(07 Jul 2020, 3:19 pm)Andreos1 wrote I don't know what you mean. 
If the likes of the 319 are busy and loadings are tight, then GCT could allocate a bigger vehicle or Nexus can insist on one next time the contract is up for renewal. 

You mentioned the independents missing sections of route out previously. As confirmed by others, it goes on with commercial services too. Either way it's unacceptable, but something that franchising can help remove or at least reduce by financial clawbacks. 

The fact is, these smaller buses are being used on routes abandoned by the bigger boys. 
Hartlepool have nowt. Do you want T&W to go down the same route or do you want people to have a lifeline service (all be it with a smaller vehicle)?

These smaller vehicles seem to be making a comeback (or they were prior to social distancing). Whether they're better than the bread-vans which came about after de-reg is another thing.
Whether it's dial a ride type services or contracted, they're allowing operators to cover areas that would otherwise have been left alone. In some cases, it has created enough demand to increase the vehicle size.

I'm all for re-regulation, but feel that contracted/franchised services is a better alternative to the some of the defragmented messes we see now. Particularly when it comes to benefiting the taxpayer.

Totally agree with Andreos here... be careful what you wish for! Let's give an example using completely fictitious numbers...

Lets suppose you're tendering for a bunch of services, and you have £1 million to spend, with 10 services to cover. If prices come back at £120000 for a big bus on 10 services, or £100000 with a minibus being used. 
Do you take the bids for a minibus at a total cost of £1m and cover all 10 services or use your £1m to cover 8 of them with big buses... then decide which two are you going to drop as you've got no money left?...