I know its out side of our area but this notice has appeared from First Hampshire & Dorset, which is now part of the same First South region as First South West:
So Go South Coast get to take on the work of a major competitor once again having taken on a lot more work following the collapse of Bournemouth a short while back.
I am sure that this will be just the first of several “restructures” in the new year as the bigger groups seek to consolidate their operations to ensure profitability, which will some areas changing operators. You have to wonder where next really?
It is very clear that there is little interest from the main groups in competition these days, and that could be a good thing. Personally I would like to see the Cornwall way of doing things (as far as having joint fares and tickets across the operators at least). Plymouth is one of those places that is crying out for joint tickets. There may not be much competition between Citybus and Stagecoach in terms of route corridors but there is nothing more annoying that waiting for a bus and having to let the other operators bus go by as your ticket is for the other one.
I used to ask the same question each year – what are your predictions for next year? Maybe this is worth asking again this year….
