Staffordshire Bus News

[Simon75]

First Buses have introduced more new buses to the Potteries, but are they going to improve the services or continue to cut back ?

 

[Simon75]

New First Potteries Bus Route
https://www.firstgroup.com/uploads/update-attach/Route 100 for web.pdf from 7th December
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

 

[winston270twm]

Yes, what's left of Arriva's Stafford service are now oeprated out of Cannock depot

 

[martinsh]

New First Potteries Bus Route
https://www.firstgroup.com/uploads/update-attach/Route 100 for web.pdf from 7th December
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

That seems a genuinely innovative route - but a fare of £2 to go one stop isn't going to help !

 

[Robertj21a]

First Buses have introduced more new buses to the Potteries, but are they going to improve the services or continue to cut back ?

I assume that they are merely to update the fleet, allowing older stock to be withdrawn. I doubt that Potteries is in a strong enough financial position to do very much to improve the services. New route 100 is only going to make use of a single bus (Solo ?) between the peaks.

 

[3piece-wheel]

This service will cease to operate 17th December leaving no direct link between Cheadle Blythe Bridge & Longton, reason given is "lack of customers" . Its a long time since PMT abandoned this route and D&G have tried lots of different routing without success, even Alton Towers Transport tried for a couple of years but sadly this looks like the end of the line...

 

[Baxenden Bank]

That seems a genuinely innovative route - but a fare of £2 to go one stop isn't going to help !

First ceased to serve Morrisons at Festival Park some time ago. It's a long walk to the nearest alternative stops, especially with a weeks shopping!

They have always had a problem serving Festival Park, from the very early days when it was a cul-de-sac through to them finally abandoning it. Makes you wonder why they run at a loss and continually lose passengers year after year.

I don't have much hope for a service running four times per day, on two days per week though.

As quoted by PMT managers years ago "If it weren't for stopping to pick up passengers, the buses would run to schedule!"
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

This service will cease to operate 17th December leaving no direct link between Cheadle Blythe Bridge & Longton, reason given is "lack of customers" . Its a long time since PMT abandoned this route and D&G have tried lots of different routing without success, even Alton Towers Transport tried for a couple of years but sadly this looks like the end of the line...

How many passengers did they expect to carry on a service which offered one arrival time in Cheadle (1125) and a choice of return trips (1130 and 1330). Monday to Friday only. Hardly attractive. Slightly better in the opposite direction but, really, look at the timetable and ask yourself 'is this service going to attract new customers'. Basically the service ran between school contracts and now I have been told that D & G have lost that contract.

PMT / First deliberately killed the route back in 2002 when they introduced their 'Overground' network and this type of less frequent operation didn't fit with that mindset. But they weren't prepared to hand over the service to another operator (a different version of D & G at that time) who could have made a go of it but would have competed partly with their new network. It operated for a while, alongside the new network but at awkward times and routes to deter use. Since being operated by D & G, with subsidy from Staffordshire County Council, it has been so messed around with in terms of frequency, times of operation, route, through journeys and connections, from a three bus operation down to a single 'between school times' operation. I'm not surprised it is finally dying a death.

I shall miss it. The alternative to my present 20 minute journey to Cheadle is a 90 minute journey via Hanley. The pensioners in Forsbrook will miss it, having in future to pay £10 each way for a taxi to Cheadle. It's a fair walk from Forsbrook to Blythe Bridge to the next nearest bus route. Dilhorne totally cut off.

I have been trying to decide how to define D & G's style of operation. I have coined the term 'hospice route' in that they take on a dying bus route, look after it as best they can but there is only one outcome for it.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

First Buses have introduced more new buses to the Potteries, but are they going to improve the services or continue to cut back ?

With a vehicle requirement of around 120 buses, and an average life of 15 years, eight new buses per year is about right to maintain the fleet 'as is'. The Potteries problem is (was?) the lack of renewals until very recently - a batch of new buses after the public inquiry in 2003 and then the buses for the Raspberry Parade, sorry route 6/6A in 2014. Some transfers in though so I don't know the average age of the fleet and how this might have changed as a result of the new / modern second hand influx.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Many First in The Potteries services to change on 8 January. Registered but no public details.

