Maxonian206
New Member
- Joined
- 5 Aug 2019
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In competition with Arriva? So there goes the subsidy.
This is my local route. I’d be interested in knowing what is happening.
In competition with Arriva? So there goes the subsidy.
From reports that you read Winsford/Macclesfield do appear to have problems in getting dedicated 38 route buses 4489-91 out on the road.I wouldn't be surprised if D & G get most of the services from Arriva. Winsford depot is falling apart, driver shortages, bus shortages the lot.
In competition with Arriva? So there goes the subsidy.
The D&G services from Crewe are at 0650, 0800 and then every hour until 1600, plus 1700 as far as Congleton (so mostly in between the current Arriva service at x.35 from Crewe, although they do run 5 minutes before the Arriva service 37 as far as Sandbach). Only the evening Arriva journeys are subsidised by Cheshire East, this new service won't affect those.
I think it's a shame D&G don't properly compete as I reckon they would get a LOT of passengers. Too much working with and not against in my opinion but it is good to see them expand.
Arriva could throw all resources at it but given that a lot of companies make profit from directly competing with Arriva, it's fair to say Arriva aren't like First and will not throw their toys out of the pram. They play daft by throwing the odd extra in (or I believe they have asked drivers to be so late that they are infront of the competitor) but it doesn't last long. Most of their tactics don't work but they give them a go just in case.There is an unwritten rule in the bus industry that you don't tread on another operators toes. If D&G directly competed with Arriva, Arriva could easily throw all their resources at it, and effectively take D&G off the road. Or, they could just pull out and leave D&G to it-be careful what you wish for.
When Bakers ran the 94 Biddulph-Newcastle, it was a double decker every 30 minutes, and we struggled to get seats most mornings and the 99 Biddulph-Congleton was also every 30 minutes. Now D&G have run the services down so much, they are combined into one hourly route, with a small solo on, and that has empty seats. They are not very (at all!) customer focused. Personally, I would not shed a tear to see d&G disappear.
In my neck of the woods, they & CEC have managed to screw everything. They operate buses that break the contract (Supposed to have 38 seats, 2 wheelchair spaces and 1 buggy space - Use tiny ex London & ex go goodwins solo's) and Cheshire East just couldn't give one.D&G run for their benefit, not the passengers, and that is their biggest problem. They have no interest in growing the passenger numbers, indeed, they like to shrink them to fit the bus sizes they have, rather than grow them and get bigger buses.
Maybe one of us should set up a social media page "for them" and allow people to complain and make it public.Advertising and social media would attract passengers so that is why D&G show no interest in it, and never will. They are also fully aware that social media would make all the complaints public and they would be exposed, this way they can keep compalints as if they don't happen.
I wouldn't rule them out, Macclesfield isn't that far from Stockport.Stagecoach I doubt would be interested as their nearest operation is manchester & also chester.
I'd hope not d&g but they're most likely to take both. High Peak would be a good call if d&g decide not to take Macclesfield.D&G, well who knows. As has been said above they run for their own benefit plus would they have the resources?
High peak have been mentioned as they have previously run quite a few east cheshire services.
I'm not sure any bus in the UK could meet that spec. Two wheelchair spaces and a buggy space? A Streetlite Max, which has 39 fixed seats and 6 tip ups, can accommodate one of each but not all three.In my neck of the woods, they & CEC have managed to screw everything. They operate buses that break the contract (Supposed to have 38 seats, 2 wheelchair spaces and 1 buggy space - Use tiny ex London & ex go goodwins solo's) and Cheshire East just couldn't give one.
Is it not in D&Gs best interest to attract passengers? More passengers means more revenue. I don't think they want to kill off routes, it's just a lack of communication and lack of willingness to keep the passengers. I don't think complaints can be that bad as I have never had an issue with them. It's just some of their decisions are a bit confusing.D&G run for their benefit, not the passengers, and that is their biggest problem. They have no interest in growing the passenger numbers, indeed, they like to shrink them to fit the bus sizes they have, rather than grow them and get bigger buses. Cancelling peak hour journeys regularly like D&G do, never goes down well with regular commuters. Then they change the bus times every couple of weeks to get rid of a few more people who can no longer get to work on time.
When they took on the 94 there were full double deckers every 30 minutes, now there is a partially full small solo hourly, their ability to drive passengers away is quite astounding. Advertising and social media would attract passengers so that is why D&G show no interest in it, and never will. They are also fully aware that social media would make all the complaints public and they would be exposed, this way they can keep compalints as if they don't happen.
