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Night buses cancelled - pressure on the 0030 bustitution (Man Picc - Bolton)?

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Howardh

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Just read that the half-hourly night buses over the weekend that leave Manchester for Bolton from 0030 - 0330 are to be withdrawn on April 3.

I've used them and they have almost always been well used. The only alternative for a *late* night is to use the train mentioned in the title; however for years now it's been a bus and there seems to be no sign of it being a tran for some time.

Think one bus goes to Bolton, another to Preston. Up till now it's been adequate, but with the withdrawl of the night buses I would imagine there could be far more queuing for this train/bus than usual.

If the bus becomes full, would the TOC (not sure if it's Norther or TPE) be able to put another on at no notice, would they provide taxis, or would the pax be stranded?

I'm hoping that eventually the TOC's will put on more night trains, but I'm not holding my breath. London has a magnificent night bus network + parts of the tube now going 24hrs; we get "Uber" and sod all else.

The Northern powerfailure again.

:cry:
 
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Bletchleyite

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Is that showing a shift in the market - are people going all European and going out later but staying out until the first service in the morning?

Clubs don't kick out at 2 any more, which would have been the prime market for this kind of service.
 

randyrippley

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were the buses subsidised services?
Is it another example of a council having to pull non-priority services to cut costs?
 

Howardh

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A quick Google suggests they indeed were, and First tried without but could not make them pay adequately.

When I have used them there has been not fewer than 30 on (paying a ridiculously cheap £3 then) and sometimes standing-room only. If they took the subsidy away they could increase the price and still get used - way cheaper than a taxi unless 5 share - but add to that if all the users now go home early, that's 200+ punters not putting 1 - 3hrs worth of cash in the local pubs, clubs, restaurants, and added to that are the part-timers who work in those industries who now can't get home.

Could the cost of losing them outweigh the cost of keeping them?
 

WatcherZero

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They were subsidised anything up to just over £10 a head. In quite a lot of cases it would have been cheaper if the transport authority just gave them a free (4 person) taxi ride.
 

6Gman

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When I have used them there has been not fewer than 30 on (paying a ridiculously cheap £3 then) and sometimes standing-room only. If they took the subsidy away they could increase the price and still get used - way cheaper than a taxi unless 5 share - but add to that if all the users now go home early, that's 200+ punters not putting 1 - 3hrs worth of cash in the local pubs, clubs, restaurants, and added to that are the part-timers who work in those industries who now can't get home.

Could the cost of losing them outweigh the cost of keeping them?[/QUOTE]

Cost to whom?
 

Class 170101

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First also tried to withdraw night buses in Norwich. The university provided some funds for them to stay.
 
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