Colins of Goole operated the service from May 2011, having won the tender from EYMS, before EYMS took the service over again in Spring 2012.
From VOSA:
PB0004003/5 - GEORGE TIMOTHY JAMES MILLS T/A
ENTERPRISE COACHES, TOCKI HOUSE, HULL ROAD, EASTRINGTON, GOOLE, DN14 7XL
- Registration Accepted by SN
- Starting Point: SOUTH CAVE MARKET PLACE
- Finish Point: GOOLE NORTH STREET
- Via:
- Service Number: 155
- Service Type: Normal Stopping
- Effective Date: 01-SEP-2014
- Other Details: SUNDAYS AND BANK HOLIDAYS
Posts
2 comments:
It's a shame that councils have to take such a narrow cost view when it comes to tendering Sunday services for a route that is operated commercially at other times. It's a nuisance for regular passengers when the Sunday service is run by a different operator, because anyone with a weekly/longer ticket won't be able to use it and so will have to buy a cash fare ... or in many cases, just won't travel by bus on Sunday.
Or maybe that's part of it ... if even a few people buy cash fares, that improves the finances of the Sunday service, meaning a different operator can put in a cheaper bid ... whereas not many people will cancel their weekly/season ticket because of a lack of a Sunday service, so the main operator has less quantifiable income from the Sunday service and so needs to put in a higher bid.
Either way, it isn't helpful. The recent change to the 18 through HOSM is the first time in at least 12 years that people living on that route have had a Sunday service they can use their normal weekly tickets on.
Being the owner of Colins of Goole, I think that smaller companies that would like to try service work out before investing a huge amount of capital into vehicles and ticket machines, and the like, this service is the perfect opportunity, otherwise how would companies, such as EYMS (back in the day) manage to start operating without backing from the authorities?
I understand that it is slightly annoying from a passenger point of view, but the service is still being provided should people choose to use it.
And in some circumstances, having a smaller company operate the service, this should improve the level of customer service, reliability, etc, as these are key areas which in my mind, are where the smaller operator has to focus their efforts to gain the trust of the local community.
Whereas some larger companies and some of their drivers, have a tendency to forget that it is the people who use the buses, that pay their wages etc.
There are arguments for both sides of the coin, and we could go round in circles all day, but, give them a try and see how they fair.
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