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+--- Thread: Halton Transport (/showthread.php?tid=10)
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RE: Halton Transport - Mayneway - 25/01/2020 05:28
(25/01/2020 00:27)teenagewasteland Wrote: It's ironic how neither Arriva nor Stagecoach stepped in at an early stage to buy out the company, Halton BC would have bitten their arms off.
Nope, best to let the operation completely collapse and then pick up any profitable pieces left behind - a cheaper option. The folly of deregulation is amply demonstrated by this sorry situation.
Arriva's advertisement for staff earlier on this week suggests they knew something was going to happen.
A lot of people criticised Rossendale council for selling out to Transdev when they did but it’s certainly a better way forward than the sad demise of Halton Transport.
RE: Halton Transport - T42 PVM - 25/01/2020 07:54
(25/01/2020 00:27)teenagewasteland Wrote: It's ironic how neither Arriva nor Stagecoach stepped in at an early stage to buy out the company, Halton BC would have bitten their arms off.
Nope, best to let the operation completely collapse and then pick up any profitable pieces left behind - a cheaper option. The folly of deregulation is amply demonstrated by this sorry situation.
Arriva's advertisement for staff earlier on this week suggests they knew something was going to happen.
Arriva would not have been allowed to buy the Operation anyway under Competition grounds, But if you look at the Financial Records on Company house it is clear the operation is well into the Red and most likely beyond help, more so when you consider most of the Fleet was over 10 Years old.
RE: Halton Transport - mikestone - 25/01/2020 09:13
I'd have thought the council might at least have agreed to pay any outstanding wages to avoid drivers bailing out. Presumably those that left voluntarily will lose their rights to claim unpaid wages from the government scheme?
RE: Halton Transport - Gateacre - 25/01/2020 10:06
Is mikestone implying that drivers have not been paid? Might be an issue with the last week, or part week.
Or is the reference to Redundancy payments?
RE: Halton Transport - knutstransport - 25/01/2020 11:05
(25/01/2020 00:27)teenagewasteland Wrote: It's ironic how neither Arriva nor Stagecoach stepped in at an early stage to buy out the company, Halton BC would have bitten their arms off.
I seem to recall when GHA Coaches were doing reasonably well they got a takeover offer from Stagecoach, which was rejected. Then they started bus wars and registered loss making routes as commercial services when contracts expired to prevent them going out to tender and being awarded to a rival. It was claimed in their final few months GHA went back to Stagecoach and asked if they are still interested in buying them and Stagecoach's response was that they would just wait until they collapse and then they could pick and choose which routes they take on.
Arriva, like First, seem to be cutting back on bus operations not expanding them.
RE: Halton Transport - knutstransport - 25/01/2020 11:12
(25/01/2020 07:54)T42 PVM Wrote: Arriva would not have been allowed to buy the Operation anyway under Competition grounds
They would have been nothing stopping Arriva doing what Stagecoach did with Preston Bus and acquiring the company on condition that they sell off part of their operations and selling off a different bit to the bit they actually acquire. I'm not sure if that also allowed Stagecoach to choose Rotala as their rival for Preston.
Alternatively they could have done something like what they did with the Huddersfield part of Yorkshire Traction that Stagecoach put up for sale and got in as minority partner with a smaller company.
RE: Halton Transport - knutstransport - 25/01/2020 11:28
(25/01/2020 10:06)Gateacre Wrote: Is mikestone implying that drivers have not been paid? Might be an issue with the last week, or part week.
Or is the reference to Redundancy payments?
Unfortunately the drivers will be unsecured creditors of the business. What'll have to happen is the assets of the businesses will get sold - the liquidation costs will be taken from those and then what's left over will be split between all creditors - HMRC, landlords, leasing companies, other suppliers etc. and will likely be a lot less than what is owed.
Technically customers with weekly tickets are unsecured creditors but it's probably not worth the hassle for any passengers to try and claim anything back as they may not get anything back at all and even if they do it'll be a very minimal amount and will take a long time to get it back.
The liquidators should be briefing the drivers on what they need to do to attempt to get any pay they are owed (including pay in lieu of notice) and redundancy pay.
RE: Halton Transport - buses7675 - 25/01/2020 13:50
Sprinter 1039 is tracking on the 201
RE: Halton Transport - The Falcon - 25/01/2020 14:01
(25/01/2020 13:50)buses7675 Wrote: Sprinter 1039 is tracking on the 201
1036 is following as support for the first few trips.
RE: Halton Transport - Metroline1511 - 26/01/2020 10:59
(19/01/2020 14:50)johnluke Wrote: Was it known all along ie stagecoach withdrawing their widnes journey and arriva trying to withdrew their x1 in preparation for this?
Just a thought. Less than 6 months ago we had 3 bus companies link Widnes with Liverpool. Now we just have Arriva.