Thursday 5 August 2010

Something missing?

Just come off my first part. Found this enviro 200 chassis sat here. Not sure what it's for but it's interesting to see whats inside the bus under all the fibre glass, plastic and aluminium.

71 comments:

  1. I think its actually one of the new Enviro 400 Hybrids, minus a body lol.
    There was some kind of demonstration displaying the mechanics of the Hybrid model before its sent to gain a body lol.

    Presumably someone sat on the chair stearing it lol.

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  2. Whoops, just found out there was an Enviro 200 there as well. My mistake.

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  3. seen it at Chris lowes photo site aswell very good

    well a lot of newer buses in service from Ashton depot now
    22090 to 94 and 22242/3/4/6 are there now not sure what has gone had a walk on the canal and saw a trainer been driven though cones also I went last week and today 20938 and 16189 are still parked up I though 16189 was been repainted not sure if 20938 is withdrawn

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  4. Not sure about the B10M Mic but yesterday the little 'Corrie bus' 40660 was being used as the taxi bus.
    Has the little V reg Dart that arrived at Ashton to replace the B10M entered service yet, as im sure i saw it on the 7's on Saturday, it looked like it had just been painted.

    I carn't see why they would paint 16189 its mainly only used on schools and the peak afternoon 237.

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  5. Mic Ashton is now an official test centre,with plenty of space for the dreaded emergency stop,in fact , the drivers can get up to a lot faster rate of knots than i did 5 years ago at stockport!

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  6. have they transfered some of the trainers to Ashton then just been on the stotts 354 alot better then the firstbus solos

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  7. the only little dart I have seen up to today is 33098 not repainted so I guess you did see 33174
    40660 was parked next to 15381 today

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  8. What was the Stott's service like compared to Speedwell Mic?

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  9. it was a nice ride and they have won me on their service it was MX 07 BCY steady driver aswell
    very quiet bus

    still use the S50 mainly the 2 white ones but was on S719 KNV today saw R514 YWC on it on Tuesday night

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  10. Arr so there still using the Vario on the evening service are they?

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  11. 33174 was at prinny road today for some reason

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  12. It was having new LED displays fitted [according too GM Buses site].

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  13. I used to live in Brislington, Bristol, when I were a lad, not far from the Bristol bus factory and we would regularly see these chassis things driving along the roads.

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  14. A bit more... They used to have to drive them all the way from Bristol to the ECW factory in Norfolk to have their bodies added. I should point out that they had more substantial seats than the one in the photos here!

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  15. Thats right Martin, i remember Mayne's having a batch of Leyland Leopard's delivered in the same way.
    Once delivered it was up too Mayne's to take them to Duple or Willowbrook to have the bodies fitted.
    I wouldn't think this would be done these days though lol.

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  16. does anyone know if any of the Bristol REs pennine blue ran are still in tacked I remember the coach looking one KBL 228 L I am a big fan of the type

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  17. Mic i might be wrong but most of the old Pennine Blue vehicles were scrapped when PMT took over the operation in the 90's.
    Alot of the Bristol VR's ended up over in Stoke On Trent.
    I was always a fan of Pennine blue and remember some of the unsual vehicles they owned and operated.

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  18. It used to be a common site seeing chassis coming down the M61 from Leyland. How they did it in Winter i will never know. Speaking of Winter,anybody ever done the skidpan.I did it in a PD3 backloader,just yank on the handbrake and scream for mother.I did it so well,so the instructor said,that he made me do it again, to make sure it wasnt a fluke.

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  19. Anonymous6/8/10 14:03

    I have tried to get an upto date fleet list from stagecoach unsucessfull to date any ideas anybody please thanks.

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  20. have you tryed paul.holland@stagecoachbus.com thats where i get mine from

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  21. just come back on the 350 from uppermill and the bus had an advert in for 350 day tickets at £2.50 I think I know what they are up to but they will not win a lot of people have dumped the 350 for the S50

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  22. HaHa thats great Mic, First are playing games by the sounds of it.
    What they fail to realise is its not the cheap day ticket price that attracks people to the S50 but the very cheap single flat fare of £1.

    I take it this day ticket can only be bought and used on the 350?

