Wasting a ^Milllion or Two.

[whole diary]

[Dark Star]

With only 18 months left I find it beyond belief that on 1st April both the APCOA^▸ (Car parking company used at GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) - controlled stations in the area) car park and Building Maintenance contacts (Lorne Stuart) change.
OK re Car Park, it's new signage with new uniform and vans  for staff.
That will cost hundreds of thousands ^, but to change maintenance contract will cost heck of a lot more. Maybe ^2M plus.
For 18 months CRAZY.

[ChrisB]

Hmmm - there's another Direct Award coming before the new franchise ....

[BBM]

With only 18 months left I find it beyond belief that on 1st April both the APCOA^▸ (Car parking company used at GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) - controlled stations in the area) car park and Building Maintenance contacts (Lorne Stuart) change.

I wasn't aware that there's going to be a change in the car park contract, who will take over from APCOA?

[paul7575]

It's only odd if you think for some strange reason that these sort of contracts align exactly with franchise changes - and they don't actually need to.   Although the franchise dates keep being changed, why would anyone expect the parking and maintenance contracts to change to follow as well?

Paul

[John R]

Indeed, it would make a franchise change even more difficult if every contract came up for renewal at that point. Much better that they straddle the franchise.

[grahame]

With only 18 months left I find it beyond belief that on 1st April both the APCOA^▸ (Car parking company used at GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) - controlled stations in the area) car park and Building Maintenance contacts (Lorne Stuart) change.

Just six months into a franchise seems to be the natural time to change sub-contracts.  That's in very much the same way that timetables don't change over on day 1 of a franchise, but rather a few months later, once the new operator has come in and worked out what's their style.

Perhaps the problem identified by Dark Star comes because of the length of the contract. When (question for Dark Star) is best to change subcontracts in a situation where the main contract is a series of lets of just under 2 years?

[ChrisB]

APCOA^▸ (Car parking company used at GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) - controlled stations in the area) are hated by customers....generate a lot of complaints.

[grahame]

APCOA^▸ (Car parking company used at GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) - controlled stations in the area) are hated by customers....generate a lot of complaints.

But is that 'just' the nature of the business of selling car parking spaces ... and not unique to APCOA. I remember NCP not exactly being a loved company, and our local council gets a lot of flack over car parking charges, enforcement which at times is lacking and at other times is over pedantic, etc.

Who are the big players in this business theses days?   I couldn't find a current list but did come across
http://data.gov.uk/dataset/car-parks (which would need analysis of the operator field)
http://www.davidlawson.co.uk/Files/Parking3_117.htm (which is very old)

[phile]

With only 18 months left I find it beyond belief that on 1st April both the APCOA^▸ (Car parking company used at GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) - controlled stations in the area) car park and Building Maintenance contacts (Lorne Stuart) change.
OK re Car Park, it's new signage with new uniform and vans  for staff.
That will cost hundreds of thousands ^, but to change maintenance contract will cost heck of a lot more. Maybe ^2M plus.
For 18 months CRAZY.

Where ?

[Dark Star]

To change Car Park contract will cost ^100000 plus just on new signage and it's install costs.

To set up new maintenance contract will cost ^millions because of all the computer time in setting up a maintenance program.

Wessex Trains wanted to change Maintenance Contract in 2004 but DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) stopped it on set up cost.

Anyway remember the Contractors Golden Rule on reactive works,
Why do it in an hour when the client will pay for Four hours.

[Electric train]

There is probably a break clause in the contracts relating to change of franchise

[grahame]

To change Car Park contract will cost ^100000 plus just on new signage and it's install costs.

To set up new maintenance contract will cost ^millions because of all the computer time in setting up a maintenance program.

May I re-ask my earlier question, as I don't see an answer there - just a criticism of what's happening with no suggestion of what should be done instead ...

When (question for Dark Star) is best to change subcontracts in a situation where the main contract is a series of lets of just under 2 years?

... are you suggesting that car parking and maintenance contracts should be left unchanged (and uncompeted for and - you suggest - expensive) until such time as a longer TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) franchise is in place?

[broadgage]

Why on earth should changing the maintenance contractor cost millions ?
Some years ago I worked for Lorne Stuart, at present I am employed by one of their competitors.
Maintenance contracts change hands fairly regularly and I am not aware of ANY significant cost to the customer.

[phile]

With only 18 months left I find it beyond belief that on 1st April both the APCOA^▸ (Car parking company used at GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) - controlled stations in the area) car park and Building Maintenance contacts (Lorne Stuart) change.
OK re Car Park, it's new signage with new uniform and vans  for staff.
That will cost hundreds of thousands ^, but to change maintenance contract will cost heck of a lot more. Maybe ^2M plus.
For 18 months CRAZY.

Where ?

Realise now general.

[Dark Star]

In reply to Broadgage, to Transfer Staff under TUPE^▸ (The Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006.), costs a lot. New Uniform, Vans and Equipment.
New Maintenance (PPMs^‡(resolve)) have to be set up, that costs big bucks.

As I said Wessex Trains wanted to change Maintenance provider for it's last 20 months but DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) stopped it because off the change over costs.