First Manchester

[Mrboo]

RE: First Manchester

(08/07/2019 19:26)gilesbus1 Wrote:  They will need to be moving fairly quickly if they are as only 5 weeks to do it in, the situation with Rusholme was that GoAhead asked for newer vehicles to be moved in to Queens Road that had been used at Rusholme. In the case of Bolton it doesn't matter as Rotala is only leasing them for up to two years then they will either be scrapped or cascaded elsewhere within the group. So not the same need to start moving vehicles around. Of course 36279/80, 39237-39261 and 69537-69539 along with a small number of other deckers and the driver training fleet will remain with First Manchester and will be transferred to Rusholme, probably before the sale of Bolton goes through along with Vantage Routes and one or two other small tenders.

What Diamond intends to train drivers on remains to be seen?

As for Transdev taking over Oldham, don't be too sure, aI s Bolton fitted better for Transdev and they didn't take that despite being rumoured as a likely buyer. Transdev operate in a different way to what Andy Burnham is proposing for Manchester and therefore its possibly unlikely Transdev would be interested in it, what both Transdev and Rotala might wan't to do is shovel up routes in the Rochdale area to bolt on to what they have already got, as for Oldham itself then that is another question?

With MCT moving out of Rosso I could see Transdev doing a deal for Rochdale routes from First maybe as they have the base. and as I would think Stagecoach / MCT going for rest of First Oldham routes as I cant see a Buyer for Mumps