D&G Buses

[PaulWC]

70 days to the Local Authority, 42 days to the Traffic Commissioner. Unless the registration is short notice and a letter of support is obtained from the local authority or authorities. 14 days used to be the norm for notifying the public.


Are the 70 to 73 commercial or contracted? If the latter, notice would have to have been given of termination of contract. 3 months is the norm unless agreed by the LA.

They're mainly rural services and all under contract to Cheshire East. That's why I find it odd that Cheshire East Council only found out last week, presumably around the same time D&G were posting it on their own website with only a couple of weeks notice.

 

[markymark2000]

Interesting conversation on the Crewe & District Bus Users Facebook group where Laura Crane, the Vice-Chair of the Highways of Transport committee for Cheshire East Council says that D&G have made the decision to cancel the 70 to 73 Nantwich rural services and the council only found out about this a couple of days ago. Not sure why D&G would post on their own website that the axed services would be replaced by Go-Too if the council didn't even know about it.

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The full comment is really needed here as it shows a lot more about the councillor. I certainly wouldn't trust what that councillor was saying, she is living in fairytale land thinking franchising will fix these problems (despite these routes already being full council tenders) and she is taking huge swipes at the main person running the Bus Users Group. How dare the bus users group accuse the council of making cuts, at the same time that a tendered service is being withdrawn, and at the same time that they are looking at consultation responses for.... making cuts to some of these services!

D&G literally thrive off these contracts, why on earth are they going to throw back a contract? It's well known that contracts are 90% of D&Gs work in Cheshire. To tarnish a very strong relationship with the council by throwing back contracts isn't going to help them and when their business is mostly contracts, why put all that into jeopardy? It's no secret that I'm not a fan of D&G but I think there is more going on than what has been said here.

Laura Crane
My understanding of the situation is that D&G have given notice to withdraw the service. They have the legal right to do that and now the council have to decide how to proceed.
Until the government gives us power to franchise this will always be a possibility. We can only make businesses run buses if we pay them to do so and even then they can choose to withdraw from their contract with appropriate notice as is the case here. As it has only been handed in a couple of days ago the council needs a little time to decide how to proceed.
Carol, I thought you understood the system and am quite frustrated that you are accusing the council of making this choice when you know we have no control over private bus companies. You know how much we are working to improve the services available and expected more respect.
I am a bus user as are most Labour members of the committee and a member of this group so that we can all work together but with accusations such as this it is a real strain.
Do you truly believe we are actively trying to make it harder for people to use the bus?
Laura Crane
Vice-Chair of the Highways of Transport committee

 

[sonic2009]

Are the 70 to 73 commercial or contracted? If the latter, notice would have to have been given of termination of contract. 3 months is the norm unless agreed by the LA.

The services are contracted by Cheshire East. D&G have just gained service 41 Whitchurch - Chester from Aintree Coaches under contract to Cheshire West and Chester.

There's been talk that D&G pulled out of the Nantwich services as the Cheshire West contract pays more money - but make of that what you will.

I'm the Admin for the Crewe bus users group and also on the committee and there was some heated conversation by one member of the group towards the councillor, it will be interesting to see the outcome of this situation in further tenders for services in Cheshire East by D&G.

 

[PaulWC]

Three rural bus services to be withdrawn at end of month

Three rural bus services will be lost at the end of this month affecting passengers who live in Nantwich, Audlem, Wrenbury and Bunbury.

www.northwichguardian.co.uk

D&G Bus has announced it will no longer be operating the 70, 71, 72 and 73 services from September 1.

Cheshire East Council says the 71 route, which is mainly used by schoolchildren, will be maintained.

Cllr Mark Goldsmith (Ind), chair of the highways and transport committee, said: “The operator of our Nantwich rural bus routes, 70,71, 72 and 73, has given the council notice that they intend to pull out of providing these services.

“Route 71 – which is predominantly a service used for transporting schoolchildren – will be maintained.
“The council is out for tender for a new operator to provide home-to-school transport from the beginning of September.
“However, the last day that the other three services will run will be Saturday, August 31.”
The 70 service operates from Nantwich to Bunbury.
The 72 and 73 services operate a circular service between Nantwich, Audlem and Wrenbury.
Cllr Goldsmith said: “The council recognises that local buses can offer a valuable lifeline to many of our rural residents.
“We would like to remind people of our popular Go Too service which will continue to operate in the Nantwich area and will be ready to support residents affected by these changes.”

So other than the school journeys, August 31st is the last day.

