N&P Vectare

[Spoddendale]

Notices and Proceedings number 2497 dated 15 September 2021 contains the following application(s):

Section 3.1 – Registration of New Services

PF2006130/10 VECTARE LIMITED, ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION CENTRE, 5 OAKWOOD DRIVE, LOUGHBOROUGH, LE11 3QF

From: St Ives, Bus Station To: Warboys, Church Road Via: Pidley
Name or No.: 22 / 22X / 22A
Service type: Normal Stopping / Hail & Ride
Effective date: 27 September 2021 Other details: New service - Monday to Friday excluding Bank Holidays



David

[Spoddendale]

Notices and Proceedings number 2507 dated 24 November 2021 contains the following application(s):

Section 3.3 – Applications to Vary Existing Services
PF2006130/5 VECTARE LIMITED, ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION CENTRE, 5 OAKWOOD DRIVE, LOUGHBOROUGH, LE11 3QF Operating between Chipping Ongar Gardens and Epping St Margarets Hospital/Epping Station given service number 19 / 19C effective from 04 January 2022. To amend Route and Timetable.

PF2006130/9 VECTARE LIMITED, ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION CENTRE, 5 OAKWOOD DRIVE, LOUGHBOROUGH, LE11 3QF Operating between Coopersale and Harlow given service number 31 effective from 04 January 2022. To amend Timetable.



David

[bryangmccarthy]

Maybe they will have more success on this route as they cannot run the 47 routing in Peterborough correctly. Yet again both Melton Mowbray Journeys failed to serve Longthorpe Village today 25/11/21 (Inward & Outward) instead running direct along Longthorpe Parkway.

[John Wakefield]

Maybe they will have more success on this route as they cannot run the 47 routing in Peterborough correctly. Yet again both Melton Mowbray Journeys failed to serve Longthorpe Village today 25/11/21 (Inward & Outward) instead running direct along Longthorpe Parkway.

Not unusual for operators of little used tendered services to take short cuts & save fuel. Presumably because no one ever boards at Longthorpe. As I assume this is predominantly a school service so maybe no pupils from there. No excuse though as there could be passengers needing the service for hospital or other important appointments who will be left stranded. Sadly CPCA dont have resources to police these services, but this should be reported to the CPCA. This sort of thing does not encourage the public to leave their cars at home and use the bus.

[bryangmccarthy]

Same again today (Wed 1st Dec) Longthorpe not served. Also the 47B journey failed to operate (bus stood in Asda Car Park Peterborough). Then to top it all the first 3 journeys on the 22 Group Circuit at St Ives also failed to run (Allegedly due to vehicle failure). However the same vehicle that covered the 47 Journeys suddenly appeared later at St Ives to continue on the 22 Circuit. Total Shambles.

[John Wakefield]

Same again today (Wed 1st Dec) Longthorpe not served. Also the 47B journey failed to operate (bus stood in Asda Car Park Peterborough). Then to top it all the first 3 journeys on the 22 Group Circuit at St Ives also failed to run (Allegedly due to vehicle failure). However the same vehicle that covered the 47 Journeys suddenly appeared later at St Ives to continue on the 22 Circuit. Total Shambles.

I hope the relevant authorities have been informed. These 'cowboy outfits' do the bus and coach industry no favors. Maybe a good idea to send Mayor Nik Johnson an email nik.johnson@cambridgeshirepeterborough-ca.gov.uk

[Derbyshire Ninja]

Can we be mindful of who we call Cowboys? Also, I believe a fitter was sent to fix said issue on the minibus. I myself have work in the industry and strongly believe there are real reasons services have not been run. Fair play to them for trying to look about other services to keep drivers in work. How about if you have an issue you stop hiding behind a keyboard and phone the operator up.
 