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  23. yes Felix you think right but looked at speedwells day ticket and that is only £2.00 so they are still going to win seen yet another transfered bus from Stockport to Ashton this been 22165 not sure what has left only 22138 that I know of but get weekly news on sunday so should know more then I like the photo of 22241 looking I should say better then it was from the last photo in the paper last year

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  24. Yes Mic i remember it well, sad times.

    As i understand it, Speedwell have 2 daysavers. Ones £3.80 which can be used on any Speedwell bus, and the second is £2.00 but can only be used on the S48/S50. So i wonder whether First have launched this £3.50 day saver thinking Speedwell value passengers have to pay £3.80 when infact there only paying £2.00 for a daysaver lol.

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  25. I can confirm that this day ticket has been running for 2 weeks and will continue until September, or until PTE tell them to stop, which ever first lol.

    However, it hasn't sold well as the only people that buy first day tickets are those that need the 409. There is also no weekly ticket or monthly offers and it this indicates that First are losing alot of money if the price is 'slashed' lol

    The S50 and S48 have continued to hold the same passenger numbers, except the 48 which continues to grow quite fast, so its all good.

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  26. I know saw the Little MPD dart full last week since the loss of the 353 and 354 I have seen that R501/10/12/14 YWC still in service but guess not for long

    I will be using stotts 354 from uppermill or 353 when I can I like the buses

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  27. talking of been ordered to stop on firstbus read in buses that First Leeds where told to stop running to the airport they where playing games with centrebus which runs that service it was the Airport owners and I think the WYPTE that ordered first to stop running it

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  28. William, im not sure how the PTE can stop First selling day tickets at £2.50 as its up to individual companies to set there own day/week/monthly tickets, and as long as there selling and accepting System 1 tickets theres not alot anyone can do.
    The PTE only has control of what goes on inside bus stations and on Tendered services such as the 353/4. As the 348/350 are commercial services any action can only be taken by the traffic commissioner.
    Not that im defending First in anyway.
    From what ive been told tonight, this £2.50 ticket is an experiment to see if passenger number's can be increased, if it works then a new 'Tameside daysaver' may be rolled out which will be cheaper than the normal FirstDay but which can only be used on SOME Tameside services.

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  29. Without it sounding like another post of who is the best first or speedwell. They can charge what they like, They can run it for free if they so wished. As previously mentioned we are currently doing plus ones for 4 quid and group day savers for 5 quid. Now if you put into preospective where you can take the family for 5 quid. that is an absolute bargain. There you go.

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  30. when First west yorkshire was yorkshire rider I use to get a day rover ticket for £2.50 and when the 365 ran I could go from Greenfield stn to Huddersfield for 90p thats when they ran the double deck Gold Rider coaches

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  31. Exactly the point i was trying to make, since 26th October 1986 [de reg day], PTE's up and down the country have no power over what bus compaines do or charge, unless of course its a tendered service, but even then there powers are limited, unless the terms of the contract are broken.

    If Speedwell feel that First are using 'Dirty Tactics' by offering this cheap day saver then its really an issue for the Office of Fair trading,not the PTE, but remember, Speedwell offered free travel for a long time, which could also be seen by some as 'dirty tactics'.

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  32. black in the 1990s blue bus ran on the same route as yorkshire riders 365 service running it 5 mins in front it can happen anywhere with any firm

    the day de reg day happened it went downhill

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  33. My mistake, I meant the Office of fair trading and not the pte... my bad, I'm showing my age again. I'm still trying to work out who's top of line in which scenario...

    These 'tactics' are what I'm looking at, and I've got an Email from First saying its a trial as well, but a Tameside only daysaver seems daft. Have First tried this with the 17 and JPT's? or any other area?

    btw This daysaver is 348 and 350 only as well, according to the email.

    Mind you though, the Pte need to sort Ashton Bus station, as the 217 was a bit late and changed drivers behind a 395 and clogged an S50, S48 and 236(7)... So both companies where affecting each other but it seems daft to have 5 buses share 2 stands in 5 minutes lol I know that much

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  34. Its ok William your young and its an easy mistake to make.

    I actually think the cat fight between First and JPT is alot more intense than the issues between First and Speedwell, and yes they did the same thing with Bluebird, Bluebus and even Stott's on the 427, just like Stagecoach did with UK North and Dennis's.
    I like Speedwell, but i fail to see how they can complain if First sell a cheap daysaver on some services, or even if they run extra buses that arn't timetabled, as it could be argued that Speedwell used the same, if not worse 'Tactics' by offering free sunday and evening travel last year and again in April when they launched the S48.

