Re: Vectare Happenings

[pbt]

Route 22 is now operated by Vectare from September 27th. Full timetable is on their website. I believe it is worked by the same bus that does the 47 Melton Mowbray to Peterborough.

Edit: remove (2) from subject title of merged topic

[John Wakefield]

Begs the question as how can a company based in Loughborough undercut a local firm like Dews who are based in the area?

[HughT]

I guess the additional costs of running the 22 are sufficiently low to make the finances work. They have a bus and driver in Peterborough with nothing to do for over 7 hours. It's a long way back to the depot (dead running, no income). What had me puzzled is why anyone would have wanted the contract for the 47, given the length of the route.

And there was some uncertainty about Dews operating the 22 after the contracts were retendered, so perhaps this is the (?)logical outcome.

[Derbyshire Ninja]

Begs the question as how can a company based in Loughborough undercut a local firm like Dews who are based in the area?

They had taken on the R47 and were tapping on to the 22 saves driver sitting for 7 hours or running back to the depots ie Loughborough Long Eaton or Stansted

[HughT]

(I realise this post is nothing to do with Dews, so apologies - there isn't a Vectare page anywhere in the Forum at present!)

Just wondering - Vectare's contract for the 22 continues with the Saturday version of the route (via Somersham). Are they really running dead from Loughborough (minimum 70 miles each way) to operate a service that requires 5 hours of driving? The 47 doesn't operate Saturdays.

[John Wakefield]

Another issue operating so far from base is what happens should a breakdown occur? Its one thing to call in another operator to do the service but the driver would need to know the route and have a ticket machine, and the bus have the relevant destination display.  Dews being local to the 22 route would at short notice be able to send out a replacement bus & driver to cover. Also depending on what type of vehicle is being used, it would be getting low on fuel by the time it returned to the depot.

[linkyyork]

According to TCs site Vectare - PF2006130 - have operating bases listed at

GARDNER TRAVEL, MAIN ROAD, RETTENDON COMMON, CHELMSFORD, CM3 8DZ, GB - 9 vehicles
   
THE BUS AND COACH HUB, ROBERT WAY, WICKFORD, SS11 8DD, GB   - 8 vehicles

They also have operating bases under PC2013544 at

TRENT COLLEGE, DERBY ROAD, LONG EATON, NOTTINGHAM, NG10 4AD, GB   - 3 vehicles
   
THE BUNGALOW, THE OLD DAIRY, MEADOW LANE, LONG EATON, NG10 2FE, GB - 7 vehicles

Address for both registrations is
Advanced Technology Innovation Centre, 5 OAKWOOD DRIVE, LOUGHBOROUGH, NG9 7GW, GB

[John Wakefield]

Have started a thread on Vectare. Has anyone seen one of their buses on the 22 Warboys - St Ives service yet? A pic would be good.
Looks like they were started by two university students in 2016, so new boys on the scene https://vectare.co.uk/discover/

[HughT]

I see Vectare also operate a school run serving Saffron Walden. Perhaps the vehicle off that could work the St Ives 22? (Mere speculation, I admit!)

[John Wakefield]

A few years ago Renown Coaches of  Bexhill on Sea had a bus out stationed with Meridian Line Travel of Royston with a local driver.  Did a public am & pm service between Chrishall & Saffron Walden which also included Newport Grammar School and Saffron Walden High School,  plus a shoppers bus in between. They did not last long and Renown retreated back to Bexhill on Sea.

[linkyyork]

According to TCs site Vectare - PF2006130 - have operating bases listed at

GARDNER TRAVEL, MAIN ROAD, RETTENDON COMMON, CHELMSFORD, CM3 8DZ, GB - 9 vehicles
   
THE BUS AND COACH HUB, ROBERT WAY, WICKFORD, SS11 8DD, GB   - 8 vehicles

They also have operating bases under PC2013544 at

TRENT COLLEGE, DERBY ROAD, LONG EATON, NOTTINGHAM, NG10 4AD, GB   - 3 vehicles
   
THE BUNGALOW, THE OLD DAIRY, MEADOW LANE, LONG EATON, NG10 2FE, GB - 7 vehicles

Address for both registrations is
Advanced Technology Innovation Centre, 5 OAKWOOD DRIVE, LOUGHBOROUGH, NG9 7GW, GB

[HughT]

The driver of yesterday's Peterborough-Melton working left the tracker on at the end of service. So the vehicle (EVM Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, RX20 RDV) headed up the A606 and was last recorded at the layby just a few metres NW of the A46 junction. At which point the tracking stops. Heading to Long Eaton, perhaps?

