Cheshire Bus News (was East Cheshire Bus News)

[pemma]

I think the tables on the buses may have been a mistake by the newspaper. The buses do, however, have leather seats, wi-fi and passenger info screens. Pictures here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/GHA-Coaches-Ltd/235026766201?fref=ts

The reference to tables didn't appear in the printed version of the article.

This reference did, however:

Special introductory fares are on offer for the first four weeks of the service and commuters can enjoy travelling for up to 50 per cent less.

I wonder what exactly it means.

At present there's no weekly ticket specifically for that route and I doubt it means the Cheshire Day ticket will be offered for £9.50. If the day tickets are reduced in price then the commuters (who travel every day) won't get as much benefit as the once-a-week travellers.

One downside of the new timetable is the 17:30 departure from Knutsford becomes 17:20 so some commuters from Parkgate Ind. Estate and Knutsford Business Park will find the new evening times less convenient even with the enhanced frequency.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

The last time that we had a table on a bus route was on the now-withdrawn vehicle that ran on the TransPeak service some years ago. I am not sure if this was the only one in the fleet.

 

[pemma]

GHA Coaches site does refer to tables: http://www.ghacoaches.co.uk/news.asp Although, the timetable it links to is still the old one.
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Full 88 timetable leaflet now on TfGM site. Special introductory fare is a weekly ticket for just £10 for the first 4 weeks: http://www.tfgm.com/journey_planning/RouteMaps/88-Knutsford.pdf

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Full 88 timetable leaflet now on TfGM site. Special introductory fare is a weekly ticket for just £10 for the first 4 weeks: http://www.tfgm.com/journey_planning/RouteMaps/88-Knutsford.pdf

Was the old cost £18.00, or more, for an adult weekly ticket?

 

[pemma]

Was the old cost £15.00, or more, for an adult weekly ticket?

Standard price is £19 for a weekly ticket and it's not the old fare there's just a special offer price of £10 for the first four weeks to encourage people to use the bus. After 4 weeks it'll revert to £19 again.

EDIT: Just realised that 'Waters, Altrincham Road' means 'Waters Corporation' who employ 500 people on that site. Maybe there could be some third party funding, in the same way as Zeneca Pharmaceuticals (before they became Astrazeneca) used to fund bus services running via their Nether Alderley site?
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A new tender for the 319 Sandbach circular service (currently operated by GHA Coaches) has been awarded to Tomlinson Travel.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Standard price is £19 for a weekly ticket and it's not the old fare there's just a special offer price of £10 for the first four weeks to encourage people to use the bus. After 4 weeks it'll revert to £19 again.

Sorry, my finger hit the 5 rather than the 8 button, as I intended to type £18, not £15, so I amended my posting.
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EDIT: Just realised that 'Waters, Altrincham Road' means 'Waters Corporation' who employ 500 people on that site. Maybe there could be some third party funding, in the same way as Zeneca Pharmaceuticals (before they became Astrazeneca) used to fund bus services running via their Nether Alderley site?

This is their corporate headquarters building, that has had the passing A538 Altrincham Road slightly reconstructed to give a proper connectional access point to the new site complex. I feel that personal road transport is viewed as the main method for those employed there.

The AstraZeneca site, with its long internal road system and the various company blocks served by this internal road are a considerable distance from both lodge entrances on the A34. Hence the 27 and 130 bus service provision. The new Waters complex is in no way comparable to that of the AstraZeneca site in the need for the said funding referred to.

 

[pemma]

The AstraZeneca site, with its long internal road system and the various company blocks served by this internal road are a considerable distance from both lodge entrances on the A34. Hence the 27 and 130 bus service provision. The new Waters complex is in no way comparable to that of the AstraZeneca site in the need for the said funding referred to.

When the 27 contract was up for renewal in 1997 Zeneca put forward a subsidy which ensured that Bakerbus (who won the contract) served the site (for the first time) and also helped provide some additional services. When a tender was put out for for the service in 2007 Astrazeneca didn't put forward a subsidy and since late 2012 the 27 service has operated without any subsides from any source and the number of services serving Astrazeneca has gone down as a result.

 

[Greybeard33]

When the 27 contract was up for renewal in 1997 Zeneca put forward a subsidy which ensured that Bakerbus (who won the contract) served the site (for the first time) and also helped provide some additional services. When a tender was put out for for the service in 2007 Astrazeneca didn't put forward a subsidy and since late 2012 the 27 service has operated without any subsides from any source and the number of services serving Astrazeneca has gone down as a result.