A number of D & G services to change on 1 January. Full timetables on their site by 11 November.

 

[Mugby]

I'm shocked to hear that First Potteries now have a vehicle requirement of just 120 buses when back in it's heyday the old PMT was a 600+ vehicle fleet!

 

[Robertj21a]

I'm shocked to hear that First Potteries now have a vehicle requirement of just 120 buses when back in it's heyday the old PMT was a 600+ vehicle fleet!

I can see the pvr dropping below 100 (but I'm not clear on the exact current figure) if they intend to keep the operation. The Accounts for 2015/6 should be out shortly and we may get a firmer idea then.

 

[Baxenden Bank]

I'm shocked to hear that First Potteries now have a vehicle requirement of just 120 buses when back in it's heyday the old PMT was a 600+ vehicle fleet!

It is bad, but not as bad as it seems.

The old PMT post de-regulation / privatisation ran many routes with minibuses (minilink) at high frequencies. These were later converted to routes with larger buses but at half the frequency. I don't have details going back that far but, if all routes had been minibus and all were converted, that would halve the fleet but with no loss of seating capacity. It would also reduce staff costs significantly. Whether that frequency reduction, leading to a loss of passengers, was the beginning of the long term decline affecting the company, one can only speculate.

Obviously it depends on when your figure of 600 (which I'm not disputing) was calculated.

If we take drivers, rather than buses, as a measure of the size of the company. In the accounts for the year ending 31 December 1993 (earliest available on-line), they state 982 drivers. The figure was fairly stable for several years until the year ending 31 March 2001 (lowest 909, highest 1,036). The most recent figure for the year ending 31 March 2015 is 403! There were also additions and disposals in the intervening period. Pennine out, Chester in and out, Wirral out.

The public inquiry in May 2003 resulted in a reduction in the licence from 324 to 160 vehicles, but in reality a lot of the difference were not used in practice. A small number of routes had to be got rid of, but not 164 buses worth (e.g. X64 to Arriva)

--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

I can see the pvr dropping below 100 (but I'm not clear on the exact current figure) if they intend to keep the operation. The Accounts for 2015/6 should be out shortly and we may get a firmer idea then.

The lowest I can get is a PVR of 126 and off-peak 121 as at February 2016, with reductions since then to an off-peak of 118 in September. But that includes heroic turnarounds. I'm not sure if they do the railway thing and have buses arriving later in public timetables than they do in working timetables thus allowing a bus to depart before it has arrived according to the public timetable.

First in The Potteries have some strange habits, timing buses based not on actual journey times but on not officially having the buses waiting in Hanley bus station for more than the permitted five minutes. The best example is the 32 inbound to Hanley!

 

[Robertj21a]

It is bad, but not as bad as it seems.

The old PMT post de-regulation / privatisation ran many routes with minibuses (minilink) at high frequencies. These were later converted to routes with larger buses but at half the frequency. I don't have details going back that far but, if all routes had been minibus and all were converted, that would halve the fleet but with no loss of seating capacity. It would also reduce staff costs significantly. Whether that frequency reduction, leading to a loss of passengers, was the beginning of the long term decline affecting the company, one can only speculate.

Obviously it depends on when your figure of 600 (which I'm not disputing) was calculated.

If we take drivers, rather than buses, as a measure of the size of the company. In the accounts for the year ending 31 December 1993 (earliest available on-line), they state 982 drivers. The figure was fairly stable for several years until the year ending 31 March 2001 (lowest 909, highest 1,036). The most recent figure for the year ending 31 March 2015 is 403! There were also additions and disposals in the intervening period. Pennine out, Chester in and out, Wirral out.

The public inquiry in May 2003 resulted in a reduction in the licence from 324 to 160 vehicles, but in reality a lot of the difference were not used in practice. A small number of routes had to be got rid of, but not 164 buses worth (e.g. X64 to Arriva)

--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


The lowest I can get is a PVR of 126 and off-peak 121 as at February 2016, with reductions since then to an off-peak of 118 in September. But that includes heroic turnarounds. I'm not sure if they do the railway thing and have buses arriving later in public timetables than they do in working timetables thus allowing a bus to depart before it has arrived according to the public timetable.