[John Wakefield]

Cant be many passengers on the 66 service the Sprinter would only be around 15 plus wheelchair. so cant be very profitable for a 36 mile journey. Is the 66 a tendered service?

[Palatine]

Vectare do have a strange scattering of routes in the East Midlands and Essex, although their "patch" is nowhere near the 22. Almost reminds me of the days we had Renown Coaches (based in Bexhill-on-Sea down near Hastings) running a tendered service in Saffron Walden several years ago!

[Barry]

Strange company - their website talks about technology a lot, but it's not clear how they're using it!

[dwarfer1979]

Strange company - their website talks about technology a lot, but it's not clear how they're using it!

Their origins are as a technology solutions company and the original business model was in organising school contracts, largely the large private/grammar schools who organise their own transport, and later major employers where they used various computer modelling tools to produce a more efficient network of dedicated routes based on where the students/employees actually live and then they would manage the contract bringing in other operators to run the routes.  Based on an article in the trade press at some point in recent years they decided they needed to better understand the operators point of view in regards to costing and operational issues and decided to set up their own operator which started out running some low scale commercial & contracted services in South Nottinghamshire largely with new Mercedes Sprinters.  Quite why the decided to move from that data generating small operation to this widely disparate operation spread so wide I don't know.

[dennisdart]

There is also a company called "Zeelo" that appear to be doing a similar thing although in this
case they do not seem to operate their own vehicles but hire in operators to run the contracts.

In Peterborough there are firms from London doing local college and school contracts. Some of
the drivers stay at Peterborough services all week. If you look at the Stamford College website
some of the providers for the routes are listed as Zeelo along with Blands, Nationwide and Fowlers.

Anyone heard of them?

[linkyyork]

This appears to be their website
https://zeelo.co/
Nothing for them on TCs but of course they are running late with listing

They are on Companies House as Company number 10274913 Registered office address
2 Underwood Row, London, United Kingdom, N1 7LQ

[John Wakefield]

Their origins are as a technology solutions company and the original business model was in organising school contracts, largely the large private/grammar schools who organise their own transport, and later major employers where they used various computer modelling tools to produce a more efficient network of dedicated routes based on where the students/employees actually live and then they would manage the contract bringing in other operators to run the routes.  Based on an article in the trade press at some point in recent years they decided they needed to better understand the operators point of view in regards to costing and operational issues and decided to set up their own operator which started out running some low scale commercial & contracted services in South Nottinghamshire largely with new Mercedes Sprinters.  Quite why the decided to move from that data generating small operation to this widely disparate operation spread so wide I don't know.

Vectare was founded by university friends Peter Nathanail and Dominic Kalantary in 2016. We saw a burgeoning opportunity to raise standards in transport services – to improve efficiency, safety, reliability and the customer experience with technology. This has been our mission, and we’ve grown phenomenally in these few short years to now proudly transport 1.5 million passengers per annum. Our diverse and client list includes local authorities, schools, colleges, universities, corporates and the UK Government. 
Odd that to ex university students think they can succeed in the bus and coach business when many old established companies with years of experience are finding it tough and giving up!

[Barry]

I would understand what they were up to if they were trying to be a Flixbus or Uber (I'd just think that the stability and desirability of contracts to established operators would have meant that this wasn't the way into the market).  However this doesn't appear to be what they're trying to do!

[HughT]

I'd been hoping to post a pic of the Vectare vehicle operating today's 1327 Warboys-St Ives as I boarded it in Warboys. But... it never showed up. So I took Stagecoach services via Houghton! A rather roundabout route, but at last I wasn't stuck in Warboys...

