Cheshire Bus News (was East Cheshire Bus News)

[spargazer]

That is the honeypot route past Manchester Uni' only

 

[158756]

That is the honeypot route past Manchester Uni' only

Which end are they cutting? There's surely no value to Arriva in running a solitary hourly service along Wilmslow Road. Parrs Wood's tram and bus connections probably make it the least bad place to terminate short for however many (presumably few) passengers travel all the way from Macclesfield to Manchester.

 

[pemma]

That's a blow. What are the loadings to Manchester like then or is it Cheshire East/TfGM not wanting to pay up?

The 130 doesn't get any subsidy and as there's other bus services between Didsbury and Manchester TfGM aren't allowed to fund that section unless it follows a significantly different route to other services.

 

[pemma]

Which end are they cutting? There's surely no value to Arriva in running a solitary hourly service along Wilmslow Road. Parrs Wood's tram and bus connections probably make it the least bad place to terminate short for however many (presumably few) passengers travel all the way from Macclesfield to Manchester.

The Manchester end.

 

[jfollows]

Reportedly the 130 Macclesfield-Manchester is to be truncated at Parrs Wood from 28th December.

Apparently October 28th. according to http://www.wilmslow.co.uk.

 

[pemma]

Apparently October 28th. according to http://www.wilmslow.co.uk.

Somehow I typed December instead of October, I must want this year to end.

 

[spargazer]

I know usage is low in a relatively affluent area but Cheshire East Council has refused to acknowledge the needs of the not-so-well-off, as well the infirm and elderly and as a result will pay the price at the next local elections.

 

[spargazer]

How about a sit down in the middle of the A34 WILMSLOW AND HANDFORTH BY-PASS, if the locals can not travel no one else can.

 

[pemma]

How about a sit down in the middle of the A34 WILMSLOW AND HANDFORTH BY-PASS, if the locals have no means of travel, so no one else can.

Don't understand. There's plenty of alternative transport options - Macclesfield, Alderley Edge, Wilmslow and Handforth all have direct trains to Manchester, Stagecoach run plenty of buses from East Didsbury to Manchester and there's also Metrolink. The objection seems to be from ENCTS holders who want to get from Macclesfield/Alderley Edge/Wilmslow/Handforth to Manchester without paying a penny or changing buses.

 

[spargazer]

Don't understand. There's plenty of alternative transport options - Macclesfield, Alderley Edge, Wilmslow and Handforth all have direct trains to Manchester, Stagecoach run plenty of buses from East Didsbury to Manchester and there's also Metrolink. The objection seems to be from ENCTS holders who want to get from Macclesfield/Alderley Edge/Wilmslow/Handforth to Manchester without paying a penny or changing buses.

Not everyone has a car, or an ENCTS card and may live a long way from a train station, The 130 goes through a lot of places en-route, just in case you have not noticed ie Alderley Park, Handforth & Colshaw Farm, Lacy Green, Henbury and Macclesfield General Hospital, and not just Manchester or the Curry Mile. The ENCTS holders and those without a car just want to get there; matey.

 

[pemma]

Not everyone has a car, or an ENCTS card and live a long way from a train station, The 130 goes through a lot of places en-route, just in case you have not noticed ie Alderley Park, Handforth & Colshaw Farm, Lacy Green, Henbury and Macclesfield General Hospital, and not just Manchester or the Curry Mile. The ENCTS holders just want to get there; matey.

Stagecoach run lots of services between East Didsbury and Manchester. I understand the inconvenience of changing, especially in the southbound direction where passengers will need to ensure they arrive at East Didsbury with ample time to spare to prevent missing their connection but no-one's unable to travel anymore.

The fact that the number of services to Macclesfield Hospital have been significantly reduced on both the 27/88 and 130 route in recent years is a lot more of a concern then people having to alight an Arriva bus at East Didsbury and to board a Stagecoach bus to complete their journey.

 

[spargazer]

Stagecoach run lots of services between East Didsbury and Manchester. I understand the inconvenience of changing, especially in the southbound direction where passengers will need to ensure they arrive at East Didsbury with ample time to spare to prevent missing their connection but no-one's unable to travel anymore.

The fact that the number of services to Macclesfield Hospital have been significantly reduced on both the 27/88 and 130 route in recent years is a lot more of a concern then people having to alight an Arriva bus at East Didsbury and to board a Stagecoach bus to complete their journey.

