New purchasing policy follows bus grunts
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SINCE the bus grant came into being operators up and down the country have rethought their vehicle buying policies in order to meet the changing needs of the passenger carrying market.
Independents particularly have often chosen significantly different vehicles to do the same type of work. This different approach is well illustrated by some recent vehicle purchases in the North East.
For example, Weardale Motor Services of Frosterley, Co Durham, has placed an llm Leyland Leopard with four-speed ZF gearbox and Plaxton Panorama express bodywork into service. The vehicle has 59 metal-framed bus seats fitted in a threeplus-two configuration at the rear. Weardale believes that this combination is worthwhile because it provides the public with luxury surroundings at very little extra costs to a standard bus body.
For the same reason the vehicle should be less difficult to sell because of its improved external appearance. The operator believes that traditional bus bodies are rather less popular in the used vehicle market at present.
This theory seems to be borne out by another northeast operator. Hunters of Seaton Deleval. It has recently re-equipped a yearold Plaxton-bodied Leyland Leopard with bus seats and is now operating the vehicle on its daily service to South Shields. Economic Bus Services of Sunderland is using a Pia x ton-bodied Bedford YRT on its Sunderland-South Shields service.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the coin, Mowbray's of South Moor. Stanley, Co Durham, has chosen the opposite approach. It is operating its busy StanleyDurham service with a Bedford YRT fitted with a conventional Willowbrook bus body. However, the vehicle is equipped with high-backed coach seats.
All this goes to show that every operator will pursue his own individual approach to attracting and retaining his passengers. It also shows that the programme of standardization now rampant in company bus operations has not even got off the ground among independents.