[John Wakefield]

Jamie. It is obvious that this company are continuing to not run services as per time table, they have cut corners and put in low tenders cutting out local reputable operators like Dews. Looking at the structure of  Vectare its run by two guys sitting behind desks, whilst they may have been to university, they do not have experience of actually running buses. As for ringing them myself, I dont use these services so its not in my personal interest, but if it was a service I use I would report them to CPCA. If we are to get good reliable bus services we need good reliable bus operators. I too have worked in the industry (now retired) and am fully aware of the bad practices associated with running Council tendered services ie taking short cuts and missing out villages. Along with Steve Edmundson I have voluntarily replaced bus stop flags and time tables on the 7A and 31 routes in South Cambs with the aim to attract more customers to these services, so I do get out from behind the keyboard occasionally!  It makes me angry when I see operators cutting routes and missing stops etc. Every time a bus fails to turn up passengers loose faith in local bus services and seek other forms of transport. Most of the passengers on these rural routes are pensioners with no other means of transport. If the buses do not run it could well mean missed doctors at hospital appointments

[CM611]

I hope the relevant authorities have been informed. These 'cowboy outfits' do the bus and coach industry no favors. Maybe a good idea to send Mayor Nik Johnson an email nik.johnson@cambridgeshirepeterborough-ca.gov.uk

its all well and good saying to inform the mayor - however Mr Nik Johnson is only interested in anything he can award to Stagecoach.
as you may know i have an apprenticeship at A2B - and the Mayor seems to refuse to engage, or even recognise us as a company.
im basically saying even if you alert him, i highly doubt he will make any changes.
This doesnt however excuse Vectare in any way. if they cant run it properly they should do so at all

[TCD813]

I hope the relevant authorities have been informed. These 'cowboy outfits' do the bus and coach industry no favors. Maybe a good idea to send Mayor Nik Johnson an email nik.johnson@cambridgeshirepeterborough-ca.gov.uk

its all well and good saying to inform the mayor - however Mr Nik Johnson is only interested in anything he can award to Stagecoach.
as you may know i have an apprenticeship at A2B - and the Mayor seems to refuse to engage, or even recognise us as a company.
im basically saying even if you alert him, i highly doubt he will make any changes.
This doesnt however excuse Vectare in any way. if they cant run it properly they should do so at all

To my mind, the person to contact would not be the mayor, as he has responsibilities for all of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority's remit. I think that Oliver Howarth, Bus Strategy Manager, oliver.howarth@cambridgeshirepeterborough-ca.gov.uk and/or Paul Nelson, Public Transport Manager, paul.nelson@cambridgeshirepeterborough-ca.gov.uk would be the people to contact.

Paul TUPE-d across from a similar role at Cambridgeshire County Council. Oliver, has worked in senior roles for Blackpool Transport, and First Bus, as well as having run his own independent bus company. I think that Oliver was the initiator of the scheme to purchase ticket machines to provide minor operators with compatible equipment. I think he'd understand A2B.

[John Wakefield]

To my mind, the person to contact would not be the mayor, as he has responsibilities for all of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority's remit. I think that Oliver Howarth, Bus Strategy Manager, oliver.howarth@cambridgeshirepeterborough-ca.gov.uk and/or Paul Nelson, Public Transport Manager, paul.nelson@cambridgeshirepeterborough-ca.gov.uk would be the people to contact.

Paul TUPE-d across from a similar role at Cambridgeshire County Council. Oliver, has worked in senior roles for Blackpool Transport, and First Bus, as well as having run his own independent bus company. I think that Oliver was the initiator of the scheme to purchase ticket machines to provide minor operators with compatible equipment. I think he'd understand A2B.

TCD813 I take your point, certainly Paul Nelson is the man responsible for bus contracts, along with Andy Hunt andy.hunt@cambridgeshirepeterborough-ca.gov.uk but its also worth making the Mayor aware of what going on (or rather not going on). From previous conversations with Oliver he is working on the 'bigger picture' bus strategy and planning the proposed franchising. 

[dwarfer1979]

TCD813 I take your point, certainly Paul Nelson is the man responsible for bus contracts, along with Andy Hunt andy.hunt@cambridgeshirepeterborough-ca.gov.uk but its also worth making the Mayor aware of what going on (or rather not going on). From previous conversations with Oliver he is working on the 'bigger picture' bus strategy and planning the proposed franchising.

