your mobile single network dongle to get internet access virtually anywhere while on the move. Signal strength will be variable for large, fast downloads. At some point, the signal will drop out and fail. It’s inevitable while in a moving metal box.

Wi-fi, on the other hand, uses multiple networks at the same time via an on-board aerial, continually hunting the next strong signal. Intelligent software means that there is a seamless, fast and importantly uninterrupted service for the smartphone, handheld or laptop user.

The other advantage for the operator (aside from offering a USP) is vehicle tracking, fleet control and communications with drivers.

We don’t yet know whether the dream of urban-wide internet hotspots will become reality. What we do know is that on-board wi-fi copes with large downloads and it does so effortlessly. On-board wi-fi therefore really does offer something that might attract the hitherto elusive ABC1 social classes out of their cars. It comes at a price but it could nevertheless be one worth paying if it generates business from a bus sceptical market segment.

Seeing Red

Clayton Jones is back. His suitably patriotic St David’s Travel starts its competitive strike in Cardiff, Wales, tomorrow. Odd day to start a bus service. But, since Jones sold Shamrock Travel (Wales) to Veolia for some £10mil, he’s been unable to start again for three years. That period elapses tomorrow. You get the impression that Jones simply just can’t wait to get back in there…

The bus service in question is the 10-minute 18A between Ely & Cardiff. Following the traffic commissioner’s views and those of the OFT, when Cardiff Bus was roundly criticised over its predatory behaviour towards 2Travel, it will be interesting to see what action Cardiff Bus *won’t* take against the newcomer in its midst. Perhaps, at double the St David’s Travel frequency on Cardiff Bus’ Capital City Red 17/18, it won’t need to react.

Capital City Red sers 17/18 meets Bay Car 6. Both are articulated

Jones is one of the industry’s most famous characters. Or should that be infamous? There are two ways of viewing Jones. He either was an adventurer who energetically embraced deregulation to the fullest, offering choice. Or he was someone of questionable character who single handedly messed up public transport in the Valleys, while keeping just half a step ahead of the Vehicle Inspectorate, latterly VOSA. Though he *was* caught by VOSA.

What we do know is what Clayton thinks of Clayton, a view that is now quite celebrated. Some would say his statement was slightly arrogant but we would all do well to remember that lower cost competition offers cheaper fares, something prized by passengers.

Established Capital City Red 17/18 operates 12 times an hour

And it seems Jones continues to court controversy. Jones as managing director of not for profit Caerphilly community transport operator CATS is offering a demand responsive “Hospital Quick” service from selected suburb to Cardiff’s university hospital. Yet, there are already reports of a loss of local authority contracts for CATS.

Stagecoach or Go Ahead: You Chose

(The poll associated wit this post has closed. Results soon)

Yesterday’s post alluded to an imminent announcement as to who might be the beneficiary in the Plymouth Citybus sale. It’s now heavily rumoured to be a two-horse race... between… Stagecoach and Go Ahead.

It no longer seems to be the case that Plymothians are trying to stop a sale but preparing themselves for the likely eventuality.

Both Stagecoach & Go Ahead bring with them a reputation for quality. Both have sufficient flair to develop strategies that will lead to ridership growth. Both will be fearless in the face of First Devon & Cornwall (although First’s presence on the streets yesterday will affect the Citybus selling price).

Only one manages matters locally. But only one has a strong, nationally-known brand.

Which do readers see as offering the best deal for Plymothians—in terms of growth, innovation & flair, punctuality, reliability, standards, presentation, etc? Or is Citybus doing all these anyway?

And which, in your views, would be most of a threat to First?

Meanwhile, reports from Plymouth indicate that Day-1-in-Earnest was a little short of eventful, while senior First staff gave out freebies including pasties to the tune of a hired pop band. Some congestion, possibly some short term transfer of loyalties thanks to First’s promotional fares, but nothing out of the ordinary—yet...

2 Catch 22s

First is in a classic Catch 22 position. That’s the simple conclusion regarding today’s full Ugobus Phase 3 launch, which sees a significant escalation in the Plymouth Citybus v First Devon & Cornwall bus war. And, so close to knowing who’s actually submitted bids for Citybus.

Yes, First is truly in an invidious position. How so?

• First managers expect Plymouth council to sell its Citybus operation (though, actually, this isn’t a foregone conclusion. Mind you, if I were a betting man I’d stake my entire fleets on it).


