Murtons to Buslink BCI's Broken Hill

[Tim Williams]

Here are a few photos of visual transformation from Murtons to Buslink at Broken Hill. The two BCI's operate on the Town Services - they are both carry 33 seated passengers, are 2009 models and are about 9.8mtrs in length.
http://www.busaustralia.com/gallery/dis ... ?pid=19920
http://www.busaustralia.com/gallery/dis ... ?pid=19921
http://www.busaustralia.com/gallery/dis ... ?pid=19922

[venturatiger]

Pity they depainted them

Venturatiger

[Fleet Lists]

What will CDC do to them?

[Tim Williams]

20180806a_123508_edited-1.jpg (117.31 KiB) Viewed 5936 times

Yes, the CDC takeover will be interesting, but that process has to gain regulatory approval - not sure what that involves.

I think that the locals are somewhat surprised by this CDC business as Murtons existed in one form or other since 1935 and now two ownership and maybe two name changes in more or less two years!
Maybe their future buses/look will be as per the photo!!

[Swift]

Maybe their future buses/look will be as per the photo!!

Too classy for Australian operators to adopt. It has to look bland and unexciting as possible to keep the sheep in their motorcars.

[Linto63]

Yes, the CDC takeover will be interesting, but that process has to gain regulatory approval - not sure what that involves.

Australian Competition & Consumer Commission and Foreign Investment Review Board are given an opportunity to red flag should they desire. With CDC having no presence in the areas where Buslink operate, unlikely to be any issues.

[burrumbus]

Sad to see Buslink ditch a bright,colourful,attractive livery that stood out for another invisible white bus.
I have found over the years in a lot of different industries that after a business with a long history sells out,especially to a trade sale,that further quick changes in ownership often happen.Debt levels,especially in businesses that expand rapidly often get the successor companies.The same thing has happened with Forest.
Yes the locals in Broken Hill are probably shaking their heads at the rapid ownership changes.
Tim,what sort of adult loadings did you achieve on your town service??.I understand the South route was your busiest one.

[Swift]

Australian business practises are a disgrace and unscrupulous.
That green livery on that Singapore based Citaro is light years superior to anything you will ever see here and that's a fact!
Tbdh, that yellow front livery looks awful and this is one case where all over white is an improvement.

[Tim Williams]

That Singapore "Lush Green" sometimes does not photograph (obviously depends on light/shade and the sun), but but the buses do look very good in that colour - they went to great lengths to ensure they got the correct/best shade and I believe that have succeeded well!

[Linto63]

What will CDC do to them?

If the stock white livery applied to its CharterPlus fleet in Sydney is anything to go by, nothing.

I have found over the years in a lot of different industries that after a business with a long history sells out,especially to a trade sale,that further quick changes in ownership often happen.Debt levels,especially in businesses that expand rapidly often get the successor companies.The same thing has happened with Forest.

Forest was purchased from the Royle's by a venture capitalist. They were never going to be long term owners, their modus operandi is to fatten it up the lamb and then send it to the market and realise a profit.

[burrumbus]

Yes,Linto First capital did exactly that with the Forest business which a number of enthusiasts picked early on.Venture capitalists are exactly the wrong ownership structure in the public transport industry which is a low profit margin,high expense,labor intensive industry that requires long term conservative management to succeed.Royles certaintly provided that stability over their ownership era.Let's hope CDC can provide that in their vastly expanded form.We shall find out within 3-4 years whether CDC will succeed.

[Xplorer]

desto gone from orange to white?

[Tim Williams]

Yes, the original yellow desto's were not especially clear