Rotala Share Discussion Threads

[don muang] 04/8/2007 17:07

>The BMMO days were a bit too early for me..

I'm only 40 something... !! So you don't remember the delights of the fume filled Midland Red terminal in the old Bull Ring .... and the red leather seats?

[don muang] 04/8/2007 16:58

winston ... thanks for the reply ....

>bid for Chiltern they don't end up paying over the odds

Hope whoever 'gets' Chiltern don't make any drastic changes .... if it ain't broke, don't fix it....

>evening services... end up carrying around far more of the scum bags

Agreed. Unfortunately from what I've seen the drivers seem to get minimal support from line management ... when they radio in anything, unless it's more serious, they usually seem to be told to 'proceed' on their journey as normal and take no action.... the scum bags know what they can get away with each and everytime they travel on TWM...
On one bus I was on recently, the heavy mob of inspectors got on .... one guy was smoking and only had a 'short hop' ticket ... all they did was made him get off (he was told to catch the next bus and pay the correct fare on it).... TWM have spent the first half of 2007 defending not taking action against smokers by saying they'd wait until new smoking rules started on 1st July and then clamp down ... but personally I haven't seen any sign of that clamp down...

>The cleanliness issue at TWM arises from their vehicles being on the road 18hrs a day

But they're dirty even in the morning on first runs of the day. And some of the interior repairs / patch-ups I've seen could have been done better by a blind nun..

Was on one the other day that had a badely damaged upper deck nearside front window - but was still in passenger service - looked like it'd been damaged from outside by hitting something like an overhanging branch rather than vandalism - and that was on a Sunday morning service so no excuse for no spare undamaged busses being available on that day...

>with the use of single deckers, passengers often prefer these over double deckers

On a couple of routes of TWM they've gone over to about 50% single deckers instead of all double deckers this year .... but anti-social element still doing what comes naturally to them at the back of the TWM single deckers ... and getting away with it.

[winston270] 04/8/2007 13:47

Don,

The BMMO days were a bit too early for me, I'm only 30...

Yes I saw NEG's results, its makes sence to change the management structure, I don't see the need for an individual management teams for each of the UK divisions, even more so now that the trains division has some what shrunk.... With the relocation to Birmingham and a central function they forecast some substantial cost savings... I'm surprised NEG didn't do better in the recent franchise awards with Bowker now at the helm, there is still the East Coast Main Line to be awarded and Chiltern Railways has the for sale board up, I just hope if NEG do decide to bid for Chiltern they don't end up paying over the odds to increase the Rail Portfolio.....

Up until recently it was generally only TWM that ran the majority of evening services, unfortunately for TWM's double deckers they tend to end up carrying around far more of the scum bags that trash their vehicles and cause anti social problems on board for other passengers. The cleanliness issue at TWM arises from their vehicles being on the road 18hrs a day; however I understand that TWM don't employ the army of cleaners they once used too in WMPTE days. Independent operators seem to suffer fewer problems in terms of vandalism & cleanliness, they don't seem to carry the type of problem clientele that TWM often endure.... with the use of single deckers, passengers often prefer these over double deckers due to feeling safer by being within the drivers view. I notice that TWM claim to have increased passenger numbers by 2% in Birmingham though, I hope with the recent influx of competitors in the form of Go-Ahead & Rotala to the West Midlands, this will focus TWM to become more innovative with new initiatives and increased investment in new vehicles etc.... Time will tell I guess!

I will be interesting to see if Rotala retain the North Birmingham Busways & Travel Ludlows brands & liveries, as both operators have a good name in reputation within their operating areas.... I'm personally not keen on Central Connects new livery....

winston

[don muang] 02/8/2007 15:43

Seems Flights Hallmark are advertising a vacancy for a 'Group Human Resources Manager' - needed due to 'acquisition and organic expansion'. Ad mentions that Rotala currently operates around 300 vehicles....

[don muang] 30/7/2007 07:50

... Yes, does seem very optimisic update .. (and don't think J. Gunn is given to 'hype').

previously was on the fence on this one .... but my prospective view has moved +ve (even taking in to account volatile markets at present).

