(01 Jun 2024, 6:48 am)DeltaMan wrote There isn't enough profit being made to cross-subsidise anything meaningful - something decision makers need to get a grasp of fast.
Operators will never admit it, but they effectively do that now anyway, certainly on a route by route basis. I've been on enough late evening Stagecoach trips to know they ain't making the £40+ an hour to break even on them and they don't go cap in hand to the local authority for cash either. So they must be using the money made during the day to run the evening services.
What I do think is that I have an amount of empathy for Stagecoach as they do actually provide a relatively comprehensive network at very little cost to thr taxpayer (ENCTS is a subsidy for the user, not the bus company). We do need to be careful not to throw the baby out with the bath water.
At the end of the day, if a politician is elected on the basis they will bring in franchising, then it's thier obligation to follow through. But they also need to be open and honest about the challenges and costs.
Of course Stagecoach have what has always been the North East’s best bus network - the Newcastle City services with high density housing. They likely prop up South Shields and Sunderland.
Arriva and GNE have mainly inter urban routes which, apart from a few, would seem to carry a lot fewer passengers per mile. Haswell, Tantobie and South Hetton won’t generate anything like the passengers that Chapel House, Walker and Heaton do.
(31 May 2024, 11:59 am)Adrian wrote Whilst I agree that working with TfGM / Andy Burnham would be a good move, and indeed any area should do the same, I think it's worth adding some context around the reliability statistics.The local authorities do, of course, have access to operators reliability statistics through the “analyse bus open data” service, so will know exactly how reliable each operator and I understand each route is.
There's no getting away from that they're poor, that's accepted, but I think it's well worth pointing out that TfGM (along with TfL) are one of the few that publish this level of data. Campaign groups have requested it from commercial operators for years, but it's never been forthcoming. All we get is the single encompassing figure for Tyne and Wear ITA that the Govt publish annually.
Why, what's the alternative then? You're saying that two of the main operators aren't fit for purpose, but you're not keen on a different model?
People are quick to jump on TfGM for the Bee Network, but we're forgetting that it's early days, and it's the first reversal of privatisation since the 80s. In taking everything in house, they're inheriting years of issues that haven't been left to fester. It was never going to be fixed overnight. There has to be a long term plan and ambition, and I think Manchester have that.
Don't get me wrong, I don't think franchising alone is the complete answer. I think a fully integrated network is the key, but also the ban on municipals has to be reversed too. Without that, you can never achieve the best value for money. Labour have supposedly committed to it (for what that's worth these days), but I will believe it when I see it.
Regarding your point on 'the big funding black hole', when referring to London. I think you'll always get this point raised, but we shouldn't be ashamed to spend money on infrastructure, when it's there to be used by and for the benefit of everyone. It's no different to £5 billion being allocated to paying a private company to deliver (and make profit on) fibre broadband, or the billions we give to private water companies, to sell us back our water. Personally speaking, I'm happy that my taxes contribute towards public services.
(01 Jun 2024, 6:48 am)DeltaMan wrote There isn't enough profit being made to cross-subsidise anything meaningful - something decision makers need to get a grasp of fast.
Operators will never admit it, but they effectively do that now anyway, certainly on a route by route basis. I've been on enough late evening Stagecoach trips to know they ain't making the £40+ an hour to break even on them and they don't go cap in hand to the local authority for cash either. So they must be using the money made during the day to run the evening services.
What I do think is that I have an amount of empathy for Stagecoach as they do actually provide a relatively comprehensive network at very little cost to thr taxpayer (ENCTS is a subsidy for the user, not the bus company). We do need to be careful not to throw the baby out with the bath water.
At the end of the day, if a politician is elected on the basis they will bring in franchising, then it's thier obligation to follow through. But they also need to be open and honest about the challenges and costs.
Of course Stagecoach have what has always been the North East’s best bus network - the Newcastle City services with high density housing. They likely prop up South Shields and Sunderland.
Arriva and GNE have mainly inter urban routes which, apart from a few, would seem to carry a lot fewer passengers per mile. Haswell, Tantobie and South Hetton won’t generate anything like the passengers that Chapel House, Walker and Heaton do.