Leicester City slimming
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• • Loss-making Leicester City Bus is to close its Abbey Park garage and workshops and decentralise to four locations.
This follows last week's financial results, which showed a £1.3m loss on a turnover of £12.5m. The company lost £0.6 million in the 18 months following deregulation.
City Bus launched an economy drive earlier this year, selling its Loughborough Trippits division to Midland Fox in April. It also sold its coach fleet and modern doubledeckers, and revised its services. More minibuses have been introduced on City services: 11 more have just been delivered. LCB's management believes the company is now in better shape than the latest figures suggest.
It will move next year to three green-field sites as well as its Barlastone depot. Separate cost centres will be set up, each with its own general manager. Staff and services are to become more responsive to competition especially from fast-expanding Midland Fox.
LCB is also negotiating a management/employee buyout. The City Council has approved the transfer in principal, and the Department of Transport has given the go-ahead for detailed arrangements.