GHA Group (Bryn Melyn, Vale Travel + Others)

[Lynx]

RE: GHA Group (Bryn Melyn, Vale Travel + Others)

(20/01/2016 09:26)knutstransport Wrote:  From what the Middlewich Guardian said GHA were struggling to find affordable replacements for step entry single decker buses and consequently cancelled a number of services as a result. With the number of registration cancellations on VOSA and step entry coaches appearing on bus services recently that seems to tally up.

I said Network Warrington are unlikely to sell to GHA as you've made yourselves one of Network Warrington's rivals in the past couple of years and operators don't usually want to do anything that might help their closest rivals. When Niddries Coaches used to exist they borrowed coaches and drivers from Bostocks Coaches (one small family business helping another) but when Bostocks and Walkers both got taken over by Holmeswood Coaches, that meant Bostocks were part of the same group as Niddries' main competition (Walkers) and the borrowing of coaches and drivers stopped.

From what's been said in the Network Warrington thread the Solos were put up for sale due to the cancellation of contracted services as a result of government cutbacks, so seems unrelated to what's happening on the 45/46 and 16 routes.

Whilst GHA could quite easily acquire a quality and affordable batch of low floor vehicles, I'd have to agree with knutstransport that it would be unfair to attribute the sale of NWs solos to the bus war on routes 45/46 and 16. As previously mentioned the sale of the solos was in fact due to the loss of contracts in Warrington.