Manchester Community Transport

[Mayneway]

RE: Manchester Community Transport

(16/02/2018 08:27)iMarkeh Wrote:  MCT is only around really as a company to provide a service where Stagecoach and the likes would charge too much. Basically ran in the public interest. Stagecoach and D&G are ran for a profit whether that be to improve services or money for the directors profits is a different matter. The point is they are there for profit. With MCT, they get the same money from TFGM if they make £2 or £20,000 it isn't an issue for them, they get paid the same.

Have you ever used MCT services?? Had to rely on their services or sampled the driving techniques of their finest drivers??

[djb]

RE: Manchester Community Transport

(16/02/2018 23:49)Mayneway Wrote:  Have you ever used MCT services?? Had to rely on their services or sampled the driving techniques of their finest drivers??

Touché. Just because in theory they have a lower cost base doesn’t mean they provide better value for money... the service I use for work hasn’t reappeared on vosa for April’s retendering and I’m genuinely worried for the possibility of MCT.

[Mayneway]

RE: Manchester Community Transport

(17/02/2018 00:07)djb Wrote:  Touché. Just because in theory they have a lower cost base doesn’t mean they provide better value for money... the service I use for work hasn’t reappeared on vosa for April’s retendering and I’m genuinely worried for the possibility of MCT.

Good luck with that. I had to rely on MCT for about 6 months while working in Newton Heath and I can tell you it was dire. Drivers couod barely speak a word of English, they refused to issue tickets on occasions, some should never have been given licences and to be honest I think most didn't have a clue how to tell the time as early running or very late running (let's chop a section of the route off to make up time) happened far too often.

I haven't sampled there services lately but I live on the 169 route and their evening 169 service is an eye opener sometimes running up to 10 mins early but I've realised the driver pulls over at the last stop before Ashton bus station (hop pole Oldham rd) and waits out time there before entering the bus station bang on time.

There certainly not value for money and I really feel sorry for anyone who has to rely on there shambles of a company!

[knutstransport]

RE: Manchester Community Transport

(17/02/2018 07:29)Mayneway Wrote:  Good luck with that. I had to rely on MCT for about 6 months while working in Newton Heath and I can tell you it was dire. Drivers couod barely speak a word of English, they refused to issue tickets on occasions, some should never have been given licences and to be honest I think most didn't have a clue how to tell the time as early running or very late running (let's chop a section of the route off to make up time) happened far too often.

I haven't sampled there services lately but I live on the 169 route and their evening 169 service is an eye opener sometimes running up to 10 mins early but I've realised the driver pulls over at the last stop before Ashton bus station (hop pole Oldham rd) and waits out time there before entering the bus station bang on time.

There certainly not value for money and I really feel sorry for anyone who has to rely on there shambles of a company!

It should be noted some MCT drivers are good drivers and speak English as their first language.

It's one thing missing out a section of a route if the bus is 25 minutes late on a route with a half-hourly frequency and following service is on time, it's another thing if it's 15 minutes late on a route with an hourly frequency.

[Mayneway]

RE: Manchester Community Transport

(17/02/2018 11:46)knutstransport Wrote:  It should be noted some MCT drivers are good drivers and speak English as their first language.

It's one thing missing out a section of a route if the bus is 25 minutes late on a route with a half-hourly frequency and following service is on time, it's another thing if it's 15 minutes late on a route with an hourly frequency.

Absolutely and as you say some drivers are English, in Ashton when MCT took over some of the pioneer services a number of drivers also moved to MCT so in a way that's good but early running and reliability is still a major issue!

[djb]

RE: Manchester Community Transport

(17/02/2018 11:46)knutstransport Wrote:  It should be noted some MCT drivers are good drivers and speak English as their first language.

It's one thing missing out a section of a route if the bus is 25 minutes late on a route with a half-hourly frequency and following service is on time, it's another thing if it's 15 minutes late on a route with an hourly frequency.

My experience of mct is that some of the daytime services are good (usually where there is a regular driver/s). However the evening services are very hit and miss. On one of my local mct services, the last journey regularly terminated early, and on another the last journey always runs 10 mins+ late.

[iMarkeh]

RE: Manchester Community Transport

(16/02/2018 23:49)Mayneway Wrote:  Have you ever used MCT services?? Had to rely on their services or sampled the driving techniques of their finest drivers??

That bit wasn't explained as well as it could have been. I meant in the tendering phases. They provide a lower cost option for TFGM where as Stagecoach would charge too much. I don't mean charge a lower price to the customers (though they are doing that as well). Again, when I said in the public interest, it was meant as saving TFGM money so it can be used elsewhere on other bus services or projects. Sorry, should have specified that when writing.

[Mayneway]

RE: Manchester Community Transport

(17/02/2018 16:33)iMarkeh Wrote:  That bit wasn't explained as well as it could have been. I meant in the tendering phases. They provide a lower cost option for TFGM where as Stagecoach would charge too much. I don't mean charge a lower price to the customers (though they are doing that as well). Again, when I said in the public interest, it was meant as saving TFGM money so it can be used elsewhere on other bus services or projects. Sorry, should have specified that when writing.

But the same could be said of GHA, that they actually saved councils money by running services so cheap - but look how that ended.

[Metroline1511]

RE: Manchester Community Transport

(17/02/2018 07:29)Mayneway Wrote:  Good luck with that. I had to rely on MCT for about 6 months while working in Newton Heath and I can tell you it was dire. Drivers couod barely speak a word of English, they refused to issue tickets on occasions, some should never have been given licences and to be honest I think most didn't have a clue how to tell the time as early running or very late running (let's chop a section of the route off to make up time) happened far too often.

I haven't sampled there services lately but I live on the 169 route and their evening 169 service is an eye opener sometimes running up to 10 mins early but I've realised the driver pulls over at the last stop before Ashton bus station (hop pole Oldham rd) and waits out time there before entering the bus station bang on time.

There certainly not value for money and I really feel sorry for anyone who has to rely on there shambles of a company!

I wonder whether such problems will be addressed now that MCT have been taken over, by HCT Group.

[Mayneway]

RE: Manchester Community Transport

(17/02/2018 21:37)Metroline1511 Wrote:  I wonder whether such problems will be addressed now that MCT have been taken over, by HCT Group.

Well I doubt it as apparently it's just a smoke screen allowing MCT to expand operations without the need for an increase to ops disks as they will run some services with on hire signs and use HCT disks.
Also the 'not for profit' stance that MCT have always used is now confined to history as HCT don't operate this kind of policy.
Also it's been suggested (not sure how) that RAPT are quietly involved with HCT and obviously now MCT.