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Cheshire Bus News (was East Cheshire Bus News)

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323235

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Cheshire East Council have now decided to award a tender for the 38 Macclesfield - Crewe evening journeys which were due to be withdrawn in June, after D&G registering them commercially during the original tender process then decided not to proceed after all.

Bakerbus will run the service at xx35 the hour until 2335 in both directions. Arriva are still shown as intending to run their commercial part route journeys at 2030 (Macc - Congleton), 2057 (Congleton-Macc) and 2025 (Crewe - Sandbach).

Also saved from withdrawal is the 77 Congleton - Kidsgrove which will remain with D&G to the same timetable.
 
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Xenophon PCDGS

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Is it your intention to use this thread as a master thread for all items of Cheshire East bus news ?

Has anyone yet used the former service number 1 from Macclesfield bus station that used to run to Forest Cottage and now runs the new route of Macclesfield bus station-Brook Street-Union Road-Buxton Road-Black Road ? Do you think that this now serves a better catchment area ?
 
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pemma

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What I found strange about D&G bus is around the time they applied to withdraw a load of services a registration request was accepted for the 300 Knutsford circular service on the same day that the High Peak cancellation request was accepted.

Given the 300 service was registered commercially and hadn't been put out to tender by Cheshire East I wonder if High Peak informed other operators advance notice of their intention to withdraw and also gave passenger figures for the service?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Noticed Whitegate Travel have cancelled the flexible 'Macclesfield area' bus services

VOSA said:
PC0005167/15 - WHITEGATE TRAVEL LTD, UNIT 38, COSGROVE BUSINESS PARK, DAISYBANK LANE, ANDERTON, NORTHWICH, CW9 6AA
Cancellation Accepted: Operating between Macclesfield Area and Macclesfield Area given service number FT1 effective from 12-Jul-2013.

PC0005167/16 - WHITEGATE TRAVEL LTD, UNIT 38, COSGROVE BUSINESS PARK, DAISYBANK LANE, ANDERTON, NORTHWICH, CW9 6AA
Cancellation Accepted: Operating between Macclesfield Area and Macclesfield Area given service number FT2 effective from 12-Jul-2013.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
I notice a certain someone has been busy setting up East Cheshire bus improvement campaigns on FixMyTransport:
http://www.fixmytransport.com/profiles/carl-wainwright#managing
 

323235

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aye, I'm a bus hustler making sure the council and bus operators are running things up to scratch.

Most are based on actual problems and where I can foresee demand and need.

The 393 in the morning being a good example of where it would benefit the car less workers you get on buses working at Shrigley Hall Hotel and also i'm sure the service would attract a few from Bollington that don't have Arriva Day/Week passes if it departed shortly before 0800. Although they need to route it exactly as stated otherwise it would ruin it for industrial estate workers, of which their are many (who use the service).
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Noticed Whitegate Travel have cancelled the flexible 'Macclesfield area' bus services

So a new operator on the cards?
 
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pemma

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So a new operator on the cards?

D&G bus have now registered new 'flexible' services for most of the towns in Cheshire East starting in July.

PC1090231/56 - ROLLING SOLUTIONS LTD T/A D & G BUS, 26 THE MEADOWS, KINGSTONE, UTTOXETER, ST14 8QE
Registration Accepted
Starting Point: Knutsford Area
Finish Point: Knutsford Area
Via:
Service Number: FT 1
Service Type: Flexible Registration
Effective Date: 15-JUL-2013
Other Details: Monday to Friday excluding bank holidays 09:00 - 16:00

PC1090231/57 - ROLLING SOLUTIONS LTD T/A D & G BUS, 26 THE MEADOWS, KINGSTONE, UTTOXETER, ST14 8QE
Registration Accepted
Starting Point: Wilmslow and Bollington Area
Finish Point: Wilmslow and Bollington Area
Via: Macclesfield
Service Number: FT2
Service Type: Flexible Registration
Effective Date: 15-JUL-2013
Other Details: Mon to Fri - Excluding Bank Holidays 09:00 - 16:00