 

[Baxenden Bank]

Service K, Crackley to Keele, commences on 8 September.
Similar routes have been tried previously, by First and Bakers if I remember correctly. Someone has an obsession with linking Silverdale and Keele, an obsession not previously shared by the general public. Third time lucky?

New service K​

Date: 8th September 2024​

From 8th September 2024 new service K will be introduced between Keele Science Park, Keele University, Silverdale, Knutton, Waterhayes and Chesterton.


Buses will run up to every 30 minutes on weekdays and every hour on Saturdays.


This service is operated under contract to Staffordshire County Council and is funded through the government's Bus Service Improvement Plan.


Click HERE to see the new timetable.

Timetable here.

 

[Simon75]

Service K, Crackley to Keele, commences on 8 September.
Similar routes have been tried previously, by First and Bakers if I remember correctly. Someone has an obsession with linking Silverdale and Keele, an obsession not previously shared by the general public. Third time lucky?


Timetable here.

There was a Silverdale to Keele Medical Centre at Royal Stoke Hospital, I think paid by the university

A service via Wolstanton retail park again could be handy

 

[daodao]

I note the re-routeing of certain services via the A555 from late October 2024, presumably to allow flexibility in using buses that would otherwise fall foul of Greater Manchester's stringent vehicle exhaust emission regulations.

27 October 2024 130 High Peak Bus

• High Peak are varying the route of service 130 from 27 October 2024. This change is to alter the route into Handforth Dean Retail Park to run via the A555 & A34 rather than via Stanley Road and Earl Road meaning the service will no longer operate via Greater Manchester roads.

27 October 2024 312 D&G Bus

• Timing change to improve connections with the 88 to/from Knutsford. Removed from the TfGM area and will use the A555 instead.

Bus Service Changes

Bus service news, notices and changes affecting bus services in East Cheshire, including Crewe, Nantwich, Macclesfield, Congleton and Alsager.

www.cheshireeast.gov.uk

 

[Tim33160]

I note the re-routeing of certain services via the A555 from late October 2024, presumably to allow flexibility in using buses that would otherwise fall foul of Greater Manchester's stringent vehicle exhaust emission regulations.

Bus Service Changes

Bus service news, notices and changes affecting bus services in East Cheshire, including Crewe, Nantwich, Macclesfield, Congleton and Alsager.

www.cheshireeast.gov.uk

Also to negate the need to seek a TfGM cross border bus permit to operate in the TfGM franchised area

A small number of existing bus services in Greater Manchester (mostly cross boundary services that run into and out of neighbouring local authority areas) will not form part of the franchised services. Once bus franchising goes live, any current or proposed local bus services that are not part of the franchised network (or are otherwise exempted) will require a Service Permit if they are to operate within Greater Manchester.
https://www.tfgm.com/service-permits

 

[47550]

Also to negate the need to seek a TfGM cross border bus permit to operate in the TfGM franchised area

A small number of existing bus services in Greater Manchester (mostly cross boundary services that run into and out of neighbouring local authority areas) will not form part of the franchised services. Once bus franchising goes live, any current or proposed local bus services that are not part of the franchised network (or are otherwise exempted) will require a Service Permit if they are to operate within Greater Manchester.
https://www.tfgm.com/service-permits

That should speed up the 130 quite a bit then. Currently takes 1hr 20min from Macclesfield to the Airport as it winds its way round Wythenshawe and Heald Green.

 

[daodao]

That should speed up the 130 quite a bit then. Currently takes 1hr 20min from Macclesfield to the Airport as it winds its way round Wythenshawe and Heald Green.

It applies to the High Peak-operated Sunday variation of route 130 only, although this isn't 100% clear in the information quoted from the Cheshire East Borough website.

 

[jfollows]

It applies to the High Peak-operated Sunday variation of route 130 only, although this isn't 100% clear in the information quoted from the Cheshire East Borough website.

Thank you, I was about to ask this, but you’ve answered my question. Not clear.

 

[WibbleWobble]

Let's just hope that Transport for Greater Manchester don't spot that the A34/A555 interchange *is* in Greater Manchester! (There's just no bus stops served).

 

[47550]

I’m still confused though - if it’s only Sundays that change then d&g will need a permit for the other 6 days ?

 

[Tetchytyke]

I’m still confused though - if it’s only Sundays that change then d&g will need a permit for the other 6 days ?

The 130 on a Sunday only goes as far as Handforth Dean, so the change means they won't need the cost of the permit for such a short section of route.