[John Wakefield]

I'd been hoping to post a pic of the Vectare vehicle operating today's 1327 Warboys-St Ives as I boarded it in Warboys. But... it never showed up. So I took Stagecoach services via Houghton! A rather roundabout route, but at last I wasn't stuck in Warboys...

Not good Hugh, have you reported it to CPCA?  tel No 01480 277180 or email andrew.hunt@cambridgeshire.gov.uk

[HughT]

I've queried it with Vectare (very politely), who have passed it to their operations team. Bear in mind that the driver has only just made it to Melton Mowbray! If I'd had the appropriate tech, I could have located the vehicle at the time it was due to depart Warboys Clock Tower. But sadly not. What's clear  from bustimes.org is that the 1300 ex-StI started the trip (but no info re actual running times, or how far along the route it travelled). But of the 1327 there's no trace. I'll post more as/when/if I have additional info.

CORRECTION (posted 18.26): Most of my post was rubbish - partly because I've forgotten that today is Tuesday! Right, looking at bustimes.org - and now realising it's Tuesday - it looks as though the vehicle that was supposed to be operating around St Ives today came in from Melton Mowbray, via Peterborough, and embarked on its first Cambs run (the 0925 ex-St I). At which point all tracking disappears. So perhaps it had to be taken out of service?

[John Wakefield]

Link to Vectare timetable for 22 https://east.vectareportal.co.uk/mediafiles/22_Full_TT_Web_270921.pdf

Looking at the fare chart for the 47 Melton Mowbray - Peterborough the single fare is £5.40. so with a 16 seat minibus the max revenue per trip is £86.40  but as the bus is unlikely to run full it will be less that that,even with 10 on board (assuming all passengers did the full journey) it would only be £54. Its not viable to run a bus service at these fares.  https://east.vectareportal.co.uk/mediafiles/Fare_Chart_47_260921.pdf

[John Wakefield]

This posting on Vectare East Twitter page yesterday (5th October)
@VectareEast
Due to a major vehicle fault we have had to suspend Service 22 between Warboys and St Ives today. We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience caused. Normal service will operate tomorrow.

So exactly the issue that I mention in my previous post, when buses are working routes many miles from base there is a major problem should a breakdown/incident occur in that the operator cant get a replacement vehicle out to resume the service.

[HughT]

Thanks for that, John. I didn't realise there was a separate Twitter account for Vectare East. I'd only looked (when I made it home!) on the Vectare main feed.

Those Mercedes sprinters are all pretty new, so hopefully there won't be too many breakdowns. And they're unlikely to suffer as many cancellations as Whippet at the moment... ... ... :-(

[dennisdart]

Link to Vectare timetable for 22 https://east.vectareportal.co.uk/mediafiles/22_Full_TT_Web_270921.pdf

Looking at the fare chart for the 47 Melton Mowbray - Peterborough the single fare is £5.40. so with a 16 seat minibus the max revenue per trip is £86.40  but as the bus is unlikely to run full it will be less that that,even with 10 on board (assuming all passengers did the full journey) it would only be £54. Its not viable to run a bus service at these fares.  https://east.vectareportal.co.uk/mediafiles/Fare_Chart_47_260921.pdf

The 47 route is mainly used by pupils from the Kings School in Peterborough.

[dennisdart]

This appears to be their website
https://zeelo.co/
Nothing for them on TCs but of course they are running late with listing

They are on Companies House as Company number 10274913 Registered office address
2 Underwood Row, London, United Kingdom, N1 7LQ

Pictured below is one of the "Zeelo" coaches that is operating school and college contracts
around Peterborough and Stamford. One wonders how long before they start tendering for
contracts during the day to utilise the vehicles. This was taken at Peterborough services.

[bryangmccarthy]

Vectare Route 47
This company seems to have a major problem in the way it operates this route. There have recently been numerous instances of the "short workings" being cancelled, also failings of not serving Queensgate Bus Station or running the booked route via Longthorpe "Fox & Hounds" on the main journeys. Not a very good advert for the company. According to the company due to Driver Error.