I am so glad I live in Manchester, I see the difficulties that these cuts are causing and it is all through the meanness of CEC. They spend lots on flower pots, executive cars, footpath widening and cycle lanes but not on this, section 26 should be applied when new developments take place. I note that Stagecoach do not operate in CEC, and Arriva are backing out in stages

 

[spargazer]

Stagecoach run lots of services between East Didsbury and Manchester. I understand the inconvenience of changing, especially in the southbound direction where passengers will need to ensure they arrive at East Didsbury with ample time to spare to prevent missing their connection but no-one's unable to travel anymore.

The fact that the number of services to Macclesfield Hospital have been significantly reduced on both the 27/88 and 130 route in recent years is a lot more of a concern then people having to alight an Arriva bus at East Didsbury and to board a Stagecoach bus to complete their journey.

Piffle, East Didsbury is irrelevant, a red herring, we are dealing with bus services within CEC boundaries. CEC does not have a transport strategy that involves buses, all they talk about is SEMMMMMS https://www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/public_transport/local_transport_plan/local_transport_plan.aspx

 

[6Gman]

I know usage is low in a relatively affluent area but Cheshire East Council has refused to acknowledge the needs of the not-so-well-off, as well the infirm and elderly and as a result will pay the price at the next local elections.

No they won't. Firstly, bus services are way down the list of most people's political priorities. Secondly, the Tory majority is secure.

 

[pemma]

No they won't. Firstly, bus services are way down the list of most people's political priorities. Secondly, the Tory majority is secure.

Cheshire East Council has been very poorly managed over the last few years. It's not just buses that people are concerned with, many comment on the state of the roads being much worse than in neighbouring Derbyshire and a lot of the road repairs being bodged jobs done by contractors, while there's been a number of corrupt people employed by the council in senior positions. The council was almost put in to special measures but the Home Secretary decided to stop sort of that and to just 'closely monitor' the council.

Safe Conservative seats are at threat - not from Labour, the Lib Dems, Greens or UKIP but from Independents. The Conservatives have already lost seats on the council in areas with very strong Conservative support like Alderley Edge and Wilmslow.

 

[323235]

I am so glad I live in Manchester, I see the difficulties that these cuts are causing and it is all through the meanness of CEC. They spend lots on flower pots, executive cars, footpath widening and cycle lanes but not on this, section 26 should be applied when new developments take place. I note that Stagecoach do not operate in CEC, and Arriva are backing out in stages

Cheshire East don't seem to like spending developer funding instead preferring to keep it in a bank account.

 

[pemma]

I was under the impression following the consultation they'd specified at least one vehicle should be a 39 seater. However, the owner of Howards Travel, who used to post on another forum said there were different options on the invitation to tender and they were bidding on one which required 2 x 28 seater and 2 x 35 seaters. (If they won they would have used their 2 x 28 seater Enviros, their Metrocity and one other larger bus as the usual vehicles.) I've not seen any 35 seaters on the route this week or last - the biggest has been the 33 seater Streetlites and there was a 27 seater Solo on it the other day.

I don't know if it's still the case but the contracts used to specify that the minimum seating capacity were specified based on current/expected loadings and if they increased then the operator should use the extra fare revenue to fund a larger vehicle.

EDIT: And of course the 88 contract award was originally based on there being a Mon-Fri daytime 300 service so you would hope vehicle size was discussed when Cheshire East agreed that the 88 could be re-routed to replace the 300/88A.

Someone's forwarded an email on to me from Transport Service Solutions (Cheshire East) confirming the 88/89/188 contract is let on the basis some journeys are operated using a vehicle with a minimum of 28 seats and others with a minimum of 35 seats. It seems D&G think a minimum of 35 means 33 seats normally and 28 if they are short of the usual vehicles. Although, knowing how poorly managed Cheshire East council are I'd be surprised if they take action against D&G for breach of contract.

 

[pemma]

Arriva have cancelled their registration for the 38 Macclesfield to Crewe. Wonder if D&G will want to take on that as well as the 82 Northwich to Chester that they are taking over from Arriva?

 

[pemma]

Arriva have cancelled their registration for the 38 Macclesfield to Crewe. Wonder if D&G will want to take on that as well as the 82 Northwich to Chester that they are taking over from Arriva?

Seems to be a false alarm as Arriva finished up with the 38 split over two different registrations for some reason.

 

[Danfilm007]

Seems to be a false alarm as Arriva finished up with the 38 split over two different registrations for some reason.

Might be 1 for the days and 1 for the Cheshire East supported trips?