• First expressed an interest but, with half an eye on the post-Preston Bus competition authorities, knows it will need to divest, especially since it already owns Truronian down the road.


• First has therefore withdrawn, leaving the road open to a competitor.


• Who knows who that may be. Whoever it is will have the muscle and funding to destabilise First.


• Stagecoach may be that competitor. In Devon, First is already engaged in battle with Stagecoach.


• Hence Ugobus Phase 3 that steps up the competition to such an extent that the new owner of Citybus would already be at a competitive disadvantage.
  

That this will undoubtedly affect the final Citybus sale price is now an unavoidable consequence of First’s actions. Council tax payers might criticise First for effectively reducing the bid price but, in the circumstances, what else is First to do? In other words, it’s Catch 22.

Plymothian Transit reports that First Devon & Cornwall’s managing director and Bournemouth man Marc Reddy is calling the handling of the sale “a total disaster”.

While you might argue that he would say that, won’t he, because Citybus is a softer target than one of the Big Five, Reddy may yet be genuine with his words. Quoted by Plymothian Transit, said Reddy, “If it’s such a good asset, why are they selling it—particularly in a recession?” Even now, they “could decide to keep the asset and let it pay a dividend every year. They don’t have to sell. There’s no shame in that.”

Of course, one reason why the council chose to sell was because of possible actions such as First’s. Now it’s happened, the dividend will go down, owing to passengers spread between two operators and the increased costs of Citybus retaliatory action. A reduced capital sum if it sells Citybus, a reduced dividend if it keeps it. Plymouth council also finds itself in a Catch 22 position.

Meanwhile, for First, it’s on with Ugobus Phase 3. Whatever you think of this move (competitive strike or defensive counter measures), since April 2008, Ugobus is reported to have grown ridership by seven per cent. Routes are simpler and frequencies consistent, now offering choice. And, when Citybus goes on the offensive in a fortnight, the choice—including along First’s Plymstock corridor—widens still further. How long can both parties keep this up?

i Plymothian Trasnit

At Risk?

A recent survey by security conglomerate G4S (Group 4 Securicor) emphasises what everyone in public transport knows—when things go wrong (and sometimes even when they don’t) front line staff take the brunt. In the last five years, almost a fifth of those surveyed witnessed verbal abuse. And one in a thousand had seen a physical assault.

During inflationary times, it used to be that supermarket checkout staff bore the wrath of angered shoppers. Here at least there was always a supervisor or manager on hand to defuse any nasty situation.

G4S concentrated on the rail side of things. At medium to large stations, staff are on hand and you might even expect British transport police to help. Matters are different on the buses. The driver is very much on his or her own, may be miles from anywhere.

Where something nasty happens, the first reaction is to blame the operator when, in fact, it’s a societal problem. It’s often said that people complain that the police should be out there fighting ‘real’ crime but survey after survey points to littering, dog fouling and antisocial behaviour as the main law enforcement issues that concern the community. Yet, persuading the police to take matters seriously on public transport isn’t always easy.

In fairness, each operator these days will have (should have!) generic and specific risk assessments that have resulted in safer systems of work. There’s been a sea change in terms of a robust safety culture. This includes picking from a suite of measures that can assist drivers, such as:

• Installing perspex protection windows
• CCTV linked to real time monitoring or just recording
• Panic buttons
• Rapid response security
• Mobile phones
• Increased supervisory presence at termini
• Involving community police support officers Spit kits
• Double crewing
• Reporting systems that identify & then monitor hotspots
• Drivers reporting all incidents, large and small Withdrawing service
  

When it comes down to it, driver training in dealing with aggression is fundamental to giving drivers the tools to defuse a difficult situation and there may be no substitute for this. Ultimately, where there are repeat problems, the operator has little choice but to withdraw service and here, as we discussed back in May, no one wins—not drivers, operators or the public.

Live & Kicking—3

Final report following Bus & Coach Live 2009. Go to Live & Kicking 1 ~ 2

There were no surprises on the MCV stand. It almost looked the same as last year, although the Arriva vehicle was billed as new, with a typical TfL specification entrance/exit arrangement that makes the entry look both crowded and clumsy in comparison to provincial designs. It seated 29 with an incredible 41 allowable standees.

This was a VDL SB180 with the standard Evolution body which, like Halton’s next to it, featured the angular waistline step that actually makes it slightly difficult for shorter (seated) people to see out. This was not a problem on the De Courcey Travel Evolution that stood out in a refreshing livery. There remain issues on all three of protrusions within (over the rear wheel-arches), the unusual grab handles above each seat and the general tight seat pitch.