It also looks like the 130 is timetabled at 65 minutes Macclesfield-Handforth Dean on a Sunday. I wonder if the change will allow them to bring it to 60 minutes?

It will probably be worth it for D&G on the Mon-Sat service as that goes all the way to the airport.

 

[47550]

Ah ok - thanks for the explanation !

 

[markymark2000]

Interesting conversation on the Crewe & District Bus Users Facebook group where Laura Crane, the Vice-Chair of the Highways of Transport committee for Cheshire East Council says that D&G have made the decision to cancel the 70 to 73 Nantwich rural services and the council only found out about this a couple of days ago. Not sure why D&G would post on their own website that the axed services would be replaced by Go-Too if the council didn't even know about it.

Thanks to a wonderful thing called Freedom of Information, we now have more information on this, and it's fair to say that the councillor was lying!

Request: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/.../withdrawal_of_nantwich...
Emails between D&G and Cheshire East which relate to the withdrawal of the 70/71/72/73 - [Link]

I won't quote the full thing as you can't copy and paste from the documents, there's a number of redactions and talks about setting up meetings too so, it doesn't make much sense. The summary of the facts though
31st May D&G asked for an additional £43,000 to run the services
4th June D&G gave 3 months notice to end the contract should additional funding not be forthcoming.
6th August 'As discussed in our telephone conversation' D&G formally withdrew their request for additional funding and committed to ending the contract
There was then back and forth while Cheshire East tried to get D&G to keep running services until mid September, which D&G refused on the basis of winning other contracts and a compromise was came to.

In short, Cheshire East knew about the situation on the 70/71/72/73 for a while. This was not a shock to them, despite what councillors may say! Isn't Freedom of Information great! Catch out councillors who want to mislead the public.

--

Something of interest though and it does back up what I've said before about D&G always wanting more money. In the emails above, there are numerous services there in which D&G want more funding. Macclesfield 3/10, Macclesfield 130, Wilmslow 312, Knutsford 88/89, Nantwich 70/71/72/73 and Crewe 85. Most of these are already full tenders meaning D&G will have put in a bid for these routes, some they will have put in bids not long ago, and now they want more and more money for contracts. The fee paid to D&G would almost always rise annually over the contract length, or if not, they would be aware and should be submitting bids accordingly. They have let their costs rise to such a level that has made these contracts unviable. Of note, D&G say about "increased overheads with them taking on Macclesfield depot", that was a CHOICE D&G made and now taxpayers have to cough up, in the middle of a contract, as D&G renegotiates because of financial decisions that they made! I've said it before and I'll say it again, D&G are taking taxpayers for a ride with dodgy practises. You gave your quote, you have risen your costs and now we have to pay for that? Don't quote a price that you can't run the services on, or quote so low that you can't handle cost increases, especially cost increases that are directly within your control (bit different with the spare parts and cost of fuel etc).

 

[PaulWC]

Cheshire East councillors not being truthful? Surely not!!!

 

[sonic2009]

D&G desperately need to sort out their insane allocations.

(4) YX16 0HW - certainly off route on the 37 0640 Crewe - Nantwich, but full and standing just after leaving Middlewich. Colleges are back and passengers being left behind.

 

[Mwanesh]

Why do politicians think franchising will solve everything.The councillor needs to face facts .

 

[Baxenden Bank]

From the Staffordshire County Council website here.

from 28 October​

• D&G Bus service will operate a new Monday to Saturday evening service 11 between Newcastle, Stoke and Longton.
• D&G Bus service will operate a new Monday to Saturday evening service 22 between Newcastle, Trentham and Longton.

These were proposals in the Tranche 2 tender, issued in May.

 

[Shauny]

From the Staffordshire County Council website here.

These were proposals in the Tranche 2 tender, issued in May.

How late are we talking?

 

[Baxenden Bank]

Some detail on the new vehicles in this press release.

Passenger Growth Fuels Investment in New Vehicles at D&G Bus​

D&G Bus is introducing a new fleet of seven Volvo Evora buses on their popular route – the nines. This route connects Biddulph and Clayton via key stops in Hanley, Newcastle, and Stoke, providing essential transport links for local residents and commuters.

Investment in Sustainability and Comfort

David Brookes, Managing Director for D&G Bus, said: “We are delighted to allocate over £1.2 million toward upgrading our bus fleet in Stoke. These new buses are not only environmentally friendly, with low emissions that contribute to improved air quality in the city, but they also prioritise passenger comfort.”