First in The Potteries have some strange habits, timing buses based not on actual journey times but on not officially having the buses waiting in Hanley bus station for more than the permitted five minutes. The best example is the 32 inbound to Hanley!

If the Potteries operation is shown in the 2015/16 Accounts to still be at a loss, or only marginally in profit, the recent words of Tim O'Toole would suggest that it's going to see some drastic action. First operations in other parts of the UK have been closed down if there was little or no hope of any return to a decent level of profitability.

 

[Baxenden Bank]

If the Potteries operation is shown in the 2015/16 Accounts to still be at a loss, or only marginally in profit, the recent words of Tim O'Toole would suggest that it's going to see some drastic action. First operations in other parts of the UK have been closed down if there was little or no hope of any return to a decent level of profitability.

They keep cutting but losing passengers at the same (or greater) rate. Soon it will be my fabled 'one bus leaves the bus station, runs round the block and back onto the bus station, and strangely there are no passengers using it' scenario.

I do believe there is a good bus business in The Potteries. Just not the present ones in the present circumstances. Car ownership is low, bus use was traditionally high. Traffic congestion is not that bad comparably speaking. But, somewhere within First there is a malaise. A lack of attention to detail, a lack of customer focus. An unwillingness to go out there and get the customers back on the buses. A while ago fares were cut (along with most First companies and after a long period of above inflation rate rises) but now I wonder if fares are being kept artificially low to keep competitors out, which obviously impacts on profit and funds available for investment.

I didn't renew my annual pass, even with the Black Friday 20% discount. One of the reasons was my lack of confidence in the level of bus service that I will receive over the next 12 months in return for my investment. In February I lost my evening service after I had bought an annual pass in November 2015 (50% discount then). I know that there are changes coming in on 8 January 2017 but I have no idea what they are.

As was mentioned 12 months ago, sale to another operator would see my pass honoured. Administration and buy-out would probably have the same result. But further cuts in services merely leaves me with a worse service paid for up front and with no real means of redress, unless the cut is sufficient to justify a refund (as the loss of evening service would have done - I know because I asked!)

 

[Robertj21a]

They keep cutting but losing passengers at the same (or greater) rate. Soon it will be my fabled 'one bus leaves the bus station, runs round the block and back onto the bus station, and strangely there are no passengers using it' scenario.

I do believe there is a good bus business in The Potteries. Just not the present ones in the present circumstances. Car ownership is low, bus use was traditionally high. Traffic congestion is not that bad comparably speaking. But, somewhere within First there is a malaise. A lack of attention to detail, a lack of customer focus. An unwillingness to go out there and get the customers back on the buses. A while ago fares were cut (along with most First companies and after a long period of above inflation rate rises) but now I wonder if fares are being kept artificially low to keep competitors out, which obviously impacts on profit and funds available for investment.

I didn't renew my annual pass, even with the Black Friday 20% discount. One of the reasons was my lack of confidence in the level of bus service that I will receive over the next 12 months in return for my investment. In February I lost my evening service after I had bought an annual pass in November 2015 (50% discount then). I know that there are changes coming in on 8 January 2017 but I have no idea what they are.

As was mentioned 12 months ago, sale to another operator would see my pass honoured. Administration and buy-out would probably have the same result. But further cuts in services merely leaves me with a worse service paid for up front and with no real means of redress, unless the cut is sufficient to justify a refund (as the loss of evening service would have done - I know because I asked!)

I think any possible competitors have decided to leave the area alone, whether First fares are low or not. I agree that it should be good bus operating territory but even D&G are very cautious with what they run. I can only assume that the loss of traditional industries, unemployment, and the reputation of First (particularly in the past) have conspired to kill off much demand.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

I think any possible competitors have decided to leave the area alone, whether First fares are low or not. I agree that it should be good bus operating territory but even D&G are very cautious with what they run. I can only assume that the loss of traditional industries, unemployment, and the reputation of First (particularly in the past) have conspired to kill off much demand.

I think there's probably two things in play...

