I believe that Manchester Airport group are operating one of their own buses from the airport to the viewing park for the event weekend this weekend only and that it is free, can anyome confirm? also that they made £37million to be shared by the Greater Manchester shareholders, ie Stockport MBC and beyond.
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Cheshire Bus News (was East Cheshire Bus News)
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Arriva bus coming in to Knutsford on the 88 route at 08:40 this morning, not following the correct route with only 1 schoolkid on board - usually that bus has a loading of 15-20 when there's a half-hourly service so perhaps some people are unaware the service is up and running or perhaps some people waited at bus stops missed due to the driver not knowing the route properly?
On loan from Central Buses to D & G are Dennis Dart / Plaxton AE06 ZBT and EU06 WGM both seen at Crewe bus station this morning.
AE06 working the 84, and EU06 parked in the spot where the vehicle to work the Tesco service is normally parked at 09:30
Malcolm
AE06 working the 84, and EU06 parked in the spot where the vehicle to work the Tesco service is normally parked at 09:30
Malcolm
Looks like the 200 and 289 timetables are exactly the same. Although, the 289 list of stops is a bit vague with just the town or village listed in a number of instances.
200: http://www.howards-travel.co.uk/200.pdf
289: http://www.howards-travel.co.uk/289.pdf
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Arriva 87 service is a very limited service: https://www.arrivabus.co.uk/globalassets/documents/gha-closure/service-87-gha.pdf
Arriva 88 service sees the early and late services withdrawn but a full half-hourly service from 1st August: https://www.arrivabus.co.uk/globalassets/documents/gha-closure/service-88-gha.pdf
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An unusual site this evening - Solo SR DG64 BUS branded for the 32 route is on the 300 route having replaced the Streetlite which was on the route earlier.
200: http://www.howards-travel.co.uk/200.pdf
289: http://www.howards-travel.co.uk/289.pdf
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Arriva 87 service is a very limited service: https://www.arrivabus.co.uk/globalassets/documents/gha-closure/service-87-gha.pdf
Arriva 88 service sees the early and late services withdrawn but a full half-hourly service from 1st August: https://www.arrivabus.co.uk/globalassets/documents/gha-closure/service-88-gha.pdf
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An unusual site this evening - Solo SR DG64 BUS branded for the 32 route is on the 300 route having replaced the Streetlite which was on the route earlier.
Rail Ranger
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"an unusual sight".
87 is to be an hourly service (minus a lunch break) from next week: https://www.arrivabus.co.uk/north-west/Latest/gha-coaches-cease-trading/
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From VOSA:
D & G BUS LIMITED T/A D & G BUS, MOSSFIELD ROAD, STOKE-ON-TRENT, ST3 5BW
Cancellation Accepted: Operating between Crewe Bus Station, Delamere Street, Crewe and Nantwich Bus Station, Beam Street, Nantwich given service number 84 effective from 12-Sep-2016.
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From VOSA:
D & G BUS LIMITED T/A D & G BUS, MOSSFIELD ROAD, STOKE-ON-TRENT, ST3 5BW
Cancellation Accepted: Operating between Crewe Bus Station, Delamere Street, Crewe and Nantwich Bus Station, Beam Street, Nantwich given service number 84 effective from 12-Sep-2016.
Danfilm007
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D&G need to bring the PVR down now they have loads of extra routes, and the 84 was a prime candidate. Suppose they could use that bus (it was a spare from a School Run in Nantwich) on one of the Nantwich Town Services, or even on the 72/73?
323235
Established Member
Interesting Cheshire East said they weren't replacing the 87 daytime commercial journeys and now they have. I hope the 87 will benefit from allowing Arriva ticket holders extra journey opportunities between Macclesfield - Congleton
New 27 Saturday timetable: http://www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/pdf/public-transport/27-27a-macclesfield-knutsford-saturdays.pdf
It seems to be the same as the weekday timetable with a few differences, like no journeys via AstraZeneca and slightly quicker journeys at certain times.
I'm surprised the the first journey is to Knutsford and the last journey is from Knutsford, given I would have thought the bus would have to go through/near Knutsford to get between its base in Warrington and Macclesfield.
It's been reported elsewhere that Howards have been using a 50 seater Enviro 300 on the 289 route!
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It seems High Peak haven't learnt from the mistakes they made when running the 27 service previously. Last time a big fare increase and reduced frequency is what caused their attempt to fail and they've gone and done the same again!
