Foxton96
ManaBus No. 3 in Wellington 17/2/2015
Auckland bound heading out of Wellington, the Volvo B11R of 12 November 2014 which operated the inaugural Auckland to Wellington service on 21 November 2014.
ManaBus.com No. 2 operated the inaugural Wellington-Auckland service the same day.
Photo: Keith Bennett.
TRIPPERS WIN IN LONG-HAUL BUS WARS
NZ Herald, Friday, October 31, 2014
Budget travellers will soon have three major long-distance bus operators to choose from, offering fares from as little as $1 each way between Auckland and Wellington.
Scottish business magnate Sir Brian Souter yesterday announced plans to start day and night services between the two cities from November 21 [2014], and to other North Island centres in December, using five locally assembled double-decker buses with 79 seats each.
The other centres to be serviced by ManaBus will be Hamilton, Tauranga, Whangarei and Rotorua.
Sir Brian hopes to extend his network further into provincial New Zealand later, especially to areas such as Gisborne whose residents complain about excessive airfares.
Each bus has a toilet, allowing fewer stops which will cut journey times between Auckland and Wellington to just under 10 hours - at least an hour less than other bus operators - and free Wi-Fi and power connections to every seat.
ManaBus is not alone in offering $1 deals, Naked Bus and InterCity also offer the cut price fares.
But Sir Brian, who pioneered 1 fares with his MegaBus venture in Britain, says his larger buses will allow him to supply more low-cost seats than his competitors.
"There will be a larger number at lower price ranges - people may get seats for $5, $8 or $12," he said.
He was coy about indicating his upper price range, saying that would depend entirely on demand.
Naked Bus says its fares between Auckland and Wellington for a new sleeper service it will introduce in December, for which each of 40 seats in designated overnight buses will be convertible into a bed, will range from $1 to $55.
Although the lowest Naked Bus fare the Herald could find for the route yesterday on the company's website was $17.99c for late January, founder Hamish Nuttall said a new batch of $1 fares for February to March would be posted next week.
The next $1 fare the Herald could find for InterCity was for a return night trip from Wellington on February 10.
But executive John Thorburn said lower fares were just one of a number of considerations, others being the breadth of a bus operator's network and its level of service.
Another was baggage, for which his company offered a "very generous" free allowance of two 25kg checked bags as well as a 5kg carry-on item.
ManaBus offers just one 15kg checked bag and a carry-on item.
A Naked Bus offer of one free checked bag up to 20kg will end on November 24, when a $5 fee will be introduced, which Mr Nuttall says will allow him to reduce fares.
Sir Brian operates almost 12,000 buses and trains through various business interests across Britain, Europe and the United States.
He owned Auckland's main bus fleet for about 16 years until 2005 under his Stagecoach brand, then returned a few years later to buy the Howick and Eastern operation and Fullers ferries.
Mr Nuttall said Naked Bus intended introducing toilets to its fleets, and would reduce travelling time on some services in December.
He and Mr Thorburn of InterCity welcomed the new competition as giving a higher profile to bus travel in a very car-oriented society.
The curtain comes down...
MANABUS AND NAKEDBUS TO END SERVICES
Author Damien Venuto, NZ Herald, Publish Date Thursday, 21 June 2018
Budget coach services ManaBus and Naked Bus have confirmed that they will cease operations in July.
The companies are part of InMotion Group, which also operates Fullers, 360 Discovery, Roam Experiences and Waiheke Bus Company.
A spokeswoman for Mana said that the decision to end the budget bus operations was in order to focus more exclusively on the company's Ferry services.
"Fullers Group is consolidating its business to focus on its ferry operation and on servicing Auckland's popular Hauraki Gulf, which has considerable potential due to rising visitor numbers," the spokeswoman said.
The spokesperson said the ManaBus and Naked Bus fleets had been sold to Ritchies Transport Holdings as part of the decision to exit the space.
"As of 15 July, ManaBus.com and nakedbus.com bus services will cease operation and tickets will no longer be available to purchase," the spokeswoman said.