The expected refurbished double deck was not present. You might expect a programme that squeezes a little more life out of a bus to be popular during a recession but perhaps this has reached its peak.

Techno Frame was advertising bus-side digital adverts, using diodes placed at 6mm intervals. They were able to display still or moving images and could actually take web-based content like updating weather reports. Cleverly, the product can target the market in which the bus finds itself, with variable messages or adverts targeted at a particular location or demographic.

One of the more unusual liveries was for Jim Bell Coaches of Kingston upon Hull, with this incredibly svelte young lady who managed a less than pretty visage. It was a parody on Peter Pan’s Tinkerbell, called Slinkybell.

Concentrating upon customer service and free winter check ups, Volvo exhibited a solitary 9700 with this part advert on the nearside. Similarly, recession-hit Wrightbus felt that the show was not to its full advantage and, aside from a customer service Renault van, there was just the one vehicle on display, a hybrid Gemini to TfL specification.

Foton didn’t have it all its own way in the unconventional, budget urban bus stakes. On display were two Autosan products, more mainstream than the now usual Eagle school bus. One was a not unattractive Euorlider MegaCaoch A1212C and the other a bus option. Both were in LHD form and sales information referred to them as “Euroleaders”, not “Euroliders”.

It was strange, given the market for stretch limos, that this Dodge Charger muscle car seemed to attract fewer admirers than vehicles on display in previous years. Perhaps the market has peaked. There were vague references to VOSA IVA certification.

Live & Kicking—2

We continue our Bus & Coach Live 2009 Report. Go to Live & Kicking 1 ~ 3

Optare had the most vehicles on display within the show hall itself. There was a 100-seater tri-axle Volvo B9TL/Olympus double deck coach. Optare reports three in build at present. Seat pitch was excellent save for the first offside upper deck seat. There was talk that Optare is considering an integral version of the Olympus, something that’s likely to save at least one ton in weight. Expect standard body-on-chassis builds to continue.

Close examination of the Olympus’ seating showed that the trim was PVC leatherette rather than leather itself. There was full leather on the adjacent Versa, and fabric on the Solo SR.

Optare was also showing off its eco-drive cab dash binnacle that, from the end of the year, will come as standard (or can be retro-fitted). It has a built in economy meter and, for a £300 premium, full eco-driving diagnostics including remote data access and the conversion of the screen to receive images when a reversing camera is used.

Opatre also showed its wholly electric Solo EV, seen in this picture alongside the first ADL hybrid Enviro400 demonstrator. There remain concerns over the vehicle’s range, initial costs and battery life.

ADL had two highly specified vehicles, one Enviro200 and one 400. The colour scheme within and the brown finish to the leather seat trim made a welcome—and upmarket—change from the usual black, though the seats may spoil more easily. Notice the design of the seats to maximise both strength and knee room. Two other vehicles, one inside and the other out, were the expected hybrid E400s and, as such, weren’t really new.

Belgain FAST was displaying its RHD Starter demonstrator. It looked particularly plain and French, the more so in dealer stock white. This was basically in budget high capacity school bus format, though three are believed to be pending delivery to a 57-seat specification. In spite of the three & two seating, the aisle seemed wider than its competitors, as did the slightly more generous seat pitch. FAST has come up with a subtle solution to access issues, available on all new orders, that hoists a wheelchair from a flat floor entry position via a doorway amidships, wholly beneath the window line.

To be continued...

Live & Kicking—1

Go to Live & Kicking 2 ~ 3

Blame the recession. A smaller exhibitors’ area, fewer buses & coaches and fewer freebies were the main characteristics of Coach and Bus Live 2009. There was certainly an absence of mainstream manufacturers’ vehicles at the NEC, just at a time when they need orders the most. It proves the point that although you can do good business at shows like this, orders for new vehicles almost invariably come at other times. Nevertheless, to prove that the industry was still kicking in spite of low confidence, Coach & Bus Live 2009 did offer one or two surprises.

Like the unveiling of the Chinese Foton BJ6123C7CXD urban single deck. Here was all the razzmatazz you expect at the launch of a new product, on this occasion with a troupe of Chinese entertainers (who looked rather white Caucasian) including a dizzying display from a hopping ‘dragon’. Except the BJ6123 wasn’t entirely new, as there were reported to be 800 in Peking alone, since its recent launch there. Expect budget European models from March 2010.