It seems to be the same as the weekday timetable with a few differences, like no journeys via AstraZeneca and slightly quicker journeys at certain times.
I'm surprised the the first journey is to Knutsford and the last journey is from Knutsford, given I would have thought the bus would have to go through/near Knutsford to get between its base in Warrington and Macclesfield.
It's been reported elsewhere that Howards have been using a 50 seater Enviro 300 on the 289 route!
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It seems High Peak haven't learnt from the mistakes they made when running the 27 service previously. Last time a big fare increase and reduced frequency is what caused their attempt to fail and they've gone and done the same again!
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daodao
Established Member
I can confirm that I saw a full size bus on route 289 on Dunham Road last Wednesday morning (and again today) - not ideal for Peacock Lane between High Legh and Bucklow Hill.
As for route 27, it is fortunate that operators have been able to step in to provide a replacement service at short notice, but I don't see the point in subsiding journeys before 8 am or after 6 pm on Saturdays, i.e. the first and last journeys in the newly published timetable.
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In emergencies such as this, Local Authorities will cover timetables in their entirety whilst they decide what journeys will be covered on a permanent basis.
For the Saturday 27 service they've gone for the new weekday service with a few timing and routing revisions (i.e. allowed for Saturday traffic being different and not required any Saturday services to run via AstraZeneca) opposed to running the old GHA timetable which required 2 buses and had a later start and earlier finish.
While I agree with daodao on the first bus not being required, I don't agree with later buses not being required. Macclesfield station has arrivals from Birmingham and London until after 11pm, while there's plenty of things to see and do in Macclesfield on a Saturday evening so if anything 17:45 sounds very early for a last bus. I also notice he's not complaining about early/late services on the 289 route on Saturdays, despite the 289 service being one of the most heavily subsided routes in Cheshire East.
daodao
Established Member
Cheshire East residents should be grateful that the local council has organised replacement subsidised bus services following the collapse of GHA. Many local authorities (e.g. Stoke, Wrexham, Cumbria) have stopped all subsidies for local bus services or are planning to do so (e.g. Derbyshire). Consequently, Wrexham BC have not organised any replacement bus services for those formerly run by GHA, but merely publicised new replacement commercial services provided by other operators. There are now no public bus services serving the communities of the Ceiriog Valley nor the settlements (Bangor-is-y-Coed, Overton etc) along former GHA route 146 between Wrexham and Whitchurch.
Cheshire East have been trying to find operators willing to run services commercially and only issued emergency contracts to run services where that has proved impossible. Hence why the 27 weekday service has reduced in frequency and why the return fare is now higher than a ticket which will allow you to travel on buses all day in any part of Greater Manchester. There are also local companies like Waters and McCanns providing funding for bus services in Cheshire East.
It's a bit rich saying Cheshire East shouldn't be funding so many services on a route which serves a hospital when you are living in an area where TfGM fund a half-hourly 370 service between 07:20 and 23:20 on Saturdays, as well as an hourly Sunday service.
Again, where are you getting all the information about former GHA services and vehicles that you are posting here and on another forum?
The majority of it is on the operator websites, the council website and Twitter feed. Cheshire East said High Peak are running a 2 hourly 27 service commercially on both their website and Twitter feed but they had to look at providing a Saturday service as no operator was willing to run it commercially.
The information about Waters providing funding for the 88 route is from Councillor Andrew Malloy who is certain Waters have to fund public transport as part of their planning application even though he has had to check on specific details of that funding. McCanns providing some funding for the 19 was reported a couple of years ago when the route was revised to serve McCanns.
I find it very surprising that people are rushing to defend GHA and claiming because Stephen Byrce told them something it must be true. We're talking about the same man who instructed drivers at YourBus to tamper with equipment so that it didn't show they worked too many hours and has recently been in court over breaches of H&S legislation. As far as I'm concerned if he said something it needs a lot of evidence to back it up before it can be accepted as being true.
And if you haven't noticed the owner of Howards Travel has an account on the 'other forum' which you are referring to and has posted updates about his operations, which has meant I was simply able to repeat information he posted about the 200, 289 and 27 routes before it appeared on the Cheshire East website.
Robertj21a
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Off topic I know, but I wonder whatever happened to the case against Yourbus management ? - I recall that the drivers were charged and fined, but I don't recall any case against the management that allowed/encouraged it. Have I missed it somewhere ?