Customers who bought tickets in advance have already been offered full refunds via email.
The spokesperson is yet to confirm how many staff worked for the pair of bus companies or if any jobs are on the line.
"Fullers is working closely with its staff, partners and customers throughout this process to support them through this transition," she said.
ManaBus was first launched as a budget travel option in 2014 by Scottish transport entrepreneur Brian Souter, adding to a portfolio that included Auckland urban bus companies Howick and Eastern Buses, the Wellington-based bus service Mana Coach Services and Waiheke Bus Company, as well as the Auckland Fullers Group ferries and the 360 Discovery cruises.
In May 2015, Souter's company acquired rival Naked Bus in a bid to expand the company's footprint across the South Island.
At the time of the acquisition of NakedBus, Manabus said the combined entities across the entire portfolio transported more than 13 million customers a year and employed 670 people.
It's unclear how many of those staff members fell under the Naked Bus and Manabus subsidiaries.
Operator - Manabus.com Ltd - NZ - InMotion Group Ltd
Fleet Number - 3
Registration - HTL289
Chassis Type - Volvo B11R
Chassis No. - YV3T2T121EA168225
Body Manufacturer - Kiwi Bus Builders
Body Date - 2014
Status - Withdrawn
Seating Codes - HC79D
Notes - Transferred to Waiheke Bus Company - Waiheke Island - InMotion Group.
Livery - ManaBus
NZ 1st rego - 12 November 2014
Operator - Fullers Group Ltd (Waiheke Bus Company) - Waiheke Island - Souter Holdings Ltd
Fleet Number - 302
Registration - HTL289
Chassis Type - Volvo B11R
Chassis No. - YV3T2T121EA168225
Body Manufacturer - Kiwi Bus Builders
Body Date - 2014
Seating Codes - HC79D
Notes - ex (3) HTL289, Manabus - InMotion Group.
Livery - Waiheke Explorer
Businfo details on ManaBus Volvo B11R No. 3:
www.businfo.nz/index.php?R=6197&OP=1
ManaBus No. 3 in Wellington 17/2/2015
Auckland bound heading out of Wellington, the Volvo B11R of 12 November 2014 which operated the inaugural Auckland to Wellington service on 21 November 2014.
ManaBus.com No. 2 operated the inaugural Wellington-Auckland service the same day.
Photo: Keith Bennett.
TRIPPERS WIN IN LONG-HAUL BUS WARS
NZ Herald, Friday, October 31, 2014
Budget travellers will soon have three major long-distance bus operators to choose from, offering fares from as little as $1 each way between Auckland and Wellington.
Scottish business magnate Sir Brian Souter yesterday announced plans to start day and night services between the two cities from November 21 [2014], and to other North Island centres in December, using five locally assembled double-decker buses with 79 seats each.
The other centres to be serviced by ManaBus will be Hamilton, Tauranga, Whangarei and Rotorua.
Sir Brian hopes to extend his network further into provincial New Zealand later, especially to areas such as Gisborne whose residents complain about excessive airfares.
Each bus has a toilet, allowing fewer stops which will cut journey times between Auckland and Wellington to just under 10 hours - at least an hour less than other bus operators - and free Wi-Fi and power connections to every seat.
ManaBus is not alone in offering $1 deals, Naked Bus and InterCity also offer the cut price fares.
But Sir Brian, who pioneered 1 fares with his MegaBus venture in Britain, says his larger buses will allow him to supply more low-cost seats than his competitors.
"There will be a larger number at lower price ranges - people may get seats for $5, $8 or $12," he said.
He was coy about indicating his upper price range, saying that would depend entirely on demand.
Naked Bus says its fares between Auckland and Wellington for a new sleeper service it will introduce in December, for which each of 40 seats in designated overnight buses will be convertible into a bed, will range from $1 to $55.
Although the lowest Naked Bus fare the Herald could find for the route yesterday on the company's website was $17.99c for late January, founder Hamish Nuttall said a new batch of $1 fares for February to March would be posted next week.