First have mismanaged the business historically - the lack of investment post-millennium was particularly pronounced in the old PMT business, perhaps more so than other places and it's a long road back. The age profile of the fleet was shocking when Nigel Eggleton arrived and has only been improved by some modest new vehicle investment, a substantial cut in the PVR, and some cascades from Worcester and Leicester to help out a bit. Much of the fleet still comes from c.2003/4 - not great but better than the clapped out R/S reg Ultralows.

In addition, you have the local factors. The loss of those traditional industries and a lack of economic activity viz

"Whilst the region tends to experience much higher increases in claimant rates at the peak of recession, rates tend then to return to national levels. Since the late 1990s regional claimant rates – like output – have started to diverge; the regional claimant rate remaining stubbornly above the national rate. Over the period 1998 – 2008 the region uniquely saw a contraction in private sector employment. It also has fewer ‘high-growth’ firms than any other English region."

"Looking at the employment performance of Staffordshire and Stoke over 2000-08 there is a very marked contrast in the performance of Stoke (where over 9,000 jobs have been lost) and that of Staffordshire (which has seen in
excess of 15,000 jobs created)."

Clearly, there are some major external issues and that's before we get onto a seemingly luke warm unitary authority.

That said, and it's not a business I know well, the seemingly constant network changes and the poor standard of service delivery that people report are not helping either!

 

[smtglasgow]

Think GW hits the nail on the head with the comment about economic activity. Areas with low car ownership might have been good for bus companies in the past, but I think nowadays it is really a signifier of a higher than average number of economically inactive people – either elderly, unemployed, or simply no longer participating in the job market. My day job is as an academic economist, and the stats on economic (in)activity in most of the de-industrialised parts of Britain are terrifying (and should shame all political parties). But sticking with buses, it is telling how often it is the areas which we think *should* be good for buses that have seen some of the biggest falls in ridership.

 

[the101]

In addition, you have the local factors. The loss of those traditional industries and a lack of economic activity...

Eggleton has done a number of interviews with the trade press and Buses magazine since he took up the First Midlands job, and in at least one of them he has commented on the economic problems that First faces in the Potteries.

Anyone who has been to Stoke over recent years will see that either as a city or as six towns, it's on its arse. It's probably now too far gone to ever recover itself into being a city like Nottingham, York or similar. All the potbanks gone and the by all accounts staggeringly incompetent local council will happily approve more out-of-town retail and office developments that are very conveniently located for the trunk road network. The same local council that has closed a major road in one direction for almost four months while it replaces a length of footpath, and caused complete and utter chaos for bus services that go anywhere near the affected location.

While First's service delivery is still nothing like it should or could be - and in Staffordshire it still shoots itself in both feet on a regular basis - what chance does any bus company have when it is up against so much? Arriva tried to crack the Potteries and failed dismally so the problem does not lie simply with First.

Were First's service to Keele University not doing so well the operation as a whole could be in a lot more serious trouble.

 

[Robertj21a]

Eggleton has done a number of interviews with the trade press and Buses magazine since he took up the First Midlands job, and in at least one of them he has commented on the economic problems that First faces in the Potteries.

Anyone who has been to Stoke over recent years will see that either as a city or as six towns, it's on its arse. It's probably now too far gone to ever recover itself into being a city like Nottingham, York or similar. All the potbanks gone and the by all accounts staggeringly incompetent local council will happily approve more out-of-town retail and office developments that are very conveniently located for the trunk road network. The same local council that has closed a major road in one direction for almost four months while it replaces a length of footpath, and caused complete and utter chaos for bus services that go anywhere near the affected location.

While First's service delivery is still nothing like it should or could be - and in Staffordshire it still shoots itself in both feet on a regular basis - what chance does any bus company have when it is up against so much? Arriva tried to crack the Potteries and failed dismally so the problem does not lie simply with First.

Were First's service to Keele University not doing so well the operation as a whole could be in a lot more serious trouble.

I quite agree, Nigel has done quite a lot in his time in charge but there's only so much that anyone could do with Stoke - hence my earlier comments about the general lack of competitors, and caution by D & G. As mentioned earlier, it's still too easy for people (me included) to make the same assumptions as usual over unemployment/economic activity/bus usage, but the Potteries is a good, very clear, example of how such matters may no longer have the same direct relationships. If First decide they've had enough of the Potteries at least they can say that they've made an effort to improve it. I can't imagine that anyone would be interested in buying the whole operation, unless D&G came to some low cost arrangement to take it off First's hands. In any event, they could simply just register over a few of the more profitable routes and leave it at that.