    But the last problem you mention William is certainly something the PTE should be looking at.

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  35. Speedwell are not complaining, but there is confusion to why just daysavers... or just the 348/350. It's been two weeks, and not a drop in the market at all, so not alot to complain in terms of the ticket at least. Extra buses however, are a big 'no no', but I can safely say that hasn't been the case for as far as I know.

    I may be young but I also have crafty Ideas onto how to catch First with hands in the biscuit barrel lol I have also considered what to do if First say "What about the S48's times or buses etc"...and I have that covered... It's all working together nicely.

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  36. But if First did run an extra bus on the 350 for example, as long as there using there own bus station slots then isn't that allowed, i thought any bus operator could run 'floaters' on frequent services.
    I know Stagecoach did it on the 216 last year.

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  37. Oh no, floaters are fine. I literally meant say there was a 1 every 5 minutes in certain points of the day on purpose when there still should every 10 minutes etc If they come in at the right time, no problem.

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  38. I would also like to add that the £5 family ticket is a bargain lol I do enjoy seeing the newer ALX300's on the 217/8's by the way. Rather nice buses indeed.

    There was an alexander PS, alongisde with the 54 reg alx300, and I missed a perfect snap but was too busy. Shame, would've been a good one.

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  39. what is 20938 still in service

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  40. I'm not sure if it was that one (If its the only one) but I did see a Alexander B10b in Staybridge. But it had other drivers/staff on it only.

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  41. Was it the trainer B10M or the Taxi B10M.

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  42. plain stagecoach livery with know rearranged seats... so i'm assuming it's the taxi bus

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  43. *no, not know...

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  44. I think it would be 20938 if it was plain stagecoach livery

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  45. Anonymous8/8/10 22:12

    I guess you William/Felix will be satisfied when First Deregister the 350? i appreciate First are not the best bus co,but your bitterness and hatred as know bounds.

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  46. lol I think they want Speedwell to buy First manchester out completly and have a load of crappy marshall darts running on all the routes..
    I still think the Chassis post was interesting lmao.

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  47. Oh no no no... you both have me mistaken as being too optimistic lol I would be much happier if First had a similar style of operations to Stagecoach or Arriva though.

    I wouldn't be happy actually with the loss of the 350, due to loss of Hospital links and leaving Greenfield and Uppermill stranded without a frequent link to Ashton... but I still won't do backflips for a £16 week ticket lol

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  48. Ive not said anything bitter towards First in this thread. It just makes me laugh that they launch a Cheap £2.50 daysaver which can ONLY be used on the 348/350 and nothing else, and it just so happens these two services are the same two Speedwell run on.

    As ive said before i live in Tameside and have used First since the Pennine days and i personally think the service is quite poor, when you compare it to First's other Manchester operations. The main factor being lack of investment.

    Speedwell are no way perfect, and im certain IF First did pull of the 348/350, the first thing Speedwell would do is put up the fares.

    Im sure if you, Mr ANON, had been left stranded more times than you can remember, on cold winter nights, after 12 hour shifts, you wouldn't be singing there praises.
    And lets not even mention there fares lol.

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  49. i dont care whats discussed in any post i do and i hope that no one takes any comments in these posts personal in anyway.

    I do have to say however, we often have the conversation at work wondering how we manage to do the same as first bus and do it with the same quality of vehicle, but for 5 quid cheaper a week. 16 quid is a lot of money i would rather buy an Anybus weekly from the travel shop.

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  50. Good morning,

    I don't take any comment personally, just occasionally surprised now and again lol. I'm guessing Stagecoach have a different and more efficient style of management and operation.

    I can understand that First have loads of B9tl's, but they're only seen on 1 route in Tameside.

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  51. Anonymous9/8/10 13:13

    Greed is the answer "Oldham 100" to your query above! profit is God at First nothing else matters but the drive for more profitability,regardless of the fact the end product is compromised.

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  52. Greed is all good and well when your investing the profit back into the fleet, but thats something thats not happening here in Manchester, and greed is also the main reason operators like Speedwell, JPT and Bluebird have been able to establish themselves in the way that they have done.

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  53. Anonymous9/8/10 17:33

    There's a few posts here putting Arriva in a good light - I'd like to put thing's right. They're every bit as bad as First, and I actually think they'd beat First in a wost GM bus operator award!