The next $1 fare the Herald could find for InterCity was for a return night trip from Wellington on February 10.
But executive John Thorburn said lower fares were just one of a number of considerations, others being the breadth of a bus operator's network and its level of service.
Another was baggage, for which his company offered a "very generous" free allowance of two 25kg checked bags as well as a 5kg carry-on item.
ManaBus offers just one 15kg checked bag and a carry-on item.
A Naked Bus offer of one free checked bag up to 20kg will end on November 24, when a $5 fee will be introduced, which Mr Nuttall says will allow him to reduce fares.
Sir Brian operates almost 12,000 buses and trains through various business interests across Britain, Europe and the United States.
He owned Auckland's main bus fleet for about 16 years until 2005 under his Stagecoach brand, then returned a few years later to buy the Howick and Eastern operation and Fullers ferries.
Mr Nuttall said Naked Bus intended introducing toilets to its fleets, and would reduce travelling time on some services in December.
He and Mr Thorburn of InterCity welcomed the new competition as giving a higher profile to bus travel in a very car-oriented society.
The curtain comes down...
MANABUS AND NAKEDBUS TO END SERVICES
Author Damien Venuto, NZ Herald, Publish Date Thursday, 21 June 2018
Budget coach services ManaBus and Naked Bus have confirmed that they will cease operations in July.
The companies are part of InMotion Group, which also operates Fullers, 360 Discovery, Roam Experiences and Waiheke Bus Company.
A spokeswoman for Mana said that the decision to end the budget bus operations was in order to focus more exclusively on the company's Ferry services.
"Fullers Group is consolidating its business to focus on its ferry operation and on servicing Auckland's popular Hauraki Gulf, which has considerable potential due to rising visitor numbers," the spokeswoman said.
The spokesperson said the ManaBus and Naked Bus fleets had been sold to Ritchies Transport Holdings as part of the decision to exit the space.
"As of 15 July, ManaBus.com and nakedbus.com bus services will cease operation and tickets will no longer be available to purchase," the spokeswoman said.
Customers who bought tickets in advance have already been offered full refunds via email.
The spokesperson is yet to confirm how many staff worked for the pair of bus companies or if any jobs are on the line.
"Fullers is working closely with its staff, partners and customers throughout this process to support them through this transition," she said.
ManaBus was first launched as a budget travel option in 2014 by Scottish transport entrepreneur Brian Souter, adding to a portfolio that included Auckland urban bus companies Howick and Eastern Buses, the Wellington-based bus service Mana Coach Services and Waiheke Bus Company, as well as the Auckland Fullers Group ferries and the 360 Discovery cruises.
In May 2015, Souter's company acquired rival Naked Bus in a bid to expand the company's footprint across the South Island.
At the time of the acquisition of NakedBus, Manabus said the combined entities across the entire portfolio transported more than 13 million customers a year and employed 670 people.
It's unclear how many of those staff members fell under the Naked Bus and Manabus subsidiaries.
Operator - Manabus.com Ltd - NZ - InMotion Group Ltd
Fleet Number - 3
Registration - HTL289
Chassis Type - Volvo B11R
Chassis No. - YV3T2T121EA168225
Body Manufacturer - Kiwi Bus Builders
Body Date - 2014
Status - Withdrawn
Seating Codes - HC79D
Notes - Transferred to Waiheke Bus Company - Waiheke Island - InMotion Group.
Livery - ManaBus
NZ 1st rego - 12 November 2014
Operator - Fullers Group Ltd (Waiheke Bus Company) - Waiheke Island - Souter Holdings Ltd
Fleet Number - 302
Registration - HTL289
Chassis Type - Volvo B11R
Chassis No. - YV3T2T121EA168225
Body Manufacturer - Kiwi Bus Builders
Body Date - 2014
Seating Codes - HC79D
Notes - ex (3) HTL289, Manabus - InMotion Group.
Livery - Waiheke Explorer
Businfo details on ManaBus Volvo B11R No. 3:
www.businfo.nz/index.php?R=6197&OP=1