 

[spargazer]

-QUOTE="spargazer, post: 3638583, member: 15038"]Piffle, East Didsbury is irrelevant, a red herring, we are dealing with bus services within CEC boundaries. CEC does not have a transport strategy that involves buses, all they talk about is SEMMMMMS https://www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/public_transport/local_transport_plan/local_transport_plan.aspx[/QUOTE]
I see that SEMMMS,or A6MARR,OR THE A555?has been set back another month to mid November. I never see many workers on that job, very 9 till 5

 

[pemma]

What the hell are D&G doing with the 88/89 now?

They are re-timing the 15:45 Altrincham to Macclesfield to be 10 minutes later to 'improve reliability' - fair enough that service is frequently late. However, the return working, the 18:05 Macclesfield to Knutsford to Wilmslow, is almost always on time in Knutsford even when the 15:45 is late so it's obvious they can reduce journey times between Knutsford and Macclesfield - most notably the 20 minutes to get between Knutsford and Radbrooke Hall (the designated work shuttle operated by a 50 seater coach does it much quicker than that.) However, they've just re-timed everything to be 10 minutes later so they are adding in extra time where there's late running and not doing anything about reducing unnecessary lengthy stops.

They've also added in 5 extra minutes in to the 88/89 through workings - the only reason the 89s get delayed is because their drivers stand about chatting when doing changeovers. The drivers know very well they can arrive on time even in they leave late and the new timetable will just make the driver's bad habits even worse.

 

[pemma]

So who's funding the free buses from Wilmslow, Styal, Colshaw Farm, Hazel Grove, Bramhall and Poynton to Handforth Dean which have appeared on the D&G site?

 

[Danfilm007]

So who's funding the free buses from Wilmslow, Styal, Colshaw Farm, Hazel Grove, Bramhall and Poynton to Handforth Dean which have appeared on the D&G site?

What purpose do they serve exactly?

 

[pemma]

What purpose do they serve exactly?

Taking people to Handforth Dean (the retail park.) The fact the return workings don't run the reverse route of the outbound ones seems to be an attempt to prevent passengers using the buses for other journeys as there's no bus back for a Wilmslow to Styal journey, for instance.

As Next reportedly provided S106 funding which Cheshire East haven't used and as Tescos are based at Handforth Dean and provide free services to other stores, I'm not sure where the funding has come from though.

 

[Lynford1976]

Given the services have a 'T'-prefix, I'm guessing Tesco are supporting these; surprisingly as courtesy services to supermarkets seem to be declining generally at the moment.

 

[spargazer]

Has anyone had problems using the ENCTS disabled pass, the one with the gold or yellow band, such as the drivers or inspectors not seeing one before and querying it with purpose and causing the holder to have a panic attack and not bothering to renew and to prefer to part with several pounds a week to avoid confrontation, rant over but drivers and inspectors seem to be very poorly trained.

 

[spargazer]

Has anyone had problems using the ENCTS disabled pass, the one with the gold or yellow band, such as the drivers or inspectors not seeing one before and querying it with purpose and causing the holder to have a panic attack and not bothering to renew and to prefer to part with several pounds a week to avoid confrontation, rant over but drivers and inspectors seem to be very poorly trained.

or need to go to specsavers

 

[Deafdoggie]

Has anyone had problems using the ENCTS disabled pass, the one with the gold or yellow band, such as the drivers or inspectors not seeing one before and querying it with purpose and causing the holder to have a panic attack and not bothering to renew and to prefer to part with several pounds a week to avoid confrontation, rant over but drivers and inspectors seem to be very poorly trained.

Never had an issue,they are very common. Drivers will see dozens per shift

 

[pemma]

D&G have allocated 3 of the 10.8m Enviro 200s to the new 82 route, apparently they have even been branded for the route. However, looking at the Cheshire allocations the only buses which have moved to Crewe/Wincham are 2 x 8.8m Enviro 200s and 1 Solo has moved to Adderley Green. A 10.2m Enviro 200 and the Commander have re-entered service at Adderley Green. Overall unless Adderley Green are covering more of the 85 workings this would suggest an average capacity reduction on the Cheshire routes operated by D&G.

I've also observed there's also now interworking between the 88 and the 288 - the bus off the 06:55 Knutsford to Altrincham forms the 08:20 Altrincham to Manchester Airport and the bus off the 07:35 Manchester Airport to Altrincham now forms the 08:00 Altrincham to Knutsford. Possibly so that the Streetlite used on the 88 which takes the All Hallows pupils in the morning is the same one which takes the Didsbury scholars in the afternoon, allowing them to use more small Solos at Wincham?