Surprised High Peak don`t open an outstation in Macclesfield as they are doing more routes and having about 30miles of dead millage per bus?
johnnychips
Established Member
I would suspect that the cost of diesel and additional drivers' wages will be less than renting somewhere. I also expect, though I may be wrong, that most HP drivers live round Buxton and Chapel, and wouldn't like driving to Macc to start work. However, if HP take on more routes in the area in future, who knows?
Got the 88 for the first time since GHA collapsed. First time I've taken it in the peak too. Bus is really busy which I assume is peak related. It also cost a mere £3.20 for a single from Hale Barns to Wilmslow station, where it used to be £4 most of the time.
It departed on time and arrived 1 minute early.
Almost go as far to say it's a reliable form of transport. Certainly beats the previous operator with the needless wifi
It departed on time and arrived 1 minute early.
Almost go as far to say it's a reliable form of transport. Certainly beats the previous operator with the needless wifi
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It'll be busier because the frequency has been halved until 1st August and also the first bus is later and last bus is earlier.
There have been some teething problems with Arriva drivers not knowing the correct route through Knutsford and also heavy traffic due to the RHS show last week caused severe delays.
Even with the additional services High Peak are running less services in Cheshire than a few years ago. They used to operate a 27 service using 2 buses (now it uses 1), they used to have the 300 service using 1 bus, they used to have the 39 (now 87) using 1 bus, while the number 1 service has been truncated so that it doesn't need a separate bus, while the 19 was their route before they lost the contract to GHA. The P1 is a new route for High Peak but even allowing for that it's 3 less buses needed in Cheshire on a daily basis than a few years ago.
Having a depot the wrong end of the Cat And Fiddle is not good for running services in Winter but I can't see High Peak changing that.
From the Route One article (which is now a dead link due to the website being rebuilt)
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Robertj21a
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Thanks, yes that's the bit that I recall. There was also a reference, around the same time, to the effect that the management would be prosecuted separately - but I don't recall seeing anything since.
You spoke too soon. Currently one of the two buses on the 88 route is running 15 minutes late and the other is running 37 minutes late. Although, at least Arriva have live tracking information so you can find out if there are delays.
Rail Ranger
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I just spoke to Howards and they are accepting System One and Wayfarer tickets on the 200 and the 289 but they are not yet issuing System One tickets on their buses.
They've put on their Twitter feed that they'll have a £5.50 day ticket and a £19 weekly ticket available to purchase on their buses from tomorrow.
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Transport Service Solutions (owned by Cheshire East Council) will be operating the Crewe Flexirider service (which was previously operated by GHA) themselves.
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On the Howard's Travel Twitter feed that the 06:55 Northwich to Altrincham 289 service has been withdrawn from today (posted Saturday.) Yet no information on the Cheshire East website and the old timetable is still on the Howard's/Springfield site. Hopefully drivers told any regular passengers last week otherwise they'd have a long wait for a bus!
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High Peak are withdrawing their 27 service on Friday with Howard's Travel taking over the service: http://www.howards-travel.co.uk/27.pdf
Xenophon PCDGS
Veteran Member
How do you feel about the change of operator on this service?
Personally I'm not keen on the idea of High Peak operating any service in Knutsford. In the past they've had too many operational difficulties in getting buses to Knutsford in winter meaning early services people rely on to get to work don't operate because it's been snowing in Buxton. They also seem to think passengers are happy to pay more for a poorer service, which isn't the case and has been proven by passenger numbers falling when they reduce the frequency of services at the same time as putting up fares. However, I think it's impossible to say at this stage how well things will work for Howard's Travel.
I imagine if you visit Macclesfield and see a 27 bus you'd rather see a bus looking like this:
https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1667/24497878492_e2488cb431_b.jpg
opposed to one looking like this:
http://ontrainsandbuses.com/wp-cont...glandCheshire_highPeakOptareSoloKnutsford.jpg
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A number of buses which would have been a familiar site in Cheshire East are being sold in an online auction - the 88 and Beartown Enviros along with the most of the 54 reg Cheshire Connect Solos: http://www.amsauctions.co.uk/catalogue.cgi?preview=y&auction=1060
The other 54 reg Cheshire Connect Solos have already been sold and are now with Llew Jones, still in Cheshire Connect colours but with the branding changed:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/gha-group-photos/28256550193/in/photostream/
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