 

[Sybic26]

As I understand one other factor is that First Potteries is faced with is that they are still paying lease costs for Newcastle depot. It is on the market but only for lease with the proviso that the occupier has to take on the balance of the lease.

 

[Baxenden Bank]

Details of changes to First in The Potteries services, from 8 January 2017, are now available on the Stoke City Council website http://www.stokebus.info/changes.htm

Mostly trimming early morning and late night journeys. 98 and 99 take a hit with reduced frequency from mid afternoon. Also a dogs breakfast of the Saturday 32.

 

[daodao]

Details of changes to First in The Potteries services, from 8 January 2017, are now available on the Stoke City Council website http://www.stokebus.info/changes.htm

Mostly trimming early morning and late night journeys. 98 and 99 take a hit with reduced frequency from mid afternoon. Also a dogs breakfast of the Saturday 32.

The reduced frequency on route 32 is quite marked, especially outside weekday mornings, with fewer services on weekday afternoons, Saturdays and evenings (the last bus from Hanley is 2130 M-Sa and 2030 Sun). The alternative route to Uttoxeter via Alton (32A) has already been essentially withdrawn, with only 1 early evening journey from Uttoxeter (in that direction only).

This is but one example of how First Bus everywhere seems to be retrenching.

 

[Baxenden Bank]

The details of changes (but not actual timetables) have also appeared on the First Potteries website. There are notable discrepencies, especially with regard to the 32 on Saturday where First do not show any daytime reductions. It's already pretty poor in the afternoon with a sort of 45 minute frequency, buses deliberately slowed to make more even headways compared to those either side etc. Not at all attractive for travelling out from Hanley in the morning and returning from Cheadle in the afternoon / early evening.

Treatment of the 32A, with short notice advice to passengers of its effective total withdrawal etc. is / was a disgrace.

I've just read the Google reviews (whilst waiting for the First website not to load and timing out). One person thought they were good and gave them 5 stars! The rest reflect my experiences unfortunately. This is the best "if you want to keep your job, don't travel by bus". Says it all.

UPDATE 14 December

January timetables are now available on the First website.

 

[Baxenden Bank]

Summary details of the next round of changes have been put on the First Potteries website today. Sorry, I don't seem able to capture the text and paste it.

Many routes see a cutback from 20 minute to 30 minute frequencies, albeit some combine to give 15 minute headways closer in to the centre. Some bits of routes cut out.

Suggested on the 'First Group improvements....' thread that the PVR is reduced from 120 to 105.

I'm a bit long in the tooth to learn how to drive but I think I'm going to have to, or become 'housebound'.

More business for the booming private hire sector.

 

[overthewater]

https://www.firstgroup.com/potterie...ates/planned-changes/service-changes-23-april

We’re making several changes to our network from 23 April 2017. Here are the details to help you plan. Frequencies quoted are Monday to Friday daytimes. Most timetables are changing on Mondays to Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. We're currently working on our timetables and these will be available as soon as possible.

Route 3 Hanley – Tunstall – Kidsgrove – Alsager – Crewe
A new timetable is introduced, every 10 minutes between Hanley and Kidsgrove, then every 30 minutes to Crewe, every 30 minutes to Talke Pits (becoming a 4A), with additional buses as far as Mitchell Avenue, Butt Lane.

Route 4 Hanley – Newcastle – Chesterton – Audley
Combined with route 4A there will be a bus every 15 minutes between Hanley and Chesterton, continuing to Wood Lane and Audley every 30 minutes.
Daytime buses will still drop off in Stafford Street, Hanley but will no longer pick up
Due to problems with car parking in Queen Street in the evenings, buses arriving after 6.45pm and departing after 7.00pm will terminate at the top of Hougher Wall Road in Audley. Queen Street, Meadowside Ave and Vernon Avenue will not be served each evening.
Route 4A Hanley – Newcastle – Chesterton – Kidsgrove

Combined with route 4 there will be a bus every 15 minutes between Hanley and Chesterton, continuing to Red Street and Kidsgrove every 30 minutes.
Daytime buses will still drop off in Stafford Street, Hanley but will no longer pick up

Route 5 Hanley – Bucknall – Abbey Hulton
Peak hour buses will now run every 15 minutes, with a 10 minute service retained during the middle of the day.

