Link Travel (TFBG2011009) - Enquiries

Could Merseytravel fund three 122 journeys (from the 28/11/2011) from Crosby (Islington) to Aintree University Hospital (Broadway) on Mondays to Saturdays, departing at 05:23, 05:53 and 06:23 please?

This is by request from staff at Aintree University Hospital who live along the 122 route between Crosby and Aintree and need to be at work before 07:00. It would save Aintree University Hospital money for travel expenses too (all staff currently use cars and get taxis - if they had a bus service to use, they would use it).

We would be looking at funding of around £600 per week altogether if possible.

The tender would have to be made publicly available to all companies before hand. If i think il put it on the next tender list

K853 MTJ wrote:The tender would have to be made publicly available to all companies before hand. If i think il put it on the next tender list

I'll make a timetable then and post it in here within the hour.

Timetable attached for morning 122 journeys that need funding for Aintree University Hospital staff. The service needs to start on the 28/11/2011.

would the service require a double or single deker?

DMN 33-1 wrote:would the service require a double or single deker?

Definetly just a single-decker bus. The funding is required as it'll only mainly be used for early-morning staff (I doubt a double-decker will be needed).

MX61 AYE wrote:Timetable attached for morning 122 journeys that need funding for Aintree University Hospital staff. The service needs to start on the 28/11/2011.

im afraid that date cannot be achieved. the next set of tenders isnt released until in a few weeks. therefore you'll have to not do the services or do them without funding on commercial basis.

K853 MTJ wrote:

MX61 AYE wrote:Timetable attached for morning 122 journeys that need funding for Aintree University Hospital staff. The service needs to start on the 28/11/2011.

im afraid that date cannot be achieved. the next set of tenders isnt released until in a few weeks. therefore you'll have to not do the services or do them without funding on commercial basis.

There's no need for funding then. We'll run the journeys commercially until we enquire back to Aintree University Hospital (to see what they can do - they may be able to fund all or some of the journeys).

Thanks anyway.

Any service funding has to be dealt with via Merseytravel sooner or later really mate, and plus a hospital can barely fund itself never mind a bus

K853 MTJ wrote:Any service funding has to be dealt with via Merseytravel sooner or later really mate, and plus a hospital can barely fund itself never mind a bus

Couldnt the journeys be funded temporarily (until the next set of tenders) for us to run it (like with Strawberry's 319)?

No official funding can occur unless the contract is offered up to other companies, and that cant happen until the next tenders come out. It cant be offered up on an emergency contract due to their not being a current situation which warrants such action being taken.

K853 MTJ wrote:No official funding can occur unless the contract is offered up to other companies, and that cant happen until the next tenders come out. It cant be offered up on an emergency contract due to their not being a current situation which warrants such action being taken.

So how did it work with Strawberry then? They were awarded funding for morning and afternoon journeys (mainly for students).

I cant say iv followed the situation in all honesty.

K853 MTJ wrote:I cant say iv followed the situation in all honesty.

A few weeks ago, they were awarded funding for morning and afternoon 319 journeys (Oliver Howarth said so himself on the Strawberry website and via e-mail), mainly because on non-college days, the services had poor patronage.

That's exactly the same as what we want, apart from it's only three one-way morning services and it's mainly for hospital staff.

Plus, the hospital staff buy our DayLinkers (they use later journeys to return home), so if another company had the journeys then staff wouldn't be happy that they'd have to pay there and back, probably resulting back to the use of taxis, etc...

if it had low patronage why did it get funding for it to run empty? :S

K853 MTJ wrote:if it had low patronage why did it get funding for it to run empty? :S

It has low-patronage on non-college days. On college days, the majority of passengers have passes. Strawberry didn't want to withdraw the services as students would have no link. Funding was their only option I guess.

but why is the need for funding for you so urgent if its coming up on tender soon anyway?

K853 MTJ wrote:but why is the need for funding for you so urgent if its coming up on tender soon anyway?

Because I'd rather the journeys started with next week's 122 timetable revise so passengers (and hospital staff) aren't messed about. Plus, revising the service again requires me to revise bus duties (etc...) again, and I'm trying to avoid doing that until I introduce school services after the Christmas and new-year period.

Im very sorry to say that funding cannot be granted for company convenience im afraid. Should the problem have been the fact that there for some reason there may have been demand or increased patronage to warrant these services, that would secure temp or even permanant funding, however on the grounds that it would benefit the organisation of your company does not warrant the funding to be offered for the service. The best i can offer you is that the requested journies are brought up for tender in the next batch of tenders, should your company win those tenders, you will receive full funding for them, should you not then your company will be re-imbursed any money that you may have lost operating your requested journies until the tenders were released.
Im sorry funding cannot be offered but i dont see your reasons as sufficient cause for funding, i hope you understand.

K853 MTJ wrote:Im very sorry to say that funding cannot be granted for company convenience im afraid. Should the problem have been the fact that there for some reason there may have been demand or increased patronage to warrant these services, that would secure temp or even permanant funding, however on the grounds that it would benefit the organisation of your company does not warrant the funding to be offered for the service. The best i can offer you is that the requested journies are brought up for tender in the next batch of tenders, should your company win those tenders, you will receive full funding for them, should you not then your company will be re-imbursed any money that you may have lost operating your requested journies until the tenders were released.
Im sorry funding cannot be offered but i dont see your reasons as sufficient cause for funding, i hope you understand.

After a quick talk with the hospital in question today, they told us that morning shifts mainly start between 06:30 and 07:00. I was then told that some night shifts also finish at around that time, which brings me onto our current plans (which will commence in January). We will be launching two return early-morning journeys which arrive at the hospital just before 06:30 and 07:00 and depart from the hospital just after the times. The reason why we pick January is that our school services will be commencing then and these journeys could easily interwork onto the latter. Also, the hospital shift changes occur at the end of December, easily fitting in with us.

If, in January, the services are loss-making, we'll get back in touch with you, Merseytravel. Thanks for your advice and support.