I was pleasantly surprised to wake up this morning to an email from Malcolm Robson of Ipswich Buses alerting me to yesterday's Notices and Proceedings for the East of England. Two items of interest to our region, most notably being a new company being awarded a licence in Kings Lynn. Coastal Red has been awarded a licence of initially 6 vehicles, but it is the name of Stephen Challis as director that makes the ears prick up. He, together with Julian Paterson formed Konect and don't be surprised to see an additional director announced in the coming weeks. Will be interesting to see what routes they are thinking of doing.
COASTAL RED LIMITED
Director(s): ANDREW WARNES, STEPHEN CHALLIS.
7 COMMON LANE, NORTH RUNCTON , KING'S LYNN PE33 0RD
Operating Centre: ACER ROAD, SADDLEBOW , KING'S LYNN PE34 3HN
Authorisation:6 Vehicle(s).
Transport Manager(s): STEPHEN CHALLIS
Also in the proceedings was confirmation of Borderbus's changes to the timetable of their service 146 between Southwold and Norwich. I am led to believe that. as expected addition Pm journeys will be added to the schooldays only timetable. You can read all the notices and proceedings by clicking here and my thanks to Malcolm for the heads up.
Why doesn't Essex get any of this competition? (We seem to have some sort of Chinese wall, I know; but we don't eat people, really). We're stuck with the First famine, and some of the "competition" (on routes not services) is actually worse. So when the passengers get stuffed no-one has any incentive to do anything. The Traffic Commissioners tried waving the big stick, and that didn't work, either. Do their "big boys" scare them off? (They scare me, sometimes).
ReplyDeleteLook out for an ex Konect National as a spare vehicle!?
ReplyDeleteWell mr smurfik,you have Go Ahead in your area as well,what's wrong with them drumming up some competition,Regal,Stephonson's to name 3 i'm sure there are more who could impact.
ReplyDeleteThat's right Jim. And the Arriva doughnut, k.a. TGM. But they all seem stuck in their own little rut. Apart from Halstead, for some reason, which gets competition to both Braintree and Colchester. It looks like a race to the bottom.
ReplyDeleteI suppose it might be laziness, that whilst you can be funded by the County Council which hands out money to the bus companies like confetti, so far, why bother? That'll change. And Stephenson's have a new multi-million ££ depot/servicing facility right in the middle of First county. For a few school and rural routes? And west Suffolk??
ReplyDeleteOr perhaps there are just many more passengers in Suffolk and Norfolk.