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Friday, 20 September 2019

Wales Online

• Buses stop going through one part of Newport after driver pelted with stones during vandalism attacksPolice have confirmed they are investigating

Coach and Bus Week

• Local entrepreneur could rescue WrightbusThe future of Wrightbus has been uncertain since July this year, but a potential buyer could now be on the horizon
• Management buy-outs for FirstBus?The national press has reported that FirstGroup is set to sell some of its operations to its own management as speculation mounts about the future of the firm’s UK bus operations. The Telegraph has reported that management buy-outs are in the running for First’s bus operations in Bristol, Dorset, East Anglia and Devon & Cornwall, whilst parts of its Manchester operations have been sold to Go-Ahead Group and Rotala.
• Passengers get More with new buses on service 13Go-Ahead Group owned Morebus is continuing its investment in new transport by introducing five brand new double-decker buses to its route 13 Bournemouth to Wimborne service in Dorset.
• APPG relaunchOn Monday 10 September, figures from across the bus industry attended the relaunch of the All Party Parliamentary Group for the Road Passenger Transport Industry. Jonathan Welch reports
• The Confederation of Passenger Transport launched its English bus strategy, ‘Moving Forward Together, the future’s better with bus’ last week in the presence of Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Transport, Baroness Vere of Norbiton whose responsibilities include buses. Andy Izatt listened to the presentation and the minister’s response
• Value is always the aimSomerset County Council has started operating its own PCV unit and is now running a handful of school contracts in-house. Richard Sharman visited the Bridgwater-based council unit during its first week of operation to find out why it made this decision
• New Irizar UK headquarters to be built in NottinghamshireIrizar is showing its continued commitment to the UK market with the development of a new site at Blyth, just off the A1 in Nottinghamshire.

Route One (Bus and Coach)

• Stagecoach makes senior appointmentsStagecoach has strengthened its UK Bus senior management structure with the appointment of two new Regional Directors. https://www.route-one.net/top-story/stagecoach-makes-senior-appointments/ Sunderland partnership delivers on new bus route A new bus service was introduced in Sunderland on Monday (16 September) by the Connect 700 Partnership. Route 702 serves the city’s National Glass Centre and is operated by Go North East.
• Asset Alliance Group funds BCT’s biogas busesAsset Alliance Group (AAG) has funded a fleet of 21 biogas-fuelled Scania Alexander Dennis Enviro400s. They have entered service with HCT Group’s Bristol Community Transport (BCT) operation.
• FlixBus begins project to deliver hydrogen coachesThe potential for hydrogen fuel cell power in coaches has been formalised by scheduled operator FlixBus – which recently applied for an O-Licence in the UK – and fellow German business Freudenberg Sealing Technologies.
• TfL Hopper fare sees 450,000 daily usersThe TfL Hopper fare is being used by more than 450,000 passengers per day, it has been revealed.
• Irizar UK starts development of new home at BlythIrizar UK has commenced the first phase of development of what will ultimately become a new head office at Blyth in Nottinghamshire for the supplier of DAF-engined integral coaches.
• Leeds CAZ: £1.79m will be awarded to coach and busLeeds City Council (LCC) has forecast that a total of £1.79m will be awarded to operators of non-scheduled coaches and buses to help them to comply with the city’s Clean Air Zone (CAZ). £64,000 of that has been paid so far, a report from LCC says.
• Bus patronage in England down by 6.9% in five yearsBus patronage in England fell by 317m passenger journeys, or 6.9%, in the five years between 2014/15 and 2018/19, research by the Local Government Association (LGA) shows.