Travelwatch Northwest (TWNW) Is an Independent Community Interest Company Representing All Public Transport Users in North West England
1 Portland St Manchester: Tel 0161 279 6109 TravelWatch Email: admin@travelwatch-northwest.org.uk Website: www.travelwatch-northwest.org.uk Correspondence address – 11 Harvelin NORTHWEST Park, Todmorden, OL14 6HX promoting quality public transport.......... Jennifer Harvey Office of Fair Trading Fleetbank House 2-6 Salisbury Square London EC4Y 8JX 18th December 2012 Dear Jennifer, Anticipated acquisition by Greater Manchester Buses (South) Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Stagecoach plc, of Bluebird Bus & Coach Anticipated acquisition by Greater Manchester Buses (East) Limited of the business and assets operated from Lockett Road, Wigan of First Manchester Limited TravelWatch NorthWest (TWNW) is an independent Community Interest Company representing all public transport users in North West England. Our comments on these issues are as follows. Whilst there are some similarities between both references there are also significant differences. When bus services were deregulated (Transport Act 1985) it was widely and correctly predicted that after a period of unbridled competition the supply side of the bus industry would settle into a de facto oligopoly. Of the “big five” operators in this oligopoly, First Bus and Stagecoach Holdings (SCH) are currently the largest and next largest bus operators in the UK. A number of significantly sized independent operators have survived, emerged or ceased to trade, in some cases as a result of take- overs or predatory behaviour. Bluebird were amongst a number of successful smaller businesses built up both before and since deregulation (including surviving small operators in Greater Manchester such as Lancashire United Transport, Maynes, Bullocks, BuVal, South Lancs, Jim Stones etc.) Bluebird’s sale to SCH appears to have been between a willing buyer and a willing seller.
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