On bus fare

Yes, our wages have gone up recently. Various companies were bought up by NCT over the last few years, such as South Notts, based in Gotham and Pathfinder Limited which had a depot in Newark. For many years the company operated from all these depots (Lower Parliament Street, Trent Bridge, Gotham and Newark). Last year the Newark depot closed and the pathfinder services (to Newark and Southwell) are now operated from Trent Bridge. There are plans to merge all depots into one new one, but this will take some time yet to be finalised.

The drivers working from the various depots are still on different wages and now the idea is to bring all wages in-line with one standard wage for all drivers. This is something the union has been pushing for and is slowly happening.

I can understand that you are angry at the rise in ticket price but I would have a look at the bigger picture here. NCT own a fleet of about 600 busses and employ about 1000 people. They do all their maintenance work in-house. And in the last 5 years there have been very big investments in new busses, bus shelters, work on depots, training for drivers. All this costs a lot of money. Just the 8 new busses they got last year for the Sneinton routes (23, 24) we’re talking over 8 million pounds!

I very much doubt that the recent increase in fares is to do with an increase of salary for the bosses. NCT is one of the largest council owned bus companies left in the UK. It treats its workers well and a committee of councillors oversees management decisions. The workforce is very heavily unionised, compared to Trent Barton, where the union is a total farce. Long working hours, less pay and intimidation by management is nothing new there. Remember that next time you catch the bus to Derby..

there are no services through the city it seems anymore, u have to get bus connecting buses to alot of places. Services have gone up abit, abit. At least all profit isnt going to Mr king of Barton, who isnt very nice from all reports yep

Eh, I am not PR, just looking at reasons why prices have gone up and where the money in my opinion has gone to. I agree the fares are high but nothing comes for free. Maybe its time to pressure the council to subsidise public transport more than they do now. All I'm interested in is showing people a bigger picture.

for you information nct worker.


"NCT own a fleet of about 600 busses and employ about 1000 people. They do all their maintenance work in-house. And in the last 5 years there have been very big investments in new busses, bus shelters, work on depots, training for drivers. All this costs a lot of money"

-Doing in house maintenance is cheaper than having external contractors, 600 hundred buses is a lot of revenue coming in, investments in new buses yes, but what is an investment? - something that gives you a return.

"All this costs a lot of money. Just the 8 new busses they got last year for the Sneinton routes (23, 24) we’re talking over 8 million pounds!"

-correct me if I am wrong are you saying that one bus costs over one million pounds? I find that very hard to believe.

Yes, public transport should be subsidised or free, I wonder if the rises have anything to do with the tram, if so that mmoney is definately being channelled into the pockets of a private company.

BTW are you a driver?

I'm not sure if NCT are investing anything in new bus stops.  http://plan4.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/WAM/doc/Application%20Form-312347.pdf;jsessionid=7AFC943206820B6116115EDACB56FA6B?extension=.pdf&wmTransparency=0&id=312347&wmLocation=0&location=Volume2&contentType=application%2Fpdf&wmName=&pageCount=4

This is a planning application to install a new bus stop, conveniently with advertising. Not from NCT, but JC Decaux, a major "external media" advertising. Their names are all over every stop, have a look next time you're about.

good point Mika, also have to count in the money from advetising on the buses, it would seem NCT get quite a rake. BTW are NCT a private company, or owned by the council, anyone know?

NCT is owned 82% by Nottingham City Council, though not run by the council. The other 18% was sold to Transdev is 2000 as part of the deal to bring them on board for the tram.

Coincidentally (of course) this was also the time when all the cross city routes were scrapped and prices started going up. Of course, this is nothing to do with a private operator demanding a profit - at a rate which they stipulated according to my memory. (I think it was from something like £300,000 in year 1 to £1.5 million in year 5, but I could well be wrong on that).

£1million per bus...possible. £1 million doesn't buy much of a train (£5.5million per coach), and with re-tooling, parts, training etc, pricey but possible.

NCT were the first to bring in the EasyRider style system in the UK, and are much cheaper than say, Arriva in the north west. A day ticket for most towns costs upwards of £5/day, much more for much less than NCT. Also, the buses are older, less comfortable, noisier, slower, and start later and finish earlier.

Transdev also run the yellow buses in Bournemouth, as well as a host of other companies across the UK.

Public Services not Private Profit!