'Bristol Greyhound' bus service returns as Pier Buses

[whole diary]

[TonyK]

Wise move, Chris. You don't want to get sued.

[Chris from Nailsea]

More to the point: grahame doesn't. 

[bristolgreyhoundltd]

Bristol Greyhound RIP: long live Pier Buses.

Today the props of Bristol Greyhound told me at the Bristol Harbourside Bus Rally that they have been forced to trade under a new name after a legal challenge from First over the 'Greyhound' name.  I saw that their vehicles, very smartly turned out in their green/cream livery have been re-labelled  'trading as Pier Buses' and all their publicity has been reprinted.  It is a pity a fledgling company faces such a challenge after beginning to trade when it has been planning (with some public knowledge) for a while.  Their legal name remains the same.

The other positive news from my point of view is that they will be accepting the Avon Rider ticket from early in May (perhaps an official announcement will appear here).  This integrates Pier Buses into the wider network and gives people like me without a pass much more choice.  Let's hope there are are no more set-backs and more pax.

(I have no connection with the company)

Hi there yes we are excepting avon rider now 

[trainer]

Hooray!  Thanks for the official announcement guys. 

[JayMac]

Pier Buses have amended their X7 timetable from today, 24th June 2013. They will also start a Saturday service on the same route from this coming Saturday, 29th June 2013.

http://www.bristolgreyhoundbus.co.uk/#/timetable/4574735373

Just need to change that domain name now...

[trainer]

Today I noticed the buses had gone missing so checked the website.  I am unsurprised, if saddened, to read:

15/04/2014
It is with regret that Pier Buses has ceased operating. A statement will follow shortly.

The buses have had very few pax and First upped the competition on their one route last year.  I can't help thinking having their buses appearing in a hotch-potch of colours didn't help create a brand.

Condolences to those who have lost their money and jobs.

[TonyK]

Indeed very sad for those who lost jobs. It did not have the "feel" of a truly professional outfit from the point of view of some of the promotional material, as well as the hotch-potch spotted by trainer, and there is clearly more to transport than being able to drive a bus.

[Chris from Nailsea]

On the other hand ... as a professional driver myself these days (delivery vans, not buses), on the roads of North Somerset, I always found the various drivers of 'Pier Buses' to be professional and polite to other road users, as we helped each other in giving way, whenever appropriate, for example.  I therefore wish them all well, in hopefully near future re-employment.

I, too, regret the apparent demise of 'Pier Buses'.  As I also regretted the withdrawal of 'North Somerset Coaches' from the local bus route scene.

Unfortunately, that does seem to leave First Bus with something of a monopoly position in North Somerset?

[TonyK]

But on the other hand... (at the risk of sounding like Reb Tevye in "Fiddler on the Roof") I made no criticism of the drivers' divers skills. The red-trousered Mayor of Bristol, George Ferguson, said early in his tenure that he called a meeting with all of those companies providing scheduled transport services that enter the City of Bristol boundaries, and was surprised to find that there were 22. That number has now fallen to 21.

My point is that as well as drivers, you need accountants and business managers who know how the income streams flow. First have a monopoly on Portishead now, but not on Bristol, with Wessex and Abus having a substantial presence, including over routes also worked by First. Other players include Buglers, Crown, and Eastville Coaches. The business model must include coping with having to provide enough good quality reliable buses to cope with the peak periods, but still operating at a reasonable frequency throughout the times when they carry half a dozen passengers at most over a sometimes long route.

First has the advantage of the economies of scale. It has been able to respond to the antipathy in Bristol by restructuring fares in response to a recent campaign, to my advantage in getting to work if I want to leave the car at home but not walk or drive, and at the same time they have spent a pile of cash on new buses, with WiFi to enable the passenger to while away the hours stuck in traffic watching questionable films on their phones. It also has a structure that can negotiate on better than equal terms with any council in the land from a position of considerable strength, as well as a loud voice in the ear of the Traffic Commissioner's office.

First pulled the rug from under the feet of Pier by objecting to the use of their trademark name, something which could have been avoided by a free search of Companies House records and the proper approaches to First Group HQ^▸ (Headquarters). The increased service by First may be coincidence or may be because they saw the extra homes being built in Posset. Or not. If they pull most of their services now that Pier has gone, we will know that it was cynical exploitation of the relative weakness of the little guy. If they continue at the same rate, we will know that they have measured  this against their national strategy and know that they can add value to it.

It's that expertise that may not have been available to Pier.

[trainer]

The extra competition from First was in the form of doubling the X6 buses during the day into Bristol, which gave Clevedon it's best ever connection with the city (and even with the loss of Pier, still does).  There was little chance that an hourly daytime, Monday-Friday service offered by older vehicles in a variety of colours and including an eccentric town loop (offering convenient travel only one way) was going to create a positive impression against a slick operation like First whose vehicles are seen frequently enough to be understood as 'the bus'.

Incidentally, today (Good Friday) and on Easter Sunday (as every Sunday) and on Easter Monday, we have no buses to Weston-super-Mare and to Bristol only a slow (approx 1hr 20mins) hourly service.  Pretty poor for an area popular with tourists: so much for private enterprise...but perhaps that's for another thread.