I recently travelled on a southbound 130 in the evening peak. Only one passenger boarded during its long, slow detour around Alderley Park, and she almost missed it! This did not really seem to justify the delay to the other passengers and the damage to the vehicle's underbelly on the speed humps.

 

[pemma]

John Oates (chairman of MCRUA) has posted some internal photos of the new buses being used on the 88 route: http://www.mcrua.org.uk/chairmansbl...via-wilmslow-now-half-hourly-and-with-tables/

It looks like they have a total of 35 seats with 1 table of 4 at the back, with wood effect flooring.

However,

Due to an administration error a number of GHA bus services failed to operate yesterday (26/10/2014). Please be assured that the services will all be operating to timetable from today, and we must apologise for any inconvenience caused yesterday to passengers trying to catch the new services

Oh dear! With recently letting a criminal drive buses out of their Tarvin depot without running any background checks I think Beverely Bell may be prompted to take some action.

 

[Amberley54]

Oh dear! With recently letting a criminal drive buses out of their Tarvin depot without running any background checks I think Beverely Bell may be prompted to take some action.[/QUOTE]

I doubt it somehow! And wouldn't it be the Welsh TC that handled the matter as GHAs licence(s) all carry Welsh adresses.

 

[pemma]

And wouldn't it be the Welsh TC that handled the matter as GHAs licence(s) all carry Welsh adresses.

Well they are registered as 'North Western Traffic Area' services.

 

[spargazer]

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I ended up using one of these at Altrincham, it went direct, missing out the Hale detour and Morley detour even though it stated it did go there on the side! The 88 terminated at Wilmslow station. The price paid for this is that there are now no stagecoach (TfGM) 378s in Wilmslow or Lacey Green or Handforth or Colshaw Farm on Sundays, thank you councilor I ate all the pies;Jones.http://www.railforums.co.uk/images/icons/icon8.gif

 

[pemma]

I ended up using one of these at Altrincham, it went direct, missing out the Hale detour and Morley detour even though it stated it did on the side! The 88 terminated at Wilmslow station.

All services should operate via Hale Barnes Hale Road/Rydal Drive. Only half of buses should operate via Morley Green now, the other half go direct. No service should terminate in Wilmslow, one early morning weekday service starts at Wilmslow: http://ghagold.co.uk/

The price paid for this is that there are now no 378s in Wilmslow or Lacey Green or Handforth or Colshaw Farm on Sundays, thank you councilor Jones.

Not correct. GHA Coaches lost the 130 Sunday contract to D&G Bus and as soon as they did they registered a reduced service commercially meaning the D&G Bus service never started (as a subsided route can't compete with a commercial route.) The 378 service got it's Cheshire East subsidy axed for the same reason, so while Stagecoach could run the 378 service commercially to Wilmslow on Sundays they've chosen not to.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I ended up using one of these at Altrincham, it went direct, missing out the Hale detour and Morley detour even though it stated it did on the side! The 88 terminated at Wilmslow station. The price paid for this is that there are now no 378s in Wilmslow or Lacey Green or Handforth or Colshaw Farm on Sundays, thank you councillor Jones.http://www.railforums.co.uk/images/icons/icon8.gif

Neither Handforth (which includes the Spath Lane estate) nor the Colshaw Farm estate are what you say lie on the line the Connect 88 Route, so I query the connectional reasoning there with the 378 bus route that serves these areas on Monday to Saturdays. The areas of Handforth itself (not including the Spath Lane estate) and the Colshaw Farm estate are served on Sundays by the 130 Manchester to Macclesfield service which is currently run by GHA Coaches on Sundays.

The 378 is a Stagecoach Manchester route and you will be aware that on Sundays, the termination point on that service is the Grove Lane turning circle in Cheadle Hulme, very near to the ground of Manchester RUFC, that point being in the area of the TfGM "empire" and exterior to the boundary of Cheshire East council.

 

[tnwbb]

Routemaster Buses introduced six tendered rural bus services throughout Cheshire, Staffordshire and North Wales yesterday, connecting rural communities with the hustle and bustle of nearby towns and cities. They include;

- Service 56 from Tiverton, Hoxley Lane to Nantwich Bus Station.

- Service 68 from Leighton Hospital to Nantwich Bus Station.

- Service 75 from Wrenbury Church to Market Drayton.

- Service 79 from Audlem Church to Hanley Bus Station.