Foton is reported as the world’s largest producer of hybrid buses and the BJ6123’s Cummins engine was said to use up to 40 per cent less fuel. Really? 40 per cent? Sounds pretty good. Mercedes Benz has a 30 per cent stake in this Chinese state-owned manufacturer, officially known at Beiqi Foton Motor Co.

The bus itself looked a little too eastern European for modern British design standards. Internally, it was evident it was mainly for standees, such seats as there were seemingly placed awkwardly on platforms or perched over wheel arches. The entrance had a rather pleasing sweeping feel to it but it didn’t look entirely DDA compliant.

Plaxton showed one large vehicle only, the ‘new’ shorter two-axle variant of the Elite coach. It has to be said that the design suits the longer, tri-axle version but, no matter, this was still a great top-end coach, with excellent seating, pitch (leg room) and good fit & finish throughout, though the aircraft-style lockers on the roof rack will in time no doubt rattle. Jones Login’s livery suited the vehicle, too.

With uncertainties surrounding the Portuguese Marcopolo factory, BASE exhibited a new product, the budget Spanish Beulas Spica, which was basically a front & rear cosmetically updated Stergo. If moves to buy out the Marcopolo factory continue, expect re-branded & badged versions of the stylish Marcopolo range.

The winner on the BASE stand was the first RHD half-decker Beulas Glory. Appearing last year in LHD form, this is a coach of some distinction. Capable of seating 70 on one deck, this 14½m tri-axle offered a very high standard of accommodation. The only issues were the hazard possibly posed by the well the continental door that ate into the gangway and the somewhat compromised accommodation immediately behind the driver. But with such capacity above, you can overlook the latter. The vehicle was fully accessible (on the entrance floor).

To be continued, when we consider vehicles more mainstream...

Looking Ahead to 2017

We aren’t referring to Conservative promises to raise the male pension age in 2016. The two-day Bus & Coach Live begins this morning. With decker exhibits from ADL, Wrightbus and Optare, we consider the state of the double deck market well into the future. This isn’t another post about Plymouth but it does start by using Plymouth as an illustration.

Over the summer, Plymouth Citybus began preparing its fleet of 19 ex-London Volvo double deck SLF accessible B7TLs to replace Citybus’ entire school bus fleet of ageing Volvo D10Ms. On Tuesday, we speculated that such vehicles might now come in handy in counter-measures against neighbour First Devon & Cornwall.

If used for their original purpose, it shows that school operations need not necessarily rely on step entrance veteran double decks. It gives some hope that operators will be able to comply with the 2017 deadline by which all double decks need to be accessible, even on low mileage, registered, fare paying school bus contracts.

By the time 2017 arrives, Britain’s first low floor, accessible double decks will actually be 18 years old… and the majority of the remaining Volvo Olympians they replaced should by then be well retired, even from school duties. The last of the Olympians will, however, be about the same age as the early SLFs: there was a surge in Olympian production in 1999 and a handful built in 2000.

There is nonetheless still a worry about second hand double deck supply, suitable for future school buses. With fewer new builds today—witness Optare—and (outside London) relatively few in recent times, this will result in a possible famine to come and increased prices in the second hand market. This in spite of occasional new high capacity double decks featuring in the trade press.

Unless, in the light of the general recessionary downturn in new bus builds the government caves in to pressure to postpone the double deck 2017 deadline, the only other option is to extend the life of existing step entrance double decks and modify them to incorporate some sort of lift. Hardly ideal. Such a solution’s only seriously been considered on rural routes where higher vehicles such as the Mercedes Vario can cope with cambers where the SLF Optare Solo grounds. The deadline for accessible single decks is variously 2015 or 2016, depending upon weight.

The future paucity of double deck buses may be mitigated by more councils preferring single decks, through choice or need. This will necessarily increase the overall requirement for vehicles as you need about three single decks for every two double. This is unless a suitable chassis can support an upseated 70-seater spec (even if this is allowed in 2017).

Both courses of action are likely to inflate second hand prices. There’s a problem looming even with a standard coach, though. 12m new builds tend to offer far less capacity than the once standard 57 seats and, therefore, even these might require some upseating, where practical. And there might even be implications for school campuses in accommodating more vehicles overall, including those with an extra 2m length—or more—over that of a standard double deck.