[latestarter] 30/7/2007 07:33

certainly seem one of the more active co he is involved with, certainly sticking with it

[don muang] 27/7/2007 10:29

... and after saying I hadn't seen a Flights coach for ages .... then passed one half an hour ago.... !!!

[don muang] 27/7/2007 07:18

winston .... thanks for the info .... you seem very knowlegable on the West Midlands busses... were you around in the days of the BMMO (Midland Red) when you could stop them anywhere outside the Brum boundary....?

Presume you also saw from yesterdays Nat Express news that they plan to move the UK operating HQ to Brum by years end and just keep a 'small' registerred office in London.

Think most people prefer an alternative to WMT on any route .... whether it be that the busses are cleaner and usualy single decker on the other operators routes ... although have noticed some Diamond double deckers...

ROL certainly has an 'opportunity' if they can get it right. Now at 60p offer a with a narrower spread it's more 'interesting' than before as a potential good buy. Yes, also think that if ROL does progress, then It'll be taken out by a bigger operation - perhaps that's what the management are 'expecting' on long term timescale?

Birmingham, with the 'disadvantages' of no underground transport, a single Metro line, a 'missmash' of local rail routes, New St station, & expensive city centre parking would seem to provide an excellent opportunity for bus operators...

[winston270] 26/7/2007 23:53

Don,

Sorry I haven't replied sooner, but in terms of Rotala & Flights Coaches Tony Hunters Fotopic site should give you a good indication on the present branding/livery of Rotala's coach fleet:



From NEG's Interim results today, it seems they are currently in talks with Centro/Network West Midlands with a view to introducing some sort of quality partnership in the coming months (maybe similar to that in Dundee)....

Diamond have always done well on the 16, I think the local's prefer single deckers through Handsworth rather than TWM's double deckers, however TWM have an order for 60 x Scania / Omnilink this financial year (some of which are rumoured to be going on to the 16?).

Utimately, if Rotala become too successful at making a dent in TWM's margins I thin they will be taken out by either Go-Ahead Group or Veolia.....

[don muang] 19/7/2007 14:49

Well, there's the consolidated price today - at least it's made the spread narrower - equivalent to 2.48 / 2.68 'old' prices - will wait to see how it goes from here.

PS: notice that no NMS is yet showing for these in the advfn data available

[don muang] 19/7/2007 05:31

Hi winston270.

Only going on my own visual sitings. If you look in B'ham City centre the number of Diamond busses seems to have increased noticably e.g. routes 16 and 56 - and they actually have passengers on them and operate on Sundays as well. Near where I live it's Central Connects ex-Zak's operations on non-WMT routes. So that is as per your posting info. But Zak's don't seem to have many passengers on them. Arriva and Claribel's busses seem to be the cleanest around!

Time will tell .... but the sooner the better that TravelWM get 'dented'... whichever operator does it. I presume TWM are 'milking' the system whilst they still have the opportunity. National Express don't seem to have been too successful with rail franchises recently. Perhaps their bus predominant position might go same way eventually.... so I hope that ROL and the other alternative operators are successful.

PS: Haven't followed coach operations but always used to see 'Flights' coaches regularly - but they seem to be non existant recently - have they been 'rebranded'?

(Last year had a ride on the Flights coach that was used by Aston Villa for their cup parade in 1956. That's still owned by the 'Flights' family themselves and they recently had it refurbed - lovely vehicle inside and out).

[winston270] 19/7/2007 00:46

Don,

From what I've seen, Diamond are hardly putting much of a dent in TWM's business/profits, there has been very little responce from TWM on competing routes. Since Go-Ahead Group acquired The Birmingham Coach Company & People's Express to form Diamond, they are currently in the process of going through a period of consolidation, i.e dropping Centro tendered routes, school services & night services and concentrating a commericial routes in competetion with TWM.

Central Connect (Rotala) on the other hand, up until the recent purchases of North Birmingham Busways & Ludlow's, Halesowen have favoured tendered routes, however the latest acquistions bring with them a number of commercial routes... Ludlows in particular, the majority of the commercial routes operated don't compete directly with TWM, these services link roads/towns not covered by TWM.