PC1090231/58 - ROLLING SOLUTIONS LTD T/A D & G BUS, 26 THE MEADOWS, KINGSTONE, UTTOXETER, ST14 8QE
Registration Accepted
Starting Point: Middlewich and Sandbach Area
Finish Point: Middlewich and Sandbach Area
Via: Congleton District
Service Number: FT3
Service Type: Flexible Registration
Effective Date: 15-JUL-2013
Other Details: Mon - Fri Excluding bank Holidays 09:00 - 16:00

PC1090231/59 - ROLLING SOLUTIONS LTD T/A D & G BUS, 26 THE MEADOWS, KINGSTONE, UTTOXETER, ST14 8QE
Registration Accepted
Starting Point: Nantwich and Crewe Area
Finish Point: Nantwich and Crewe Area
Via: Crewe and Nantwich District
Service Number: FT4
Service Type: Flexible Registration
Effective Date: 15-JUL-2013
Other Details: Mon - Fri excluding bank holidays 09:00 - 16:00
 

pemma

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What is happening to the Poynton/Disley services?

It might just be how the registrations are named. Whitegate Travel only had 2 flexible transport schemes registered for the former Macclesfield borough area -
* FT1 Knutsford area
* FT2 Macclesfield area

Poynton and Disley came under FT2. Wilmslow was covered by FT1 and FT2 (not on the same days though.)

To be honest I'm not sure the logic behind some of the flexible transport options.

Mobberley is included in it despite having an hourly train to Altrincham and Knutsford from one side of the village and an hourly Wilmslow and Knutsford bus from the other side of the village. The flexible transport option does allow a trip to Knutsford - which is already well covered by other transport links. Yet doesn't allow a Macclesfield hospital visit which might be needed. It also allows a Mobberley to Handforth Dean shopping trip on Wednesdays! Yet Knutsford doesn't have a direct public transport link to Handforth Dean or even an easy indirect link (the 130 bus from Wilmslow serves the other side of Handforth.)
 
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Xenophon PCDGS

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The only public service bus now to serve Handforth Dean is the Stagecoach Manchester service 312 (Stockport-Heald Green-Handforth Dean) which now also serves the nearby industrial estate and the Stanley Green shopping complex (Next, Halfords, B & Q, etc).
 

pemma

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Last day of the 47 Knutsford-Warrington service today. The bus that had the dubious honour of working that service, if anyone's interested was a Mercedes Plaxton Beaver 2 registration WLZ 4932, quite a difference from a bus used in 1988 by Warrington Borough Transport registration PAU 195R: http://www.flickr.com/photos/60546159@N05/6932673955/
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Warrington Borough Transport have registered a new 47 service Tuesdays and Fridays only but only as far south as Lymm. I'm not sure why they feel that is needed given there are other bus services between Lymm and Warrington.
 

323235

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Yes I too thought this as they also operate a frequent service already however perhaps they feel the extra capacity is needed at these times.

Strange they wouldn't operate them on a 5-6 day basis though if this were the case.
 

pemma

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Yes I too thought this as they also operate a frequent service already however perhaps they feel the extra capacity is needed at these times.

Strange they wouldn't operate them on a 5-6 day basis though if this were the case.

Well if you believe what Ian Tomlinson of Tomlinson Travel told the Knutsford Guardian there were never more than around 10 people at a time on the Holmes Chapel/Knutsford to Warrington services.

On checking the timetables the Altrincham-Lymm-Warrington services are slower between Lymm and Warrington so presumably they take a longer route, so are there any bus stops on a more direct route which aren't served so regularly? When High Peak stopped sending a select few of the 300 Knutsford Circular buses via Queensway there were mass objections, despite the 289 bus stopping only a short distance away on the main road, so I'm now wondering if something similar has happened in Warrington.

Given that the new 47 service is operated by Warrington Borough Transport it will allow people in possession of WBT day tickets to use it, which it didn't previously.
 