Cannibalism

Book a seat on Megatrain for a single journey today or tomorrow from Southampton to London at just £6 (plus booking fee). The South West Trains’ standard single is £31.70-£35.10.

Yesterday saw the launch of Stagecoach’s rail First Greyhound spoilers, a significant increase in seats and journeys between both Southampton & Portsmouth and London, under the Megatrain budget brand.

Weekday Megatrains between Portsmouth & London have increased from six to 20 per day; and from Southampton, from four to 13. National Express has already improved its offer.

Does this leave Greyhound behind in the traps? It would appear so. If you are looking at a combination of price versus speed, Megatrain has it. Mind you, the first Megatrain Southampton departure is advertised at 0955, arriving Waterloo 1134. Here, at least, Greyhound has the advantage, with London arrivals from Southampton at 0729, 0829 and 0929 (subject to traffic). Single fares plus booking fee on Greyhound range from £1 (arriving 1429) to £9 (arriving 0929). A journey at the same time as the first Megatrain costs £8.60 and takes 45 minutes longer than the train.

My own limited experience suggests that the pecking order for Southampton-London budget travel is:

1. Megatrain
2. Greyhound
3. National Express, and
4. Megabus.

Megabus from Southampton (changing at Winchester P&R) ceased after last operation over the weekend. Greyhound’s retrimmed interior including legroom is ahead of National Express’, while Megatrain beats them all but offers no early flexibility to London or later, from.

What could this mean?

• The market will expand, certainly, as motorists cotton on to the budget bargains to be had. But by how much?
• This expansion needs to be exponential to generate enough revenue to ensure margins are sufficient for all the improved ventures. Is this possible?
• London rail commuters will feel increasingly bitter at the ever-increasing cost of a season, currently £4,328 per annum or £105.20 for seven days, from Southampton. Looking for cheaper options that don’t involve slower coach travel? Sorry.
• There will be cannibalisation from mode to mode and within modes (movement from National Express to Greyhound & vice versa; from standard ticketed rail to Megatrain).
• National Express & Stagecoach will both have more than half an eye on where Greyhound might pop up in the future. Megabus is already increasing its frequency from Leeds to London & Cardiff to London, both strategic in their own way, with First dominant in Leeds and Stagecoach more so in Cardiff, with First in reach.

National Express has considerably increased its offer, with new direct services also aimed at Greyhound. Fares are £3 to £6, with an 1120 arrival costing £6. It takes 40 minutes longer than Megatrain.

SOUTHAMPTON-LONDON	Recently	Currently
National Express	16 departures each way	24 departures each way including six new non-stops at 2hr 15 and two others
Greyhound	No service	Eight departures each way. Journey time advertised as "under two hours" but in reality 2hr 19
Megabus	One return journey only (but need to change at Winchester P & R)	Withdrawn after last operation 4/10/09
Megatrain	Four departures each way	13 departures each way

No Fanfares. No Unveilings...

... not this time.

Reports on Coach & Bus Live 2009 start here

There’s an industry’s showcase at the NEC each year. ‘Odd’ years, like 2009, feature the junior family member, Coach & Bus Live. With fewer exhibitors and guests, there’s an opportunity to be a little more hands-on, if that’s what you want. If you enter the Volvo 9700 driving skills challenge, follow my tip from 2007. Concentrate more on the accuracy element of the course, rather than speed.

What will the 2009 show present? Well, not a great deal of new. May be that’s something to do with hard times. Certainly, nothing high profile, like bigger brother Euro Bus Expo 2008 when, to gasps of disbelief, Optare launched its Solo+, now deleted. Also launched there and withdrawn in favour of the more conservative Olympus was the Rapta.

This year, after a troublesome 12 months for its management, Optare’s playing it safe, with a possible new-look. Another one, if you remember Darwen and Optare 2008-style. Present will be a 100-seat Olympus, a leather seated Versa and two Solos, one SR and one fully electric EV. No Tempo, though.

Things are slightly different at Plaxton, where you can actually witness a launch, albeit of a product we saw new at Expo 2008, in tri-axle format. 2009’s will be the 12.6m *two* axle Elite, on a Volvo B9R.

Adjoining ADL is expected to show five vehicles within, plus more outside. But there’s little new. Expect an already operating TfL-spec Metroline Enviro 400H hybrid, with an impressive five year warranty on its battery pack plus, outside, the first 400H demonstrator, where guests might witness the vehicle’s noise reduction. There’ll be a highly-speced Enviro200 within, with leather and all the trimmings.

