Manchester bus franchising

[iMarkeh]

RE: Manchester bus franchising

(26/12/2022 19:08)knutstransport Wrote:  While if the franchising system doesn't work well initially presumably TfGM will look at ways to improve it.

How very naieve of you. TFGM can't organise the stuff they have now. Each year, they have the job to sort school buses by September and yet they award the contracts last minute to operators miles away because they can't cover stuff. The staff there are godawful.

(26/12/2022 19:08)knutstransport Wrote:  The thing that franchising will change is the ability for TfGM to take one route off an operator if they do badly on that particular route. The TC will still have that ability but only if they fail to provide a registered bus service to the required level, he can't take action against a 15 year old Enviro 200 being used when the franchise agreement requires a modern 'Manchester Bee' decker.

Not really. TFGM are doing things on a per depot basis which makes it harder to move routes around. If they went down the London style franchising, this would have been significantly easier to make work. Low on staff, don't retender for a route and let someone else run it. It's not so easy when it's a depot load.

As for the Traffic Commissioner, are you sure that the TC will apply in Manchester when franchising properly takes place? The Traffic Commissioner does nothing in London really. Registrations are covered by TFL (under London Service Permits). I think the only regulation on buses in London would be DVSA if they do roadworthiness, the rest is devolved down to TFL.