Oliver Coppard Lays Out Case For Bus Franchising In South Yorkshire

[Irene Swaine 1,072]

The bus companies have done a tremendous job of owning and maintaining their own fleet. Olive Grove's engineering department does an excellent job at keeping such a high volume of buses in service. 

 

To buy the buses would mean us the tax payer fork out for them ultimately. It would ofcourse create more funding and a higher salary for Oliver Coppard if his duties were to increase. It would be advantageous to him, not us. The idea of taking buses out of public ownership in the late 1980s was that competition creates a better service. And it did just that. Soon afterwards, Waingate was flooded with newly founded bus companies, all providing frequent services to all corners of the city. Customer service improved, hence the phrase "Sheffield's friendliest buses" being the slogan of Yorkshire Terrier. We got great service and the companies knew they had to go the extra mile. 

 

The railways are currently under intense control by the DfT, government body. More so than they were prior to 2020. The service has deteriorated enormously and strike action is now common practice. 

 

Have you ever tried calling the DWP? The hold times are ridiculous. The staff are rude. You are passed from pillar to post and they can get away with it because there is no competition.

 

NHS hospitals offer neglectful levels of care. The food is appalling. Patients are left in corridors because there are no beds. That would never happen in a private commercial hospital. 

 

Privatisation is a good thing. If this goes ahead with the buses, it will have a negative impact for passengers. When Stagecoach hand back the keys to Supertram, that will go down hill as well, mark my words.

[RollingJ 2,048]

So you would see your council tax rocket to pay for this 'brave new world' - and you would be happy? OK.

[SheffieldForum 946]

1 minute ago, Irene Swaine said:

The idea of taking buses out of public ownership in the late 1980s was that competition creates a better service. And it did just that. Soon afterwards, Waingate was flooded with newly founded bus companies, all providing frequent services to all corners of the city. Customer service improved, hence the phrase "Sheffield's friendliest buses" being the slogan of Yorkshire Terrier. We got great service and the companies knew they had to go the extra mile.

 

Have you ever tried calling the DWP? The hold times are ridiculous. The staff are rude. You are passed from pillar to post and they can get away with it because there is no competition.

 

NHS hospitals offer neglectful levels of care. The food is appalling. Patients are left in corridors because there are no beds. That would never happen in a private commercial hospital. 

 

Privatisation is a good thing. If this goes ahead with the buses, it will have a negative impact for passengers. When Stagecoach hand back the keys to Supertram, that will go down hill as well, mark my words.

Where are all those companies now? Where's the Yorkshire Terrier?

 

Not sure what the DWP and NHS have to do with it either.

[RollingJ 2,048]

Sorry,  @Irene Swaine - the above post is aimed at Sheffield Forum, not you.

[RollingJ 2,048]

Just now, SheffieldForum said:

Where are all those companies now? Where's the Yorkshire Terrier?

 

Not sure what the DWP and NHS have to do with it either.

Part of Stagecoach.

[Irene Swaine 1,072]

Just now, RollingJ said:

Sorry,  @Irene Swaine - the above post is aimed at Sheffield Forum, not you.

Not to worry, I gathered so.

[SheffieldForum 946]

3 minutes ago, RollingJ said:

So you would see your council tax rocket to pay for this 'brave new world' - and you would be happy? OK.

I'm keeping an open mind for now.

 

In principle I don't mind paying a little more council tax for better public transport.

 

 

[Irene Swaine 1,072]

1 minute ago, SheffieldForum said:

Where are all those companies now? Where's the Yorkshire Terrier?

 

Yorkshire Terrier became part of Stagecoach Group, and Mainline First. The success in Sheffield of private operators naturally attracted the interest and lucrative offers of the fat cat companies. Said companies have since invested millions of pounds in services in the local area. 

 

3 minutes ago, SheffieldForum said:

Not sure what the DWP and NHS have to do with it either.

They are services that are under public control. Oliver Coppard wants to bring bus services under more stringent public control. My point is that public control would be bad for the end user.

[Irene Swaine 1,072]

1 minute ago, SheffieldForum said:

principle I don't mind paying a little more council tax for better public transport.

 

And if it all went belly up, would you be happy to pay considerably more to bail them out?

[RollingJ 2,048]

Just now, SheffieldForum said:

I'm keeping an open mind for now.

 

In principle I don't mind paying a little more council tax for better public transport.

 

 

When SHeffield City Council ran their own bus fleet - there is a parallel - the vehicles were ancient, badly maintained - and costly, in terms of the then rates - now read Community Charge.

[SheffieldForum 946]

5 minutes ago, RollingJ said:

Part of Stagecoach.

And that is part of the problem - competition was opened up, but then the bigger operators swallowed up the smaller ones and removed a lot of that competitive element to the detriment of the whole principle of privatisation (which is a problem with privatisation in general).

 

 

[RollingJ 2,048]

1 minute ago, SheffieldForum said:

And that is part of the problem - competition was opened up, but then the bigger operators swallowed up the smaller ones and removed a lot of that competitive element to the detriment of the whole principle of privatisation (which is a problem with privatisation in general).

 

 

Ah - I see a pattern emerging.