The new Volvo Evora buses come equipped with convenient USB charging points, ensuring that passengers can stay connected during their journeys. Additionally, the nines livery adds a fresh and distinctive look to the streets of Stoke.

Enhanced Partnership Driving Passenger Growth

D&G Bus attributes the recent surge in passenger numbers to the successful Enhanced Partnership initiative. A standout achievement has been the Affordable Fares Scheme, which operates under the Partnership’s funding. By eliminating the price premium for multi-operator tickets, passengers have benefited from simplified fare options, making public transport in Stoke more accessible and attractive.

David Brookes emphasised the power of partnership: “Our success demonstrates what can be achieved when operators and local authorities work together. We are committed to continually improving our offering in Stoke and this investment in new buses is a testament to that commitment”.

 

[SeanM1997]

New services 11 & 22​

From 28th October new hourly Monday to Saturday evening journeys will be introduced on the following routes:
11 Newcastle - Stoke - Longton
22 Newcastle - Hospital - Trentham - Blurton - Longton
These routes are funded by Stoke-on-Trent City Council through the government's Bus Service Improvement Plan.
Click HERE for the service 11 timetable.
Click HERE for the service 22 timetable.
Daytime journeys on these routes will continue to be operated by First Bus.

From 28th October 2024 service 312 will change to operate direct via A555 between Handforth Dean and Handforth.
This route change means the service will no longer operate to stops within the Greater Manchester area.
From the same date the times will be amended following feedback from customers. The new times will allow better connections with service 88 to and from Knutsford.
Click HERE for the new timetable.

Affected Services:

• 
  312

Service Updates | D&G Bus

www.dgbus.co.uk

 

[M60lad]

Not to sure what was wrong with it but Longton Depot 798 broke down in Crewe yesterday afternoon while working 85s, certainly a case if your going to brake down make sure you brake down as far away from depot as possible lol.

 

[SeanM1997]

Service 9 and new service 9ADate: 11th November 2024​

From 11th November 2024 new Monday to Saturday daytime journeys will be introduced between Tunstall and Hanley via Chell, Oxford, Chell Heath, Bradeley and Smallthorne running every 30 minutes.

These journeys are funded by Stoke-on-Trent City Council through the government's Bus Service Improvement Plan.

From the same date changes will be made to current service 9 journeys to improve reliability.

Click HERE for the new services 9 and 9A timetable.

Service Updates | D&G Bus

www.dgbus.co.uk

 

[James101]

It is interesting that BSIP money has been used here. While the specific 9A route would unlikely to be a commercial service, it will significantly impact First’s 99 and confirm D&G as the dominant operator on the Hanley - Smallthorne corridor, possibly impacting First’s remaining commercial operation on the 7/A.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

That should speed up the 130 quite a bit then. Currently takes 1hr 20min from Macclesfield to the Airport as it winds its way round Wythenshawe and Heald Green.

Appertaining to the Heald Green mention above, from Outwood Road to the area near to the Waggon & Horses on the original route of the A34, the 130 service took over the route through the council housing that was was the route of the long withdrawn Stagecoach Stockport to Handforth Dean 312 service. All that now will service that area is the bidirectional 378 and 379 Stockport to Heald Green circular services.

Don't forget that the Wythenshawe Hospital part of the 130 route was also withdrawn some time ago and it still serves the Wythenshawe bus station.

 

[Simon75]

Service Updates | D&G Bus

www.dgbus.co.uk

I was under the impression that the 9 was going to increase to every 20 minutes daytime and more evening and a Sunday service

 

[daodao]

Appertaining to the Heald Green mention above, from Outwood Road to the area near to the Waggon & Horses on the original route of the A34, the 130 service took over the route through the council housing that was was the route of the long withdrawn Stagecoach Stockport to Handforth Dean 312 service. All that now will service that area is the bidirectional 378 and 379 Stockport to Heald Green circular services.

Don't forget that the Wythenshawe Hospital part of the 130 route was also withdrawn some time ago and it still serves the Wythenshawe bus station.

As stated previously in post 580 of this thread, the change for route 130 applies to the High Peak-operated Sunday variation of route 130 only, and not for D&G's Mon-Sat route 130 service, although this isn't 100% clear in the information quoted from the Cheshire East Borough website.

 

[capitalpotter]

Service Updates | D&G Bus

www.dgbus.co.uk

Isn't this what the BSIP is for? Creating a turn up and go frequency? I wonder if the required buses will be painted in the yellow livery to match the nines