I have thought about that before but I wouldn't want them to be annoyed and go generally go ape about it. While yes they should have Social Media, even if they are appreciative, why should we put any of our time into the page when it provides little benefit to us and we can hardly help customers. I don't know which route are on about but the 88 apparently is also messy with certain trips meant to have higher capacity vehicles on and it isn't happening. Another forum has had regular posts about buses being used on routes which aren't upto contract specsIn my neck of the woods, they & CEC have managed to screw everything. They operate buses that break the contract (Supposed to have 38 seats, 2 wheelchair spaces and 1 buggy space - Use tiny ex London & ex go goodwins solo's) and Cheshire East just couldn't give one.
Maybe one of us should set up a social media page "for them" and allow people to complain and make it public.
To clear up all rumours this is just an announcement about who Arriva is selling their whole UK ops to and nothing to do with the local operations as far as I know. Speculation on this sale should really be on it's own thread as it could go very far off topic locally.I was chatting with a winsford based arriva driver the other day who told me there'll be an announcement regarding the future of arriva's UK bus network in september.
So for now things are slightly up in the air. The big question is though however who'd take over the operations at winsford & macclesfield???
Stagecoach I doubt would be interested as their nearest operation is manchester & also chester.
First are in the potteries so again might be too far out of area for them.
D&G, well who knows. As has been said above they run for their own benefit plus would they have the resources?
High peak have been mentioned as they have previously run quite a few east cheshire services.
So interesting times ahead as arriva are supposedly looking to sell their UK operations.
Is it not in D&Gs best interest to attract passengers? More passengers means more revenue. I don't think they want to kill off routes, it's just a lack of communication and lack of willingness to keep the passengers. I don't think complaints can be that bad as I have never had an issue with them. It's just some of their decisions are a bit confusing.
They don't have a desire for growth, it costs them more, they would rather have less income and less expense. They have a phobia of double Deckers, they had some with the take-over of Wardles, but sold them, even though they provided useful capacity. Passengers are way down their list of things to be bothered about.
There are some well-regarded companies that don't use double deckers (Trent Barton the obvious one). I also don't get the obsession with social media, it doesn't bother me at all that they don;t use it. I would rather they used the capability of their new ticket machines to provide live bus tracking through the Ticketer app.
In separate news, D&G have announced fare rises from next week on their routes subsidised by Cheshire East, blaming the refusal of TSS (on behalf of the council) to provide an inflationary increase in the fees paid for the contracts.
That seems odd, surely any annual increase in costs would have been built into the contract and both sides aware of what was coming?
Does anyone know if D&G currently charge the same fares on the Sunday and Public Holiday 38 as Arriva do during the week?
To clear up all rumours this is just an announcement about who Arriva is selling their whole UK ops to and nothing to do with the local operations as far as I know. Speculation on this sale should really be on it's own thread as it could go very far off topic locally.
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/deutsche-bahn-arriva-unit-attention-204512397.htmlI've not seen anything about Arriva selling their UK operations. Where did you see about that?
DB is selling Arriva as a whole at the moment. Splitting it whilst looking for investors sounds unlikely.
Should we have any news? Crewe just seems to tick along with it's abandoned buses and bus station.Anybody aware of recent news on buses serving crewe? I’ve only just come across this thread.
Well, now that Santander and Boots Opticians have moved out, they can knock down the town centre for the new bus station, etc. I wonder what the arrangements will be while the bus station is being demolished/built.abandoned buses and bus station
Should we have any news? Crewe just seems to tick along with it's abandoned buses and bus station.
I was hoping D&G would start being a bit more competitive but they just seem to sit stable doing nothing. Interestinly they haven't uploaded the new timetables for the 88/288 and they haven't put their notes on the 737. They are normally quite quick at noting people of service changes.
The latest news I know which could remotely relate to Crewe is that all Arriva Winsford maintenance is being done at Runcorn depot so vehicles will mix between Winsford and Runcorn possibly regularly.
Well, now that Santander and Boots Opticians have moved out, they can knock down the town centre for the new bus station, etc. I wonder what the arrangements will be while the bus station is being demolished/built.
Something needs sorting there. Even Macclesfield Bus Stn is better than Crewe and that is saying something!Well, now that Santander and Boots Opticians have moved out, they can knock down the town centre for the new bus station, etc. I wonder what the arrangements will be while the bus station is being demolished/built.