Coach hire firm one step closer to achieving its expansion goal

Runcorn based coach hire providers, Selwyns, are another step closer to achieving their goal of expanding its client base in the North West after completing the takeover of Manchester based coach operators, Haytons, last week.

Selwyns hope to increase their turnover by 50% following the acquisition of Haytons in a bid which is believed to have cost the long running company £4 million. Along with the fleet of 25 coaches, Selwyns also take on 70 new staff, many of which were the original management team at Haytons, including the drivers, senior managers and engineers.

The Manchester based company’s former head quarters in Gorton will continue to operate under the new leadership of Selwyns and will form a separate division of the company.

Having provided private coach hire services throughout the North West for the past 40 years, Selwyns has succeeded in generating a firm client base in the region. While the established company admitted the last few years since the credit crunch hit have been challenging, thanks to their strong client base and position, they’ve been able to take advantage of opportunities that their rivals may have not been able to fulfil most recently.

Selwyns say they have identified a number of opportunities and markets they hope to target over the next 12 months which will be aided following the acquisition of Haytons and the manpower and vehicles the takeover brings with it.

The coach travel company now boasts a work force of 250 people with bases in three different locations including Runcorn, St Helens and now Manchester.

National Express £9 summer coach fares help boost profits

National Express have reported a rise in revenue in the last three months to September of 6% boosted by the transport operator’s successful summer promotional campaign of £9 coach fares.

The summer is the busiest period for all coach hire companies and so the success of the £9 coach tickets, which allowed customers to travel anywhere in the UK on the standard rate fare, helped National Express attract new customers during this time. According to the coach operator’s figures, 300,000 passengers took up the £9 bus fare offer which was available to anyone booking a one way ticket, a minimum of 14 days in advance.

The coach and rail operator also credited their Eurolines brand with helping to boost revenue by 6% in this period.

National Express weren’t the only coach travel provider to report an increase in passenger numbers and profits this year with Stagecoach, which operates both rail and bus routes, reporting that they’re on target to meet full year expectations as a result of growth in both train and coach travel.

The figures from these two leading public transport operators seems to suggest that more and more people and opting to leave their cars at home and jump on the bus and train instead. With fuel prices and the cost of motoring continuing to rise, coach offers such as the one from National Express this year are proving very tempting for those who would normally choose to travel by car.

Coach hire deals for football fans attending the Charity Shield match at Wembley

If you’re planning a trip to London this Sunday to see Manchester United take on Manchester City at Wembley stadium for the chance to lift the Charity Shield, then Coach Broker is able to offer you a highly competitive deal on chauffeur driven coach or minibus hire so you can travel to London is style.

Whether you’re cheering on the red devils or the blues come Sunday, Coach Broker will be able to provide you with a cheap coach hire deal to Wembley. As a nationwide operator, Coach Broker offer chauffeur driven coach and minibus hire services throughout the UK so if you’re travelling from Manchester or Coventry, Cardiff or Chester, Edinburgh or Bristol, Brighton or Durham, Coach Broker can transport you to Wembley in the lap of luxury.

However many football fans you need to transport to London, whether it’s an entire football team, or just a handful of family and friends, Coach Broker have access to the largest fleet of coaches and minibuses in the UK so they’ll be able to match you to the right vehicle to suit your requirements.

Take a look at Coach Broker’s fleet and you’ll find everything from 90-seater double-decker coaches to 10-seater minibuses, 25-seater mini coaches to 50-seater standard coaches and 6-seater people carriers and 32-seater coaches so however many passengers you have, Coach Broker has it covered.

With 90,000 football fans expected to descend upon Wembley Stadium on Sunday to watch Manchester United and Manchester City battle it out for the second time this year, you need to get in touch with Coach Broker right away to ensure you get a seat on one of the many coaches travelling to London this weekend.

Coach Broker have a number of special offers available for football fans travelling to the Charity Shield match at Wembley on August 7th, get in touch for more details.