Cambridge & Peterborough may be the correct authority for the 22 but the R47 is a Rutland County Council contract so any issues with the operation of that contract would need to be referred to them, however it may be debatable how much interest they have in the sections outside Rutland that aren't part of the core contract (which is essentially to provide travel for Rutland residents to Peterborough City Centre & Kings School) particularly the short trips to/from Longthorpe which I suspect are commercial as they weren't part of the original tender.  Ultimately the responsibility for regulating bus services lies with the DVSA & the Traffic Commissioners rather than local authorities.

[John Wakefield]

Cambridge & Peterborough may be the correct authority for the 22 but the R47 is a Rutland County Council contract so any issues with the operation of that contract would need to be referred to them, however it may be debatable how much interest they have in the sections outside Rutland that aren't part of the core contract (which is essentially to provide travel for Rutland residents to Peterborough City Centre & Kings School) particularly the short trips to/from Longthorpe which I suspect are commercial as they weren't part of the original tender.  Ultimately the responsibility for regulating bus services lies with the DVSA & the Traffic Commissioners rather than local authorities.

It is the 22 route that is the concern, a rural route serving outlying villages between St Ives and Warboys. The first point of complaint should always be to the the authority issuing the tender, ie CPCA in this case. The DVSA & TC's do not normally accept reports from general public on bus service irregularities and do not make it easy to register a complaint.

[CM611]

To my mind, the person to contact would not be the mayor, as he has responsibilities for all of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority's remit. I think that Oliver Howarth, Bus Strategy Manager, oliver.howarth@cambridgeshirepeterborough-ca.gov.uk and/or Paul Nelson, Public Transport Manager, paul.nelson@cambridgeshirepeterborough-ca.gov.uk would be the people to contact.

Paul TUPE-d across from a similar role at Cambridgeshire County Council. Oliver, has worked in senior roles for Blackpool Transport, and First Bus, as well as having run his own independent bus company. I think that Oliver was the initiator of the scheme to purchase ticket machines to provide minor operators with compatible equipment. I think he'd understand A2B.

With regards to the comment regarding Oliver would understand A2B it was months before Oliver even recognised A2B or even Made a contact his first quote about A2B was " I wonder what there modus operandi Is as you see one bus a fortnight " and yes Oliver did initiate the ticket machine scheme(part of dft funding so not really his) and the scheme was that you would HAVE to lease or rent TICKETER machines from the local authority which where also at inflated prices, we at A2B produce and supply the tixiom brand which is currently used by dews, star, A2B, and soon Mil-Ken so pretty much all small independents, Oliver has no control over these and wanted then replaced with Ticketer.
I can assure you that Brian deals with Oliver because he has to like most other small companies however Oliver's sights are firmly set with Stagecoach. Paul Nelson however has a good understanding of the bus network and a genuine desire to improve it.

[linkyyork]

It is good to read opinions but comments on other persons are not really in order especially if they cannot reply.

[John Wakefield]

It is good to read opinions but comments on other persons are not really in order especially if they cannot reply.

They can always join the ATVBF and give their side of things. I am sure they get to know about comments here and are aware of this thread. I would be surprised if Oliver is not already a member.

[bryangmccarthy]

For the past few days unable to track (on bustimes.org) the 47/47B journeys. The 22 Group at St Ives are trackable so are the empty running's between Peterborough (Thorpe Meadows) & St Ives. Is this a deliberate ploy by Vectare?

[linkyyork]

They can always join the ATVBF and give their side of things. I am sure they get to know about comments here and are aware of this thread. I would be surprised if Oliver is not already a member.

To follow this logic would certainly greatly increase membership of the group.
However I do not think postings telling us what one person thinks another person is thinking or doing is worthy of reply from the accused person and in my opinion demeans the group.
Lets stick to fact or honest opinion.

[TCD813]

To follow this logic would certainly greatly increase membership of the group.
However I do not think postings telling us what one person thinks another person is thinking or doing is worthy of reply from the accused person and in my opinion demeans the group.
Lets stick to fact or honest opinion.

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