Volvo will major on its already legendary customer support plus its dealer network & parts distribution. Similar story at Wrightbus, where there’ll be a TfL-spec Eclipse Gemini for London General but not much else, it seems. Wrightbus will concentrate instead on its Customercare activity, including the launch of a UK mainland parts distribution centre.

May be hard times have something to do with MCV’s example of its double deck refurbishment programme. There are two Evolutions planned, the longer on a MAN 14.240, the other on a VDL SB18.

Coach & Bus Live 2009 kicks off on Wednesday & also Thursday at the NEC, Birmingham

A Communication

Just three months after First took down the successful Bath Bus Station blog, First Group’s UK Bus director of customer service & communications, Leon Daniels, has started his own. It’s suitably pink. To date, there are eight posts, starting on 16 September 2009.

Daniels states that his is a trial. It already offers some small insights into life at almost the very top of our industry and it might therefore prove interesting. He shares my concern, for example, about drivers who adopt sloppy or unsafe practices, as he mentions a non-First driver who “spent lots of time talking with a female passenger, [driving] with one hand on the wheel and one on the cash tray”. Dear, dear.

Look again at Daniels’ job title. It features the word communications. With his blog, can First perhaps have changed its corporate minds about the uses and benefits of blogging? We understand that Daniels also considered Twitter. Where next? Facebook, perhaps?

i Leon Daniels’ blog (change to Wordpress before it’s too late, Leon)

King & Country

My Kingdom for a Bus

Future king, prince of Wales and squire of Poundbury (Dorchester) has come in for some stick following his comments last week that we should use our cars less and public transport more. Considering he has several large cars, perhaps the reason he’s been berated so is simply that Mr & Mrs England feel very uncomfortable at their own continued use of private transport. He may have touched a nerve. Having a go at Charles for a sensible suggestion is a way of justifying their own inaction.

Charles didn’t specifically urge the use of buses, though that is the only option open to him from his Highgrove residency near Tetbury. As he’s 60, he surely must have a free bus pass.

Country Bus

If you haven’t already done so, take a look at the comments on Thursday’s post, where we’re pleased to welcome an interesting exchange and robust views by First Devon & Cornwall’s Marc Reddy on Western Greyhound’s published suggestion that First allegedly objected to Greyhound running the Bude-Callington 576s on to Plymouth.

Reading the comments, there appears to be some obfuscation as to when the service was or was not registered, though First seems clear on dates. A classic case of how confusing all this can seem to industry watchers, let alone the travelling public.

You Have till Bonfire Night

Few opportunities arise quite like this one, offering a minimum of £80,000 p.a. as the compensation for your time as the new commercial director at Trent Barton. Billed as ‘fiercely independent’ and ‘renowned for its commitment to the very highest standards of customer service delivery’, this job may well attract someone from the large groups who feels frustrated at a uniform brand & marketing policy that has little scope for expression or the local nature of the bus industry.

There’s no doubting that 330-vehicle Trent Barton’s 20 year strategy has been nothing but successful. If you think that the job’s done at Trent Barton, if you think there’s nothing left, just look at the recent £1mil investment in and rebranding of the Calverton Connection. This once red bus service operated by adequate Scania/Wrightbuses was transformed in August into Stenning chic black inside & out, with interiors that go further even than Trent Barton would once have imagined. By this, I mean the diamond-shaped lime-topped leather seat backs.

The six Mercedes Citaros for the Calverton Connection feature fronts without the famous and hugely powerful large Mercedes circular logo. This concession is to give Trent Barton space to apply its own CC branding. Instead, there appears a more modest Mercedes version just below the windscreen.

And the role of commercial director, so often muddled between marketing, operational and planning roles, is crystal clear at Trent Barton. It encompasses brand management, marketing, training and PR.

Mind you, you’ll have to put up with the voguish ‘trent barton’ without capitals but at least the company now seems to separate out the two words where once they were slurred together as ‘trentbarton’.

Is it significant that Trent Barton chose to advertise in the weekly routeONE magazine rather than where you might expect it, monthly New Transit? Indeed, there’s only one job advert in Transit #4, for an assistant operations manager at Stagecoach East Midlands’ Mansfield garage.

I’ll let you know if I’m successful at Trent Barton though methinks they might want a top-flight marketer rather than a seasoned busman. Still, might be worth the drop in salary ; )

It’s 20 years since Trent bought Barton and Stagecoach bought East Midlands.