There's actually quite a few. The 47 and Handforth Dean shuttles are the most noticable instances of larges buses being used on public bus services that only operate when the vehicle isn't needed for the school or college service. The 316/319 provides another example. And while the 93 is a Staffordshire local, it's worked by the same bus that operates the Shavington Academy 863. Then there's instances of where a normal bus service goes off-pattern and off it's normal route to serve a school or college. The 82 in Cheshire West being the most obvious example but there's other examples too, like the 318.
I didn't mean larger buses being provided to fit around some schools, that happens all over. It's more the 188, 72/73 and 42 are the only routes that I can think of which are scheduled to take schools kids. Nothing for the colleges anymore since Macclesfield college got rid of the diversions.
Cheshire West is better for it but not perfect still. Even then, their schools are not open to the public, they are school kids only so any potential journey options to boost the local bus network are not taken advantage of.
To the average passenger it doesn't matter if a school contract is run by an Arriva decker or a Holmeswood coach. What matters is whether the public bus service is timetabled to fit around the school service or timetabled to suit passenger demand.
Coaches are frowned upon by the elderly as it's much more difficult for them to climb the steps and accommodate shopping trolleys. Pat's 1Whitchurch 146 does this and it can cause a few issues.
While yes the service may not be specifically suited to public demand, if it fills gaps in timetables, it can help the wider network as people say they have more buses per day and so that enables them to travel more. Or if it's like Macclesfield to Congleton with a lot of college buses, if these students were on the 38, the 38 would be more viable and have to run more frequently and so that has huge benefits for everyone else. Biddulph to Congleton is another one, a good few buses there, if D&G ran that on the 94, maybe Saturdays could then come back on as they then have the school revenue to cross subsidise. You have to look at the wider benefits of it rather than 'its just one trip being made available to the public'
You might be aware that both Cheshire West and Cheshire East withdrew funding to support school travel for faith schools and for 16+ scholars in further education. That means schools and colleges have to contract their own services and often sell passes themselves with the contracted operator instructed to only pick up those who have a school/college pass.
For an operator like Roy McCarthy coaches they can't run a coach to All Hallows for a reduced price because the majority of passengers are under 16. So, for children, the designated school service becomes more expensive than a public bus.
I know operators can't do it off their own backs and more is down to the education establishments but there is still no reason why everyone can't work together and save students and councils or education authorities some money as well as provide an improved public transport network. Find the negatives there? It is literally what all of the councils claim to want. More buses, less cost. Bingo.
Worth noting too that if a bus is available to the public, it becomes eligible for grants so that can reduce the cost of the service.
That's why the St Nicholas High services to Lostock Gralam and Knutsford stopped, as they were more expensive to use than the train.
Now if that was on the 89 instead, it would have given better links from Knutsford to Northwich and enabled people to make journeys which they currently can't due to the poor timetable on the 89. Same bus, same times, same driver. Just taking fares from a few local passengers.
