I’ve used it myself before, or phrases like it. I’ve even referred to this sort of thing elsewhere on the blog. “Introduced in response to numerous customer comments” is how Wellglade’s Kinchbus opens its press statement on its brand new 9, a service that competes directly with Premiere’s X9 between Nottingham & Loughborough, once an hourly Arriva service under threat, now seeing up to three buses an hour with two operators.
“Our customers have been saying for some time that they would like to see us providing a direct service to Nottingham from Loughborough and we are delighted to have been able to do this in time for Christmas.”
The use of such typical “by popular request” proclamations when starting a competing service is actually beyond question. Someone, some time has asked for such a service. It’s indisputable and unassailable. The fact that, in this case, it operates five minutes ahead of the opposition may be a coincidence. Lest we forget, the bus industry’s a serious & volatile business where livelihoods are made or not and such tactics have universally been used on both sides of many a battle for passengers. What the Competition Commission will make of this, in 2010, we will perhaps know next month.And there can be no better reminder of the volatile commercially of the bus industry than the withdrawal, with the ink on the printed timetable barely dry, of Premiere's new 4, between Long Easton & Nottingham. Premiere 4 was treading on its competitor’s toes, Wellglade’s Trent Barton Indigo. Premiere’s competitive action spawned Bargain Bus 4, a second Wellglade Midland General Bargainbus offering, that started two weeks after Premiere’s own.
Premiere allegedly cites the reasons for withdrawal as unrealistically competitive fares, incidents including bus blocking and even threats to staff. Sadly, my experience would suggest that any intimidatory or dangerous behaviour is often two-way and it becomes difficult to untangle who started and who perpetuated it. Road crews become protective and while management might insist on (nay, demand) restraint, this isn’t so easy to enforce and can often only be done in retrospect, through the disciplinary process.
It’s said that within a day of the VOSA cancellation going live, Bargain Bus announced an almost immediate doubling of fares to £1. Still rather good value but it upset several of Bargain Bus’ Facebook followers. Had there been an implication that the 50p fare was long term? Passengers could not surely be so naïve to think that this level was sustainable. This revision also applied to the original Bargain Bus Cotgrave to Nottingham, launched after Premiere began its competitive Red 2 against Trent Barton’s Cotgrave Connection. Wellglade had initially stated to the Competition Commission investigation that it didn't compete on fares.
Fares on Kinchbus 9 are £1 single or 10 tickets for a fiver. Given the distance is about 15 miles, this again seems good value. I wonder whether you can use this fare internally within Nottingham for, surely, this must be cheaper than Nottingham City Transport. Whatever. The press release calls these “introductory fares” but its Facebook page implies otherwise.
Kinchbus 9 started on Monday. It operates hourly, timed at the Loughborough end usually five minutes ahead of Premiere’s X9. Whereas Premiere operates half-hourly, Kinchbus 9 is hourly but it does swap around a bit.
8 comments:
More predatory silliness, then... when will it stop? It's a complete waste of resources and only disadvantages the passenger in the end.
Both "Bargain Bus" and the Kinch X9 undercut NCT's on-bus flat fare of £1.60, though a high proportion of NCT passengers have travelcards. In the case of X9, both operators compete with NCT 10 between Nottingham, West Bridgford and Ruddington, though the routes are not identical.
Kinchbus 9 is not really hourly - during the day it runs at 30, 60 or 90 mins frequencies.
I wonder if there was such a public demand when Arriva ran the service? If so, why didn't Kinchbus start the 9 then rather than now when Premiere are competing with Wellglade on other routes.
Wellglade seems to be getting itself into a number of problems recently - many buses reported missing on Derby routes this week.
It seems irrational for these non big three operators to fight each other instead of combining to beat one of the biggies.there can be no winner!
It seems even more nonsensical when the competition is *the car*. Petty bus squabbles help nobody at all.
Amazing
Kinch charge £1.50 from a local estate to town in Loughborough and then take you to Nottingham for £1 its a disgrace - how much are they ripping us off in Loughborough folks if they can do that? £3.00 return in town £2.00 to Nottingham and back? However I guess they cant really do it, but have been told to do so by the big man at the top of Wellglade perhaps?
I am a little disappointed by the way that Wellglade has gone recently. Following management changes, they appear to be just another operator. Previously they stuck their neck out with high fares and a premium service.
How can they state that the fares are not promotional "not a ploy" I hope future action can be taken regarding that comment when fares become realistic. Arriva withdrew the service 99 & premiere stepped in, adding extra trips between Nottingham & Loughborough even introducing a Sunday service! Kinchbus no Sunday service tut tut.
As someone said earlier £1.50 around Loughborough, £1.60 just to go one stop from Broadmarsh with big sister trentbarton, but only £1.00 along the 15 mile A60 corridor! I smell a wellglade rat!
My prediction is premiere red 9 will give up, kinchbus or trentbarton will revise the fares to £3-5, cut back to an hourly service from 7am- 6pm end the new Sunday service, basically the traveling public should be looking forward to a big short term gain followed by a huge long term loss. Think it's time these situations are looked at more seriously & statements made should be guaranteed I mean "£1 fare no ploy"
Post a Comment