On Jul 9, 9:39*pm, Mizter T wrote:

I don't quite think the market is prepared to pay the true costs of
such a development - and I don't think the country (in the form of
taxpayers) is willing to pay for it either (at least not again!),
especially if the end result is basically subsidising the lifestyle
choices of the more affluent! Those commuters in and around Ashford
and on the route of SE HS services have got something of a bargain...
especially as their house prices will likely go up as well (as it will
for non-commuters too).

£5 billion can buy a lot of light rail systems, improvements in
suburban rail services and bus services, cycle and walking route
improvements and other more general improvements to towns and cities
that boost the quality of life for all.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Totally agree.

In message , at 14:41:06 on
Fri, 17 Jul 2009, Recliner remarked:
Leave The Market to sort everything out in everyone's best interests.
The Market is a benign force for Good, unlike Regulation, which is
Evil.

So you'd prefer that all NXEC's customers lost their money (tickets
bought in advance etc) if they cease trading?

Obviously that won't happen,

Because it's regulated, and not a free market.

but I wonder what the exact mechanism for the transfer will be? Will
the new DfT ECML operating company simply take over NXEC, complete with
all its staff, leases, assets, contracts, etc, or will there be some
messy transfer of all of these to the new company?

It seemed to work OK when GNER handed back the keys.
--
Roland Perry

On 17/07/2009 at 14:41:06 Recliner (%mail)wrote: in
uk.railway

"Roland Perry" wrote in message

In message
,
at 05:59:59 on Fri, 17 Jul 2009, MIG
remarked:
Leave The Market to sort everything out in everyone's best
interests. The Market is a benign force for Good, unlike
Regulation, which is Evil.

So you'd prefer that all NXEC's customers lost their money (tickets
bought in advance etc) if they cease trading?

Obviously that won't happen, but I wonder what the exact mechanism
for the transfer will be? Will the new DfT ECML operating company
simply take over NXEC, complete with all its staff, leases, assets,
contracts, etc, or will there be some messy transfer of all of these
to the new company?

As I understand it, the actual service is called "InterCity East Coast"
and it's currently /operated/ by NXEC. When/if the DfT's pet company
takes over, it will still be "InterCity East Coast".

--

Richard Hunt

"Roland Perry" wrote in message

In message , at 14:41:06 on
Fri, 17 Jul 2009, Recliner remarked:

but I wonder what the exact mechanism for the transfer will be? Will
the new DfT ECML operating company simply take over NXEC, complete
with all its staff, leases, assets, contracts, etc, or will there be
some messy transfer of all of these to the new company?

It seemed to work OK when GNER handed back the keys.

That was different -- I think GNER ran it for a while under a management
contract before NX won the new franchise. This case is more like Connex
SE, but even there, the situation was different (ie, they were sacked).
I think the NXEC case is a first, where the SPV will be left by its
owner to just run out of cash. Maybe it'll be put into administration,
with the DfT swiftly taking it over?

" Richard Hunt" wrote in message

On 17/07/2009 at 14:41:06 Recliner (%mail)wrote: in
uk.railway

"Roland Perry" wrote in message

In message
,
at 05:59:59 on Fri, 17 Jul 2009, MIG
remarked:
Leave The Market to sort everything out in everyone's best
interests. The Market is a benign force for Good, unlike
Regulation, which is Evil.

So you'd prefer that all NXEC's customers lost their money (tickets
bought in advance etc) if they cease trading?

Obviously that won't happen, but I wonder what the exact mechanism
for the transfer will be? Will the new DfT ECML operating company
simply take over NXEC, complete with all its staff, leases, assets,
contracts, etc, or will there be some messy transfer of all of these
to the new company?

As I understand it, the actual service is called "InterCity East
Coast" and it's currently /operated/ by NXEC. When/if the DfT's pet
company takes over, it will still be "InterCity East Coast".

But who employs the staff? With whom are the ROSCO lease contracts?
And the Web site? And the office leases? If these are with NXEC, as I
presume they must be, how do they pass smoothly to Elaine Holt's new
outfit?

In message , at 15:14:11 on
Fri, 17 Jul 2009, Recliner remarked:
but I wonder what the exact mechanism for the transfer will be? Will
the new DfT ECML operating company simply take over NXEC, complete
with all its staff, leases, assets, contracts, etc, or will there be
some messy transfer of all of these to the new company?

It seemed to work OK when GNER handed back the keys.

That was different -- I think GNER ran it for a while under a management
contract before NX won the new franchise.

So you don't think the DfT will contract NXEC to run it for a while?
Maybe not, as they seem to have a new trading vehicle ready to go.
--
Roland Perry

In message , Basil Jet
writes

The only feature of London minicabs which is designed specifically to serve
the interest of the public rather than the interest of the minicab
drivers/bosses is the fact that the drivers are verified to have been
convicted of no rapes since coming to this country.

There's more to it than that. Vehicles have to be MOT'd every six months
rather than every year, drivers have to have a medical certificate
supplied by their GP and they have to prove that they have the
appropriate and current insurance for public hire.
--
Paul Terry

On Jul 17, 4:46*pm, Paul Terry wrote:

In message , Basil Jet
writes

The only feature of London minicabs which is designed specifically to serve
the interest of the public rather than the interest of the minicab
drivers/bosses is the fact that the drivers are verified to have been
convicted of no rapes since coming to this country.

There's more to it than that. Vehicles have to be MOT'd every six months
rather than every year, drivers have to have a medical certificate
supplied by their GP and they have to prove that they have the
appropriate and current insurance for public hire.

The six-monthly vehicle check has been scrapped by Boris, and it's now
back to a year.

Tim Fenton wrote:
"Paul Terry" wrote in message
...

The only feature of London minicabs which is designed specifically
to serve
the interest of the public rather than the interest of the minicab
drivers/bosses is the fact that the drivers are verified to have
been convicted of no rapes since coming to this country.

There's more to it than that. Vehicles have to be MOT'd every six
months rather than every year, drivers have to have a medical
certificate supplied by their GP and they have to prove that they
have the appropriate and current insurance for public hire.

Okay, but all of these things are to prevent the minicab driver from ending
or ruining the life of the customer, not to ensure that he actually provides
a service to the customer or the city. For instance a minicab office which
tells a tourist that such and such is miles away when it's really around the
corner, and then charges the tourist a fortune for a circuitous ride, would
be in no danger of losing its "PCO approved" status.

And they have to have The Knowledge ...

Minicabs are not required to have The Knowledge, or a satnav or even a map.

On Jul 17, 4:59*pm, Mizter T wrote:

On Jul 17, 4:46*pm, Paul Terry wrote:

In message , Basil Jet
writes

The only feature of London minicabs which is designed specifically to serve
the interest of the public rather than the interest of the minicab
drivers/bosses is the fact that the drivers are verified to have been
convicted of no rapes since coming to this country.

There's more to it than that. Vehicles have to be MOT'd every six months
rather than every year, drivers have to have a medical certificate
supplied by their GP and they have to prove that they have the
appropriate and current insurance for public hire.

The six-monthly vehicle check has been scrapped by Boris, and it's now
back to a year.

Sorry, I misinterpreted Paul's comments as referring to black cabs aka
Hackney Carriages - they are what my comment about the now scrapped
six-monthly check referred to.