- Service 83 from Nantwich Bus Station to Chester, Foregate Street.

- Service 89 from Nantwich Bus Station to Wrexham Bus Station.

There's more info on these at The North West Bus Blog: Rural Services by Routemaster Buses.

 

[trawscymru27]

John Oates (chairman of MCRUA) has posted some internal photos of the new buses being used on the 88 route: http://www.mcrua.org.uk/chairmansbl...via-wilmslow-now-half-hourly-and-with-tables/

It looks like they have a total of 35 seats with 1 table of 4 at the back, with wood effect flooring.

However,



Oh dear! With recently letting a criminal drive buses out of their Tarvin depot without running any background checks I think Beverely Bell may be prompted to take some action.

The services that did not operate were on Sunday 26th October. I suspect that the 'administration error' in question is that the D&G service registration was cancelled from the Saturday (25th) yet the new GHA registration did not take effect until the Monday (27th). Clearly someone has made a mess of their dates, however it seems likely that it was Cheshire East's tender that was wrong, and so not the fault of GHA Coaches. Therefore I don't know if it's a matter for the Traffic Commissioner?

Equally, letting a criminal drive a bus is surely a matter for the police, not the Traffic Commissioner?

 

[pemma]

The services that did not operate were on Sunday 26th October. I suspect that the 'administration error' in question is that the D&G service registration was cancelled from the Saturday (25th) yet the new GHA registration did not take effect until the Monday (27th). Clearly someone has made a mess of their dates, however it seems likely that it was Cheshire East's tender that was wrong, and so not the fault of GHA Coaches. Therefore I don't know if it's a matter for the Traffic Commissioner?

OK in that case it's a matter between the council and the operator if the services weren't registered to operate on that day. Cheshire East put on their website the changes applied from 26th October and GHA said 27th October on their site. The tenders advertised don't say an exact start date so we can't conclude who made the admin error.

Equally, letting a criminal drive a bus is surely a matter for the police, not the Traffic Commissioner?

It went to court after the driver (who was wearing an electronic tag) was involved in a road-rage incident while working a GHA Coaches service: http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=107344

However, can the TC not take action against the company for not following correct procedures?

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

The tenders advertised don't say an exact start date so we can't conclude who made the admin error.

Is it unusual for a tender NOT to give an exact starting date in its documentation?

 

[pemma]

Is it unusual for a tender NOT to give an exact starting date in its documentation?

Presumably you get given the start date if you're an operator actually interested in bidding.

 

[Deerfold]

OK in that case it's a matter between the council and the operator if the services weren't registered to operate on that day. Cheshire East put on their website the changes applied from 26th October and GHA said 27th October on their site. The tenders advertised don't say an exact start date so we can't conclude who made the admin error.

How much better could the publicity have been if whoever made the mistake had paid for the services to run free on the first day?

It went to court after the driver (who was wearing an electronic tag) was involved in a road-rage incident while working a GHA Coaches service: http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=107344

However, can the TC not take action against the company for not following correct procedures?

The TC would have things to say about anything that affects bus safety.

 

[pemma]

Well after all the publicity about these brilliant new Enviro 200s with leather seats, wi-fi and tables operating the 88 service from yesterday, one of the old Versas was on the 88 route today.

 

[323235]

CEC confirmed that another operator is currently looking at the possibility of registering the 39 Macclesfield - Congleton service, following High Peak's cancellation. No mention of who but I strongly suspect it is GHA Coaches given they have a lot of service contracts in the area and are bring in new buses and new drivers, so have the required resources.

 

[harry42]

CEC confirmed that another operator is currently looking at the possibility of registering the 39 Macclesfield - Congleton service, following High Peak's cancellation. No mention of who but I strongly suspect it is GHA Coaches given they have a lot of service contracts in the area and are bring in new buses and new drivers, so have the required resources.

So possibly the 39 running commercially? Passenger numbers were always very low I thought?

 

[pemma]

So possibly the 39 running commercially? Passenger numbers were always very low I thought?

Apparently passenger numbers were healthy but dropped off when Bakerbus lost the contract to High Peak.

If that is the case then it sounds just like the 27 service, which got healthy loadings under Bakerbus where both the frequency of service and bus size were increased. Initially under Bowers things went well but then High Peak thought they could run the route subsidy free. Their plan involved increasing fares from £3.50 to £4.80 overnight and reducing the frequency from hourly to every 90 minutes and it relied on passenger numbers remaining constant :roll: Add in to the mix very poor reliability and that didn't happen! However, it is now a profitable route under Vale Travel (GHA Coaches) who this week have increased the number of services. As Vale Travel have a depot in Macclesfield and there's no buses running empty between Macclesfield and Knutsford, that probably helped them succeed where High Peak failed.

