The text of the press release has been circulated on social media by me, Sullivan Buses, and a few others.
I have extracted the text from the image to make it easier to read the press release and make it easier for non-English speakers to translate the text to their own language by using a translator such as Google Translate.
Text from Sullivan Buses press release:
Cessation of TfL services
Following a meeting with Transport for London (TfL) we have reluctantly decided to withdraw from our TfL contracts from Friday night 2nd August.
Pressures on TfL's funding have clearly had a direct impact on our decision. Unfortunately, the remuneration for providing TfLs services has not kept pace with the increasing costs of service delivery. In addition, financial penalties as a result of an increase in traffic congestion post Covid, has further impacted on the viability of our TfL contracts.
At Sullivan Buses we have a number of contracts due to expire early next year. Under normal circumstances larger businesses would continue to renew contracts throughout the year. Therefore, the increased rates on new services would help to mitigate against any losses experienced on expiring contracts. Nonetheless despite tendering for numerous services, Sullivan Buses has not been successful in renewing our contracts. TfL have also failed to provide us with any meaningful feedback on tenders submitted.
In June we met with TfL representatives to discuss this and other issues the business was facing. TfL told us that they struggled to incorporate small businesses such as ours within their corporate model. Sullivan Buses is the only small business (SME) operating bus services for TfL in London. At that meeting we were unable to agree a way forward. The meeting ended with TfL requesting a date for our business to hand back all contracts.
At the time of the meeting in June TfL owed our business over £130,000. This is a considerable sum of money for a small business and the lack of these funds have undoubtedly impacted upon our ability to deliver the contracted services. Although the matter was resolved shortly afterwards, but not before TfL asked if they could 'repay in instalments'.
Coupled with delays in payments by TfL, we have decided that we can no longer sustain the further cuts necessary to meet the decreasing income received from TfL. Any inevitable reduction in funding will lead to a further decline in performance and this is not something we are willing to support.
During our discussion today we have offered TfL a solution that would alleviate travel disruption for many thousands of bus users.
TfL have assured us they will be working to restore services as quickly as possible.
Our Commercial operations in Hertfordshire are unaffected and will continue to operate as normal. Furthermore, we look to forward to once again developing our work outside of the capital.
Dean Sullivan
Managing Director
TfL Routes affected: 217, 298, 299, 327, 389, 399, W9, 605, 606, 617, 629, & 549.
Sullivan Buses is London's only independent bus operator having supplied bus services and rail replacement services for London since 2002.
Sullivan Buses is the only SME delivering bus services for Transport for London.
In the last three years two other small businesses have left London. Australian owned Tower Transit exited London in 2021 and Community Interest Company, Hackney Community Transport ceased operations in 2022. No new operators have entered London since.
We estimate that the shortfall in income from TfL contracts exceeds £200,000 per month.
The company employs 230 staff either directly or indirectly on TfL services. All are based at our South Mimms Depot in Hertfordshire.
Our commercial services in Hertfordshire will continue as normal. These include routes: 84, 303, 306, 306A, 330, 331, 354, 355, 356, 358, 397, 398, 832, 833, 950 & 951.
I have extracted the text from the image to make it easier to read the press release and make it easier for non-English speakers to translate the text to their own language by using a translator such as Google Translate.
Text from Sullivan Buses press release:
Cessation of TfL services
Following a meeting with Transport for London (TfL) we have reluctantly decided to withdraw from our TfL contracts from Friday night 2nd August.
Pressures on TfL's funding have clearly had a direct impact on our decision. Unfortunately, the remuneration for providing TfLs services has not kept pace with the increasing costs of service delivery. In addition, financial penalties as a result of an increase in traffic congestion post Covid, has further impacted on the viability of our TfL contracts.
At Sullivan Buses we have a number of contracts due to expire early next year. Under normal circumstances larger businesses would continue to renew contracts throughout the year. Therefore, the increased rates on new services would help to mitigate against any losses experienced on expiring contracts. Nonetheless despite tendering for numerous services, Sullivan Buses has not been successful in renewing our contracts. TfL have also failed to provide us with any meaningful feedback on tenders submitted.
In June we met with TfL representatives to discuss this and other issues the business was facing. TfL told us that they struggled to incorporate small businesses such as ours within their corporate model. Sullivan Buses is the only small business (SME) operating bus services for TfL in London. At that meeting we were unable to agree a way forward. The meeting ended with TfL requesting a date for our business to hand back all contracts.
