Howards/Springfield

[knutstransport]

RE: Howards/Springfield
It's worth remembering Cheshire East didn't award the long term GHA replacement contracts until the last minute, so operators didn't have a lot of time to prepare for running the new services. It's reported in another thread D&G are only just stopping using hired in drivers on the 88 route and they've been using a couple of Solos with 'on hire' notices until very recently. While Hollinshead and Mikro have been using plain white buses with no branding on their new contracts.

It seems Cheshire East like giving different options when awarding contracts. Apparently D&G's 88 contract is on the basis that the subsidy covers their operating costs, meaning the majority of the revenue taken gets returned to the council, while there's other contracts where the subsidy is just enough to make a loss making service profitable based on predicted revenue.

I'm not sure if it's still the case but for some contracts it used to be that the contract holder was told a minimum capacity for the vehicles they should be using but if passenger numbers grew and that vehicle size was no longer appropriate then they would be expected to find a solution i.e. larger vehicle or additional services and expected to use the additional revenue taken to fund that solution. I'm also aware some contracts have had break clauses included which have been exercised when passenger numbers aren't reaching the expected levels.

With the redevelopment of the disused part of the AstraZeneca Nether Adderley site and proposed development of Airport City passenger loadings on the 27, 88, 130* and 200 services might be very different to what they are now before 2021. Also, the planned change in the provision of services at Styal railway station might affect the 200 loadings.

* Not a contracted service except on Sundays.