 

[harry42]

Apparently passenger numbers were healthy but dropped off when Bakerbus lost the contract to High Peak.

If that is the case then it sounds just like the 27 service, which got healthy loadings under Bakerbus where both the frequency of service and bus size were increased. Initially under Bowers things went well but then High Peak thought they could run the route subsidy free. Their plan involved increasing fares from £3.50 to £4.80 overnight and reducing the frequency from hourly to every 90 minutes and it relied on passenger numbers remaining constant :roll: Add in to the mix very poor reliability and that didn't happen! However, it is now a profitable route under Vale Travel (GHA Coaches) who this week have increased the number of services. As Vale Travel have a depot in Macclesfield and there's no buses running empty between Macclesfield and Knutsford, that probably helped them succeed where High Peak failed.

Thanks

On another subject, is the 1 (Black Road) commercial?

 

[ag51ruk]

OK in that case it's a matter between the council and the operator if the services weren't registered to operate on that day. Cheshire East put on their website the changes applied from 26th October and GHA said 27th October on their site. The tenders advertised don't say an exact start date so we can't conclude who made the admin error.

All Cheshire East contracts start on Sunday, so GHA should have been expecting that.

They haven't got off to a great start on some of the Crewe area buses. There have been some long delays on the 42 and 78 in the evening, partly down to the number of road closures at the moment for road or sewer works, one bus I was on ended up in a Nantwich cul-de-sac on Monday evening after turning the wrong way and I have been travelling free so far as none of their ticket machines are currently recognising Cheshire Travelcards (or ITSO free passes), so drivers are letting people travel for nothing.

 

[spargazer]

Neither Handforth (which includes the Spath Lane estate) nor the Colshaw Farm estate are what you say lie on the line the Connect 88 Route, so I query the connectional reasoning there with the 378 bus route that serves these areas on Monday to Saturdays. The areas of Handforth itself (not including the Spath Lane estate) and the Colshaw Farm estate are served on Sundays by the 130 Manchester to Macclesfield service which is currently run by GHA Coaches on Sundays.

The 378 is a Stagecoach Manchester route and you will be aware that on Sundays, the termination point on that service is the Grove Lane turning circle in Cheadle Hulme, very near to the ground of Manchester RUFC, that point being in the area of the TfGM "empire" and exterior to the boundary of Cheshire East council.

The 378 is operated by Stagecoach except on Sundays (SX) in East Cheshire. The funding was removed and Stagecoach chose not to operate it on a commercial basis, that is correct. What I dared to suggest is that the money GHA received was part funded by removal of the funding for the 378 beyond the TfGM boundary. The 130 does not serve Lacey Green on Sunday or any other day, it travels along the edge of it. Fortunately Wilmslow is well served by taxis.

 

[323235]

Thanks

On another subject, is the 1 (Black Road) commercial?

Yes I believe it is, High Peak have said it is a low cost service with low patronage, which uses the bus from the 392/393 (and other services in the morning/evening) to provide. The layover was brought about by the traffic commissioners intervention after I made a complaint following years of poor performance due to 5 minute layovers at each end.

 

[pemma]

All Cheshire East contracts start on Sunday, so GHA should have been expecting that.

They haven't got off to a great start on some of the Crewe area buses. There have been some long delays on the 42 and 78 in the evening, partly down to the number of road closures at the moment for road or sewer works, one bus I was on ended up in a Nantwich cul-de-sac on Monday evening after turning the wrong way and I have been travelling free so far as none of their ticket machines are currently recognising Cheshire Travelcards (or ITSO free passes), so drivers are letting people travel for nothing.

What kind of buses are they running on the new services?

I thought all the machines were programmed the same whichever route they usually operate on. For instance, the ones which are route branded for East Cheshire services still display out-of-service messages in both English and Welsh.

 

[harry42]

Yes I believe it is, High Peak have said it is a low cost service with low patronage, which uses the bus from the 392/393 (and other services in the morning/evening) to provide. The layover was brought about by the traffic commissioners intervention after I made a complaint following years of poor performance due to 5 minute layovers at each end.

I'm not surprised at £2.70 single from Copper Street to Bus Station!