Route 6 Hanley - Fenton - Longton - Nomacot - Meir

Combined with route 6A there will still be a bus every 10 minutes between Hanley, Fenton, Longton and Meir, continuing to Weston Coyney as Service 11A every 20 minutes.
In Longton we are looking at alternative stopping places to the Transport Interchange.
Route 6A Hanley – Fenton – Longton – Meir – Meir Park – Blythe Bridge

Combined with route 6 there will still be a bus every 10 minutes between Hanley, Fenton, Longton and Meir, continuing to Meir Park and Blythe Bridge every 20 minutes.
In Longton we are looking at alternative stopping places to the Transport Interchange.

Route 7 Hanley – Smallthorne – Chell – Packmoor – Kidsgrove
Combined with route 7A there will be a bus every 15 minutes between Hanley and Chell, continuing to Kidsgrove every 30 minutes.

Route 7A Hanley – Smallthorne – Chell – Biddulph
Combined with route 7 there will be a bus every 15 minutes between Hanley and Chell, continuing to Biddulph every 30 minutes.
Buses will retrun from Biddulph toen centre along High Street and St. Johns Road

Routes 8/8A Hanley – Smallthorne – Norton – Ball Green/Endon

Buses will run every 30 minutes between Hanley and Ball Green, with additional buses every hour on route 8A to Endon.
Route 8A will no longer serve Community Drive, but will instead serve the top of Smallthorne.

Route 11 Hanley – Dawlish Drive – Weston Park – Longton – Stoke – Newcastle

Combined with Route 11A there will still be a bus every 10 minutes between Hanley and Adderley Green, continuing to Longton and Newcastle every 20 minutes.
In Longton we are looking at alternative stopping places to the Transport Interchange.
Route 11A Hanley – Dawlish Drive – Parkhall – Coalville
Combined with Route 11 there will still be a bus every 10 minutes between Hanley and Adderley Green, continuing to Parkhall and Coalville every 20 minutes. In Coalville buses will become Route 6 and continue to Meir & Longton.

Route 12 Hanley – Beverley Drive – Adderley Green – Saxonfields - Longton.

In the middle of the day buses will run every 20 minutes between Bentilee and Hanley. The service will extend to Saxonfields and Longton at busy times. Route 13 buses will also serve Saxonfields every hour.
In Longton we are looking at alternative stopping places to the Transport Interchange..

Route 13 Hanley – Dividy Road – Adderley Green – Saxonfields – Longton

Buses will run the length of the route every hour during the day
In Longton we are looking at alternative stopping places to the Transport Interchange.

Routes 21/21A Hanley – Stoke Station – Stoke – Hanford – Trentham
Buses will run every 15 minutes between Hanley and Man-in-Space, route 21 continuing to Pacific Road every 30 minutes.
Trentham Hotel and The Lea will be served by route 21A every 30 minutes. Trentham retail village will no longer be served by route 21A.
Buses in Hanford will now use Church Lane, Queen Mary Road, Kings Road and Wilson Road in each direction between the A34 and New Inn Lane.

Route 22 Newcastle – Trentham – Blurton - Longton
Minor timetable changes are introduced.

Routes 23/23A Hanley – Stoke Station – Stoke – Blurton – Newstead
A new timetable is introduced, still every 15 minutes between Hanley and Newstead

Routes 32/32A Hanley – Werrington – Cheadle – Tean – Uttoxeter
Buses will run every 30 minutes between Hanley and Cheadle, continuing to Uttoxeter every hour
All journeys will operate as route 32 - there will be no departures on route 32A.