UK bus services hit by snow trouble

Snow and ice are playing havoc with transport services up and down the country with bus and rail travel in Manchester operating reduced services in some areas as a result.

Some bus routes in the Manchester area are being affected by the adverse weather conditions although the official word is that main routes will be operating, while those on smaller roads are likely to be disrupted.

Bus routes within Bristol city itself are reported to be all running to schedule, but yet again it’s the same situation as Manchester in as much as that smaller roads and routes which travel through rural villages are not being serviced by bus travel as normal. Also bus routes through housing estates are also having difficulty getting through in some areas.

The advice being given to those needing to travel by bus is to head to a main road as there is a greater likelihood that you’ll be successful in catching a service on these routes as the roads tend to be gritted, allowing buses to operate.

In the Bristol area both the Brislington and the Cabot Circus park and ride facilities and the Bristol Airport Flyer are operating a full service.

It’s advisable to check transport operator websites before setting off, and also to dress warmly in case of delays to services.

Coach fall death “accidental” says coroner

Football fan fell to his death after kicking open the emergency exit on a moving coach

The death of a Manchester United football fan who was killed as a result of falling from a moving coach has been recorded as “accidental” following a coroner’s inquest.

22-year-old man from Newport, South Wales, was travelling back from watching Manchester United beat Everton at home at the beginning of the year when the accident occurred.

Daniel McFarlane, a carpenter, had been warned by the coach party organiser that he would have to leave the vehicle if his bad behaviour continued. The football fan had got into an argument with another passenger and had smashed a glass, which he refused to clear up.

In his temper, McFarlane then kicked the emergency exit of the coach open saying, “If you want me off the bus I’ll get off” before plummeting to his death. The coach was travelling along the M5 near West Bromwich. McFarlane sustained multiple injuries as a result of the fall and died instantly.

The coroner’s court heard that the victim had been drinking and traces of cocaine had been found in his system.

The West Midland’s coroner recorded a verdict of “accidental death” adding that he didn’t think the accident would have occurred had McFarlane had been “thinking rationally.”

Manchester bus and coach company J.P Executive Travel invest in a new fleet

Bus firm invests £250,000 in new fleet of coaches

A North Manchester based coach and bus company J.P Executive Travel have invested in some brand spanking new additions to their growing fleet after receiving a £250,000 loan. It comes after the announcement that the company have been awarded the contracts to run an extra 5 routes in the North of Manchester by the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive.

New buses were needed to cope with the expansion plans so J.P Executive Travel splashed out on a brand new double-decker and a single-decker coach to operate on the new bus routes. These new high quality vehicles will provide passengers with a comfortable and enjoyable travel experience.

The family run bus firm was set up by Peter Walsh 35 years ago and was originally a coach hire company. Now Peter’s wife, Joan, and son, Mark, have taken over the day-to-day running of the business. Managing Director Mark said, “As we take on more work it is essential that we continue to update our fleet in order to ensure that our customers can travel in modern, comfortable vehicles.”

This year alone J.P Executive Travel has spent £400,000 on new vehicles so as to maintain a very high standard of service across all their routes. In total the company have 35 routes in operation across the North of Manchester, Bury and Rochester, and Managing Director Mark is confident of adding a few more to his list.

Manchester to vote on road traffic charge

The plans to introduce a charge on driving and in and out of Manchester city centre will be put to the people from next week.

For a two week period local residents will be able to cast their votes as to whether they support the plans to introduce fee to drive in the northern city.

The public response will then be taken into consideration as the local authorities weight up the pro’s and con’s of the scheme.

Drivers in their car hire transport will be keen to learn the outcome of the referendum, which will affect how road users can access the city.

The plans to introduce a charge face significant opposition, not least from the Manchester Against Road Tolls (Mart) group, which has a website dedicated to voicing their objections and mobilising support for their cause.

A congestion charge was introduced in Central London by the city’s then mayor Ken Livingstone in 2003.