Quote: Ian P "Makes you laugh don't it and EYMS put in the lowest tender as well.
I have asked the council several times what happens for using the KC stadium. EYMS can epxand the service quite easily by utilising double deckers, I can not see this new company having DD stood around awaiting match days.
So far I have not had a reasonable answer, " The service that will provided by the company will meet the needs of the service " is very vague .'"
Being in a position to comment, there is an awful lot more to this than meets the eye.
Basically, the contract was only awarded to CT Plus because they offered to bail out the ailing WHCT arm of the council's transport service, something which was not part of the original tender package, and something which if EYMS management had known about, would have included in their offer at no extra cost, still making it cheaper than CT's offer by £34,000.
CT Plus held a meeting on Sunday with the current Park & Ride staff and other members of EYMS management. The drivers have been offered the chance to transfer over under a TEPE agreement. After this meeting they agreed as one that they will be going nowhere near CT Plus. No buses (as per the article), no lease agreement signed on the land, operating with 1 spare vehicle (which is asking for trouble with a fleet of brand new vehicles), maintenance to be undertaken by "a man in a garage 3 streets away" (ditto), minor maintenance, fuelling, cleaning and washing to be done by the drivers, probably at the end of a 12-hour shift, although no-one knows about that because they haven't even drawn up any schedules or duties! Shambolic doesn't even come close.
As for Ian P's point about special events, rumours are that EYMS have been approached, but so have 2 of the area's less salubrious bus companies. Let's put it this way, if the work is contracted to them, there will be at least 3 wheelchair users who will have no way of returning to Priory Park after City night matches, that i do know.
Nothing about it adds up, and i know i can't really say what i believe has gone on, but you can read the above and draw your own conclusions. What i do know is that EYMS have run that Park & Ride for over 6 years, have received minimal complaints, have always provided buses for all occasions and events, and yet the council sees fit to offer the contract to an out of town cowboy outfit, while taking part in the HDM's 'Bounceback' campaign! Amazing!
Just as an aside, there is a Bus Forum at Guildhall on January 27th. If you use the Park & Ride, whether it be every day or for FC/City games, get yourselves down there and tell them what you think.