Route 37 Meir – Bentilee – Hanley – Newcastle – Lymedale Business Park
The Sunday timetable will change slightly

Route 72 Newcastle – Clayton – Westbury Park
All buses will operate direct to Westbury Park along Clayton Road, returning along Westbury Road, Wye Road and Seabridge Lane. Customers for Wye Road and Seabridge Lane may stay on the bus through Westbury Park.
Some Sunday morning journeys will continue to serve Clayton Village, under contract to Staffordshire County Council
Route 98 Newcastle – Porthill – Burslem – Norton – Ball Green
Buses will run every 30 minutes along the length of the route.

Route 99 Newcastle – Porthill – Tunstall – Chell – Chell Heath – Bradeley
Buses will run every 30 minutes between Newcastle and Chell Heath, serving Bradeley at peak times.

Route 101 Hanley – Newcastle – Trentham – Stone – Stafford
There will be minor timetable changes in the mornings.

 

[3piece-wheel]

Can't believe there is no 32a service until June, must be an opening here for a local operator to step in, surely. I travel between Cheadle and Oakamoor and when Towers are open the buses are useually very well used mornings and late afrernoon. Crazy...

 

[Mutant Lemming]

I'm shocked to hear that First Potteries now have a vehicle requirement of just 120 buses when back in it's heyday the old PMT was a 600+ vehicle fleet!

The 1972/73 edition of TLRB has PMT having 173 d-d and 294 s-d vehicles - a total of 467. Did the bread van revolution really lead to an increase in vehicle numbers ?

 

[Baxenden Bank]

Timetables now up on the First Potteries website.

Enjoy :roll:

 

[Baxenden Bank]

Consultation on bus service cuts underway from today.

http://www.staffordshirenewsroom.co.uk/people-encouraged-say-subsidised-bus-travel/


People are being encouraged to have their say on how the budget for subsidising bus travel in Staffordshire can be best spent – as a public consultation starts.

All bus journeys made in Staffordshire are operated by either private bus companies or by voluntary and community organisations and the eight week consultation looks only at the bus journeys subsidised by taxpayers, which is less than 10 per cent of all journeys.

The county council has developed four possible options for public bus journeys and Dial-A-Ride services it currently subsidises, which in some cases can be as much as £10 per passenger journey because too few people use them or not enough income is generated to cover the costs.

The different options consider a range of factors including; the amount of subsidy, number of passengers, travel for education, employment and health and access to other public transport.

(snip)

The options

Option 1: This is the preferred option as it maintains the greatest number of journeys currently subsidised by the county council – and the lowest subsidy per passenger trip at £1.60. There would be no Dial-A-Ride services
Option 2: Maintains fewer bus journeys, but maintains the South Staffordshire and Staffordshire Moorlands Connect. These Dial-A-Ride services would be subsidised at £8.20 per passenger trip
Option 3: Protects even fewer supported local bus services, but keeps all four existing Dial-A-Ride services, except Border Car, at an £8.80 subsidy per trip
Option 4: Provides a county-wide network of dial-a-ride services at an average cost of £10 per passenger journey. No other bus journeys will be subsidised

As well as continuing to subsidise some journeys the council remains committed to helping the community and voluntary transport schemes to flourish.

Full details of the options and how to have your say can be found at
http://www.staffordshire.gov.uk/busreview The consultation closes on September 17. People can have their say online or find out more at their local libraries from later this week.

The final option will be agreed by Cabinet in the autumn and changes implemented in April 2018.

1) the level of cuts to be made is not up for discussion.
2) the amount of subsidy / cost per journey is not revealed so you are stabbing in the dark.
Foregone conclusion.

 

[ag51ruk]

Consultation on bus service cuts underway from today.


1) the level of cuts to be made is not up for discussion.
2) the amount of subsidy / cost per journey is not revealed so you are stabbing in the dark.
Foregone conclusion.

A fair number of bus services which won't continue, whichever of the 4 options is chosen. A lot of D&G operated ones on that list - I did notice they have added a link to the consultation on their website, which they didn't bother to do for the Cheshire East changes.

 

[Baxenden Bank]

Service changes by First in the Potteries from the end of November. A brief mention is made on their website, but no details due to on-going discussions with councillors / local authorities. Much evening and Sunday castration as I understand it.

 

[overthewater]

Is there much of a night life in the area?