At the time of the meeting in June TfL owed our business over £130,000. This is a considerable sum of money for a small business and the lack of these funds have undoubtedly impacted upon our ability to deliver the contracted services. Although the matter was resolved shortly afterwards, but not before TfL asked if they could 'repay in instalments'.
Coupled with delays in payments by TfL, we have decided that we can no longer sustain the further cuts necessary to meet the decreasing income received from TfL. Any inevitable reduction in funding will lead to a further decline in performance and this is not something we are willing to support.
During our discussion today we have offered TfL a solution that would alleviate travel disruption for many thousands of bus users.
TfL have assured us they will be working to restore services as quickly as possible.
Our Commercial operations in Hertfordshire are unaffected and will continue to operate as normal. Furthermore, we look to forward to once again developing our work outside of the capital.
Dean Sullivan
Managing Director
TfL Routes affected: 217, 298, 299, 327, 389, 399, W9, 605, 606, 617, 629, & 549.
Sullivan Buses is London's only independent bus operator having supplied bus services and rail replacement services for London since 2002.
Sullivan Buses is the only SME delivering bus services for Transport for London.
In the last three years two other small businesses have left London. Australian owned Tower Transit exited London in 2021 and Community Interest Company, Hackney Community Transport ceased operations in 2022. No new operators have entered London since.
We estimate that the shortfall in income from TfL contracts exceeds £200,000 per month.
The company employs 230 staff either directly or indirectly on TfL services. All are based at our South Mimms Depot in Hertfordshire.
Our commercial services in Hertfordshire will continue as normal. These include routes: 84, 303, 306, 306A, 330, 331, 354, 355, 356, 358, 397, 398, 832, 833, 950 & 951.
Here's my response to the news posted on X (formerly known as Twitter) in regards to a private bus operating company ceasing to provide contracted bus services in London.
Update - 3rd August 2024 - 12:20PM BST:This provides an opportunity for TfL to take over routes 217, 298, 299, 327, 389, 399, 549, 605, 606, 617, 629 and W9 at the last minute as they hold an operator's licence.https://t.co/YSMXXkxqE1 pic.twitter.com/fZHpodCmjQ
— CLondoner92 (@CLondoner92) August 2, 2024
List of bus operating companies providing London Bus routes that Sullivan Buses stopped providing:
217 - Arriva
298 - Uno
299 - Go-Ahead
217 - Arriva
298 - Uno
299 - Go-Ahead
327 - Metroline
389/399 - Currently no service, possibly Go-Ahead
549 - Stagecoach
W9 - Stagecoach
Transport for London stated in their bus status:
"Routes 217 298 299 327 389 399 549 W9 may be subject to journey cancellations due to an operator ceasing bus operations in London."
389/399 - Currently no service, possibly Go-Ahead
549 - Stagecoach
W9 - Stagecoach
Transport for London stated in their bus status:
"Routes 217 298 299 327 389 399 549 W9 may be subject to journey cancellations due to an operator ceasing bus operations in London."
Update - 4th August 2024:
Text from London Bus Routes website:
Sullivan Buses has issued a press release stating that it will cease operating all its TfL services with effect from 3 August 2024. Other operators have been asked to step in and provide replacement services as follows:
217 Arriva
298 Uno
299 Go-Ahead London
389 Go-Ahead London
399 Go-Ahead London
549 Stagecoach
W9 Stagecoach
No operator so far advised for the 327
School routes 605 606 617 629 640 (these are not currently operating anyway due to school holidays)
Services on all routes are likely to be severely disrupted for several weeks at least, and there may be no service at all for the next few days.
These changes will be added to the main website pages once the position is clearer.
Routes 298, 299, 389, 399 and 640 had already been awarded to other operators and the 549 was due to cease in September. The 217, 327 and W9 are currently out to tender.
Text from London Omnibus Traction Society (LOTS) news page:
Saturday 3 August 2024
1) Major news this weekend is the sudden decision by Sullivan Buses to pull out of all TfL work as of Friday night. Without going into the reasons for this, we can report that a limited service was provided by other operators on their routes from Saturday morning. Arriva London ran the 217, Go-Ahead London the 299, Stagecoach London the W9 and Uno the 298.