    In fact, when First/Arriva were competing on the 10(M10) from Brookhouse to Shudehill, First buses were the better ones, unless of course you enjoy a ride on Arriva's 1993 Dennis Dart with East Lancs EL2000 bodywork. I think they have newer buses in the Museum of Transport!

    Apart from the 263 and 19, I don't think Arriva have bought any new buses in Manchester for a long time.. Plus Arriva's tickets cost more than Stagecoach's...

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  54. Your quite wrong ANON. Without wanting to start a debate on whether First or Arriva are better, Arriva have invested in new buses in Manchester. Most of the East Lancs Darts you refer to have been sold/scrapped although a few still remain, but only last week i travelled on a very smart Arriva ADL and couldn't fault it.

    Let me make it clear, I personally feel that First provide a good service in certain area's of Manchester, but in Tameside, where i live, it sadly lacks well behind. As Arriva dont operate in Tameside its a little pointless compareing the two.

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  55. well it has been busy on here got the 354 firstbus home from Uppermill yestaday 40434 and there was the ad about the cheap tickets and it says ends 30 september

    If you go to Bradford or Leeds you will see the firstbuses that should have come here if the road charge had one ahead the oldest double decks in Huddersfield lets say are 54 regs 32503 to 19

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  56. The First fleet in Leeds is fantastic Mic, very modern and quality of service is alot better as well, but they have had to do this as theres alot of big competition over there.

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  57. Anonymous9/8/10 19:41

    I disagree with your comments about Arriva's fleet Felix. I have a fleetlist of Arriva Manchester buses in Manchester and Wythenshaw Depots from last month.

    There are 106 vehicles listed, 17 of those were new in 1995. A further 15 buses are from 1998 or 1999. So, 15% of Arriva's buses are 15 years old, and 30% buses in total are over 10 years old.

    My local Arriva routes are the 247 and 245. Except at night, the 247 is always a 1995 East Lancs darts, and until recently most 245s used darts too - one last year even had Macclesfield as the destination, rather than Flixton, presumibly because the blind didn't have Flixton on it!!

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  58. when I was down in st ives saw some slf dart firstbuses like one used on the 350 and the newest one I saw was an 06 reg the driver on the 300 bus I went on was very friendly and polite and I felt like i was on a good trip

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  59. I'm not sure why some seem to think that First is doing something underhand by introducing a cheap daysaver for the 348/350 - after all, Speedwell has done exactly the same with their £2 daysaver for the S48/S50.

    Does Speedwell still do the £8 weekly ticket for the S50? Not seen it mentioned for a while. If so, is it valid on the S48 as well?

    The speculation that First could pull away from the 350 makes me smile - it gives me a feeling of deja-vu! The older ones amongst us will remember Pennine Blue doing exactly the same as Speedwell is now doing, competing with GM Buses on the Hey Farm and Carrbrook routes, offering a flat fare of 50p.

    GM Buses eventually pulled off the routes and conceded them to Pennine Blue. Or was there some sort of "deal" in which Pennine got those routes in return for stopping competing on other routes? My memory is rather hazy on the details!

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  60. they are only doing the cheap ticket till the end of september on the 350 saw it on an ad on bus yestaday

    not sure with pennine blue years back

    when they where with first pmt and manchester ones went on strike pennine put free buses on the 409 service

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  61. Hello. I never suggested the daysaver was the 'cutting edge'. Don't worry about that stuff... ;)

    The £8 weekly is still available and all saver tickets are valid on both routes... meaning you can go around in circles all day lol

    Pennine blue did do the same and eventually won. A 'truce' was 'unnofficially' made, but Pennine Blue just kept the route going... until the day they went lol.

    I'm still working on the routes and its rather fun. Both Speedwell and 99% of First drivers are really nice... plus we had taken two expired passes today... one of which had its expiration rubbed out, drawn over in pencil and was cut in half lol... still kicked up a fuss when he didn't get his pass back or having to pay £1 lol

    Arriva London has a very bad reputation, even though I don't think they where worst. There Enviros are pretty good too, but were dirty.