Xenophon PCDGS

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On checking the timetables the Altrincham-Lymm-Warrington services are slower between Lymm and Warrington so presumably they take a longer route

From Lymm, whilst the service 37 takes the direct route as far as Thelwall, the 37A and 38 services take in the area of Star Lane and Warrington Road to serve those areas, which may explain this point you mention.

There is also the matter of the hourly 37 service that now serves the two areas of Broomedge and High Legh.
 

pemma

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There is also the matter of the hourly 37 service that now serves the two areas of Broomedge and High Legh.

On the surface it seems High Legh (population 1,600) has an excellent bus service to neighbouring towns:
Hourly 37 service to Altrincham, Lymm and Warrington
Less frequent 289 service to Altrincham, Knutsford and Northwich

Compare that to Knutsford (population 13,100):
Hourly 88 to Altrincham via Willmslow
Exactly the same 289 service as High Legh.
2 hourly service to Macclesfield.

However, looking closer the 37 omits High Legh in both directions in the morning peak. That means it isn't possible to use the 37 service if you live in High Legh and have a 9-5 job in Warrington. If you had a 9-5 job in Altrincham and lived in High Legh you could use the 289 in the morning and the 37 in the evening but no idea how much that would cost given it's two different operators.
 

Xenophon PCDGS

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On a somewhat worrying note, the lack of bus access to Macclesfield Hospital on both the 27 and 130 bus routes, as a result of the three-day Wednesday to Friday road resurfacing in the surrounding area that has been scheduled, left many hospital visitors both to A & E and on the 1400 to 1600 visiting time (many of them elderly) having to make a long walk to make their hospital visits. I say this as I observed matters at first hand on Thursday whilst visiting my sister-in-law there. The road appears to be only reopened after 1600 hours on each of these days.

No-one in the section at the main entrance help-desk at the hospital seemed to be aware that such problems were being caused by this matter.
 

323235

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We had similar roadwork related problems here in Poynton. They were doing work on the Dickens Lane mini roundabout and it was only supposed to be closed for buses on Tuesday and Saturday however yesterday it was closed at 1215 and at least 2 buses went up Park Lane whilst in the opposite direction the bus appeared from the normal route, as if it has been re-opened or escorted through.

The 0830 from Macclesfield did the unscheduled diversion and then missed out Copperfield Road and the Vernon Estate.

No information on CEC Transport twitter feed/ GHA Coaches Twitter and only one very vague message from High Peak on their website and on their twitter on one day, which gave no dates.

Miscommunication from CEC Highway and CEC Transport being the main problem I can establish from recent snippets provided by Poynton Town Council. Bus operators and bus drivers over the past month have been given little or no warning about road closures to allow for suitable planning.
 
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pemma

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Unannounced roadworks have appeared on Boothfields, Knutsford - on the 300 circular route. It's also the first day D&G Bus are operating the service so if there's problems getting buses through then the drivers are less likely to be familiar with potential diversionary routes.
 

Xenophon PCDGS

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Unannounced roadworks have appeared on Boothfields, Knutsford - on the 300 circular route. It's also the first day D&G Bus are operating the service so if there's problems getting buses through then the drivers are less likely to be familiar with potential diversionary routes.

I had the feeling that roadworks have to be notified in advance to the respective Local Authority.
 

pemma

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I had the feeling that roadworks have to be notified in advance to the respective Local Authority.

It looks like they were done by a contractor on behalf of Cheshire East. It was their cheap alternative to relaying a worn out road - patch up the worst sections of it in a day. So Cheshire East would have known but they didn't put up any signs warning of road works.
 

pemma

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The only public service bus now to serve Handforth Dean is the Stagecoach Manchester service 312 (Stockport-Heald Green-Handforth Dean) which now also serves the nearby industrial estate and the Stanley Green shopping complex (Next, Halfords, B & Q, etc).

Just seen that the evening service on the 312 route operated by Finglands will be withdrawn from the end of July.
 