Ultimately its Rotala's shareholders that should benefit through proposed savings, however the passengers should benefits from increased investment in new vehicles etc....

[don muang] 18/7/2007 16:41

But will 'savings' only be short term or will they benefit 'customers' - and thereby benefit ROL in the medium long / term? The AA made lots of short term engineering and admin savings which subsequently lost money paying customers who will never return... As far as I'm aware, Zak's are operating from the Long Acre depot already - if they can't organise to get a bus from there to the start of a route on time during off-peak period then..? On one route before that was late then the reason given to peeved paying customers was that the driver overslept... !!

ROL need something different to gain business from the primary operator (TravelWM). So far, I've seen that Diamond are making inroads to TravelWM business. As yet it looks like ROL might not be...? As seen from my previous postings a while ago I was optimistic - but having physically seen various things recently then I'm not now 'convinced'...and am now sitting on the fence....

[winston270] 18/7/2007 11:57

I Believe recently acquired North Birmingham Busways are moving in with Central Connect/Flights Hallmark at their Long Acre depot in Aston, Birmingham from 1st August. That should result in some engineering, admin savings etc,

[don muang] 18/7/2007 10:55

So, I presume consolidated price will be quoted from tomorrow. Still undecided on this. Possibly good potential but can they capitalise on it? Passed one of their buses this morning on its way from the garage to its first scheduled journey of the day. It still had someway to go to get to its start point but it was already past its departure time. If they can't start the first journey of the day on time then....?

[don muang] 03/7/2007 13:33

Just noticed one (bus) going past on a Zak's route - but not now in Zak's colours - this was all white with no markings except a printed out paper / card on the back with 'Central Connect' on it. No passengers on board although the vehicle on 'active service'.

[richpoorkid] 01/7/2007 11:13

I have looked at the Rotala website and it really looks like it was written before the company even began trading. There is no Investor Relations page, no list of news items, no history of the companies it has bought. Worst there is no mention of the management - who are they, what are their skills...Is the company run by its non-exec's only?

Only a fool would invest in this company as it stands. Wake up.

BTW, its easy to raise money and and companies - its making them successful that is the hard work.

[latestarter] 21/6/2007 07:59

not hanging about is he, hopefully the price will drop to 2.5 so we can all get in for some more

[johnhmac] 18/6/2007 08:20

Rotala acquires North Birmingham Busways for 860,000 stg, 68 buses for 1.26 mln


LONDON (Thomson Financial) - Transport company Rotala PLC has acquired North
Birmingham Busways, which operates 28 buses from a site in Erdington,
Birmingham, for 860,000 stg in cash, it announced in a statement.
The company's Flights Hallmark subsidiary is also acquiring 68 buses for a
total 1.26 mln stg, and additional routes in South Gloucestershire for a further
600,000 stg, it said.
The acquisitions are being funded in part through a placing of 100 mln
shares at 2.5p each to raise 2.5 mln stg, the company said. The placing has been
arranged by Blue Oar Securities, and is conditional upon approval at an EGM on
July 17.
The company added that it has agreed to buy another unnamed bus company
which operates 20 vehicles in the West Midlands.

[4iron] 13/4/2007 19:40

Look at that for a 1st post date!

These guys were posting on here before Steve Jobs built his first Apple.

Have to say I'm impressed. Way ahead of its time.

[don muang] 05/4/2007 16:32

Agreed .... very informative statement ....
They seem to require additional staff in Brum as they're advertising in the paper there today for drivers that can start later this month.

Final bullet of ad says 'A chance to be in at the start of a new and exciting opportunity'......

There's a 'Eyes on the Busses' debate in Brum later this month. The panal includes R. Bowker (CEO National Express). Haven't sen any more details of names so don't know if Central Connect (ROL) will be there.

[latestarter] 02/4/2007 07:25

refreshing to read a chairmans statement that is factual and has depth, not full off waffle,
wonder if they have approached the freeholder of the second property, M r Gunn strikes me as someone who likes freeholds not leases as per the changes afoot on the vehicles, shame we had a dodgy start but it seems to be going well enough now

[latestarter] 04/3/2007 11:20

just getting on with it, be nice in the results to see what it adds to the bottom line as opposed to the revenue stream.