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  62. I love snatching passes. Students are an easy target at the moment coz there passes ran out end of July. lol

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  63. It was the first time I had seen such an event, and they fits they throw when they can't get them back is rather funny lol

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  64. yes there was a happy firstbus driver on the 354 yestaday one I have seen loads of times I am suprised that first buses 40430/31/32 have not moved back to Dukinfield as 40433 to 36 have I like these buses

    good night everyone

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  65. But Arriva's overall market share in Manchester is alot smaller than First's which makes comparing them a bit daft, abit like comparing JPT and Checkmate lol.

    I dont think anyone has ever suggested First will or would pull off the 348/350. Alot of people thought they would pull off the 427 during there battle with Stott's but they didn't, so why would they now, just as they wont pull off the 17 because JPT run on it.

    The annoying thing is regarding this day saver is, if im working in Hey Farm for example, great, i can get to and from work everyday for £2.50, but if i work in Hyde, im forced to pay £4.10 but id be using the same company, travelling on the same type of vehicle, its just unfair. Why not roll this special offer out across the whole network - oh yes becuase theres little cheap competition.

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  66. Anonymous9/8/10 23:24

    Felix, Arriva is a multinational, like First. Sure, they may have a smaller market share than First, but they are a much bigger presence than Speedwell or JPT could ever be. They're a medium size local operator, a big player nationally, which makes them comparable with First or Stagecoach.

    Surely not being able to use a £2.50 350/348 day ticket on other First buses is the same as not being able to use a Speedwell £2 S50/S48 daysaver on other Speedwell buses?

    Indeed as you say, If you're using the S50 £2 day ticket to get to Hey Farm, great, but you can't use it to get to Hyde...

    Indeed, Speedwells daily ticket £3.80 for the whole network is slightly cheaper than First's £4.10 ticket, but with that you can travel from Warrington to Huddersfield, and a multitude of places in-between. With Speedwell's offering, you get a tour of Tameside and Glossop - which is the better value depends on where you're going as a passenger.

    Speedwell is using the same ticket tactics against First that Stagecoach use against Finglands. Cheap tickets on routes with competition - is this unfair or is it business?

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  67. Anon you make some good points, and yes Arriva are as big as First and Stagecoach but NOT in Manchester where there overall market share is low. I personally would love to see Arriva become bigger in Manchester as they seem to provide a decent level of service.

    The S48/S50 are run under the Speedwellvalue concept and not under the normal Speedwellbus brand which is probably why the £2 daysaver cannot be used.

    The First daysaver is great for people who want to travel to Huddersfield or Warrington, but for someone like me who needs to get from Ashton to Oldham and back every day is it fair that i have to pay the same?

    ....and yes Stagecoach did and still do use the same tactics,if not worse, but its business at the end of the day. This was clear once UK North had gone under, when all of a sudden Magic buses vanished from the 192, and im sure if Finglands ever disapeared, the Magic Bus brand would be put to bed in Manchester once and for all.

    Ive never said theres a problem with First selling this daysaver for £2.50, but its very clear why they are doing it. Funny though that it gets no mention on there website. I wonder why?

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  68. The silly thing about First's £2.50 daysaver for the 350 is that, as Felix says, it is not advertised on the website, but only on the buses.

    I travelled on the S50 yesterday and all the way along people were standing back and letting the 350 in front go past so that they could get on the S50. Passengers who have deserted First will not see the posters about the cheap daysaver because they are not travelling on First's buses! First will then wonder why the cheap tickets didn't attract passengers back.

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  69. Martin

    I to have seen that like the other Saturday got S50 to Ashton and was a 350 in front and they just stood back like you say and these 2 Enrvos on the route I would say are like a double deck on the 350 they are the full size buses of the S50

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  70. Hello,

    Had a natter with a First 350 driver today. He reckons the daysaver has backfired on the 350 since the core market of day ticket buyers (Greenfield and Uppermill area) are now paying £1.60 less per person lol Ah well.

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  71. Martin, my thought's exactly, although i would guess the reason its not on the website is beacuse passnengers using other First services would have a fuss, wanting to know why this cheap daysaver is only available on the 348/350 and nothing else. At least the Stagecoach summer special's are available on ALL there services.

    Thats what amazes me about the S50, just how many people let the 350 enter and leave the bus station, prefering to wait for the S50, even OAP's who travel for free anyway seem to prefer using Speedwell over First.

    William i was wondering that myself. Presumably this £2.50 daysaver has to be available on the 350's that go all the way to Oldham and not just the 350's to Hey farm, i dont think it would have really impacted on Speedwell anyway as there's is still cheaper.

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