Xenophon PCDGS

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Just seen that the evening service on the 312 route operated by Finglands will be withdrawn from the end of July.

As the service on the 312 route serves the Outwood Road area of Heald Green (with many properties, both private and social housing) and also many of the companies and their staff staff on the Stanley Green Industrial Estate, plus the terminus that serves the two very large outlets of Marks and Spencer and the major Tesco store since it was re-routed, it will be interesting to note what action will be taken to urgently re-let the tendered evening service by TfGM.
 
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Xenophon PCDGS

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The evening 312 has never served the Stanley Green estate, it always went down Stanley Road straight to the A34.

It seems that effective 29th July, the 312 will be operated by Peter Vincent Walsh and Partners - i.e. JP Travel.
http://www.tan.gov.uk/tanen/vosa_se...enceNo=PC0004873&cboRegNoFilter=PC0004873/140

The 312 service last major re-routing did in fact see the main daytime service rerouted to serve the Stanley Green industrial estate by turning right at Earl Road from its route on Stanley Road, then up Epsom Avenue and Coppice Way, coming then round the back of the Marks and Spencer store, to arrive at its terminal point. This gave a service during the main day hours to the shoppers and the workers.

The matter of the route of the tendered evening services may well be as you say and will be in the tender documents.
 
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Shrimper

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I can't imagine the evening journeys changing - the hourly service at the moment can just about be done with a single vehicle for the entire evenings services thanks to the time saving from not serving the industrial estate (layover times are 1 minute at Stockport and about 3 at Handforth); unless TfGM wish to fund an additional vehicle with a lot of layover time I don't see it being likely to change. This is noted in the TfGM timetable for the service.
 

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Cheshire East council have said the following regarding Bakerbus routes

Cheshire East said:
There will be major changes to bus services from 1st September 2013.

bakerbus have registered to withdraw all their commercial services except for part of the 99, 99B service which will continue to serve Biddulph – Congleton and Buglawton with some journeys to Macclesfield. Most journeys to / from Macclesfield have been withdrawn.

As a result of these changes D&G Bus and High Peak have registered the following services to replace most of those withdrawn by bakerbus, subject to Traffic Commissioner approval:

90 D&G Congleton - Bromley Estate

91 D&G Congleton - Mossley Circular

42 D&G Crewe - Leighton Hospital - Holmes Chapel – Congleton: diverted to serve West Heath via (Cumberland Rd, Chestnut Rd, Sycamore Ave, Delamere Rd) to replace withdrawn bakerbus X38, 93 West Heath journeys.

77 D&G Congleton - Kidsgrove – diverted to serve Padgbury Lane, Ullswater Road and Sandbach Road.

76 D&G Congleton - Banky Fields - The Westlands: part replacement for the withdrawn bakerbus 76 service. Serves Banky Fields and The Westlands in opposite direction to previous service. See revised 77 for Ullswater Road replacement.

36 D&G Crewe - Haslington - Sandbach: new service part replacing the withdrawn bakerbus X38 service. Will serve Haslington, Primrose Avenue on all journeys.

39 High Peak Macclesfield – Buglawton – Congleton.
X38 passengers can use the existing 38 service to / from Crewe, Sandbach and Congleton.
 

323235

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what frequency do you think High Peak will run as replacement for the Macclesfield-Congleton section?

Service 392/393 is also seeing changes,they have taken my suggestion to re-time both the 0720 and 1550 in addition to making paper changes to the 0715 and 0810 (until March this year it arrived in Stockport at 0905 and they are reversing it back).
 

323235

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well the timetable has been released for the 39. xx00 (Macc) 0800-1700 with no 0800 or 1700 on saturdays. return at xx30. so 10 and 3 minutes before arriva. why couldn't they have timed xx40 and xx10 or perhaps xx35 and xx05 say. Would have given a near half hourly spread in both directions.

Having said that xx00 is one of the 99 current runs so obviously they were the most popular.
 
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pemma

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The D&G registrations look to have been approved. I've not seen any new High Peak ones come up other than the Hanley one.
 
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