Sullivan Buses has issued a press release stating that it will cease operating all its TfL services with effect from 3 August 2024. Other operators have been asked to step in and provide replacement services as follows:
217 Arriva
298 Uno
299 Go-Ahead London
389 Go-Ahead London
399 Go-Ahead London
549 Stagecoach
W9 Stagecoach
No operator so far advised for the 327
School routes 605 606 617 629 640 (these are not currently operating anyway due to school holidays)
Services on all routes are likely to be severely disrupted for several weeks at least, and there may be no service at all for the next few days.
These changes will be added to the main website pages once the position is clearer.
Routes 298, 299, 389, 399 and 640 had already been awarded to other operators and the 549 was due to cease in September. The 217, 327 and W9 are currently out to tender.
Text from London Omnibus Traction Society (LOTS) news page:
Saturday 3 August 2024
1) Major news this weekend is the sudden decision by Sullivan Buses to pull out of all TfL work as of Friday night. Without going into the reasons for this, we can report that a limited service was provided by other operators on their routes from Saturday morning. Arriva London ran the 217, Go-Ahead London the 299, Stagecoach London the W9 and Uno the 298.
ℹ️ Following an operator ceasing bus services in London, we have arranged for other operators to provide services on the affected routes.
— TfL (@TfL) August 4, 2024
Full service is now planned from Monday 5 August on 327, 389, 399, 549 and W9. Reduced service on routes 217, 298 and 299.
Please note that…
Update - 10th August 2024
Sullivan Buses are no longer operating bus services on behalf of Transport for London and the following changes are now in place until further notice on the following routes with no changes to bus stops served.
Route 217 is amended to run every 18 minutes, instead of every 12 or 15 minutes, during the daytime on Monday to Saturdays. The service remains at every 20 minutes during the evenings and all day on Sundays. Route 217 is being run by Arriva London.
Route 298 is amended to run a special timetable on Monday to Saturdays with a bus every 20 minutes but with gaps of 40 minutes at times during the daytime. The evening service is running every 60 minutes. A limited Sunday service is in operation with changes to first and last buses. Visit http://www.unobus.info/news/uno-begins-operating-tfl-route-298/ for more information on the revised timetable in operation. Route 298 is being run by Uno Bus using double deck buses.
Route 299 is amended to run every 20 minutes, instead of every 15 minutes, during the daytime on Monday to Saturdays. The service remains at every 20 minutes during the evenings on Monday to Saturdays and every 30 minutes throughout the day on Sundays. Route 299 is being run by Go Ahead London.
Route 327 is running its normal timetable on Monday to Saturdays operated by Metroline.
Routes 389 & 399 are running the normal timetable on Monday to Saturdays operated by Go Ahead London.
Route 549 is running its normal timetable on Monday to Saturdays operated by Stagecoach.
Route W9 is running its normal timetable at all times on all days of the week. Route W9 is being run by Stagecoach.
Any changes to school routes previously operated by Sullivan Buses will be posted here when confirmed.
Route 217 is amended to run every 18 minutes, instead of every 12 or 15 minutes, during the daytime on Monday to Saturdays. The service remains at every 20 minutes during the evenings and all day on Sundays. Route 217 is being run by Arriva London.
Route 298 is amended to run a special timetable on Monday to Saturdays with a bus every 20 minutes but with gaps of 40 minutes at times during the daytime. The evening service is running every 60 minutes. A limited Sunday service is in operation with changes to first and last buses. Visit http://www.unobus.info/news/uno-begins-operating-tfl-route-298/ for more information on the revised timetable in operation. Route 298 is being run by Uno Bus using double deck buses.
Route 299 is amended to run every 20 minutes, instead of every 15 minutes, during the daytime on Monday to Saturdays. The service remains at every 20 minutes during the evenings on Monday to Saturdays and every 30 minutes throughout the day on Sundays. Route 299 is being run by Go Ahead London.
Route 327 is running its normal timetable on Monday to Saturdays operated by Metroline.
Routes 389 & 399 are running the normal timetable on Monday to Saturdays operated by Go Ahead London.
Route 549 is running its normal timetable on Monday to Saturdays operated by Stagecoach.
Route W9 is running its normal timetable at all times on all days of the week. Route W9 is being run by Stagecoach.
Any changes to school routes previously operated by Sullivan Buses will be posted here when confirmed.
I invite you to follow me on X by searching for @CLondoner92 or by clicking on the direct link to my X page here. I'm also on BlueSky and Mastodon.
Further reading
Proposed Publicly Owned Bus Operating Companies For London And Elsewhere, And Research About East Thames Buses
Further reading
Proposed Publicly Owned Bus Operating Companies For London And Elsewhere, And Research About East Thames Buses
