The boss of a bus company which suddenly stopped running services has confirmed the firm has gone into administration. Wesley Goodwin, owner of Little Gem Buses, blamed soaring costs and the rise in working from home for the firm's demise.
Mr Goodwin said 23 Little Gem staff had been found new jobs with Diamond Bus. Last Friday, Little Gem announced several services, including a number of school buses, in south Manchester, Trafford, Tameside and Stockport were being axed with just 24 hours notice.
New operators have since been found for most of the affected routes, Transport for Greater Manchester said today (Friday, April 28).
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TfGM said an operator had yet to be found for the 375 service, but was 'working to limit the impact on residents' in Upper Hazel Grove, Hawk Green and Mellor in particular, 'as they are most affected due to a lack of alternative bus or other public transport services'. And no immediate replacements have been found for the 44, 84 or 217 services.
Replacement operators have been found for all school bus routes previously run by Little Gem.
Mr Goodwin told the Manchester Evening News: "I have got everyone jobs - I have done a deal with Diamond Bus. They finished with me on Saturday and started at Diamond Bus on Monday.
"It's a sad day for me, it's a family business. I had no choice, the company was losing money.
"It was just like a rat race really. Insurance was going up. People are working from home. You have got to draw the line somewhere, we can't carry on."
Mr Goodwin also blamed rising fuel and staff costs. "I don't think there is any room for the smaller operator - it's all for the big boys," he said. "Look at Greater Manchester, there is virtually no small operators anymore."
Alison Chew, TfGM's deputy director of bus services, said: "We understand the concerns of passengers reliant on those services previously operated by Little Gem and have worked hard to get them covered in the short and medium term. While we have been able to cover most of the services, there are some that will not be replaced right away – either because we've not had any bids from operators or the cost to run them is unjustifiably high.
"In most cases there are several alternative options for people to use, and where there isn't – or the choice is more limited – I would like to reassure everyone that we are still looking at a range of other options to reduce the impact on you. We'll continue to update people with any changes, and I would encourage people to visit our website for the latest information."
A detailed page with information to help passengers plan their journey is available on TfGM’s website.
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