Cheshire East Bus Service Improvement Plan

[knutstransport]

Cheshire East Bus Service Improvement Plan
Main points seem to relate to integrated ticketing, faster journey times and better connectivity. Crewe to Nantwich and Knutsford to Wilmslow have been identified as where the bus journey times are especially poor compared to car journey times. Note there's a letter from D&G Bus included saying they agree with the report, despite their policy of excessive padding in timetables! There's also an error in the fare table where it implies D&G charge £2.20 for all single journeys. Also interesting that it mentions Go Goodwins have a £4.50 day ticket and a £14 weekly ticket.

Proposals for Demand Responsive Transport have been put forward for the following areas:
• Northwest of Knutsford
• Surrounding Wilmslow
• South and West of Macclesfield
• East of Macclesfield
• Northwest of Crewe
• South East of Crewe.

https://www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/pdf/publ...p-2021.pdf

[iMarkeh]

RE: Cheshire East Bus Service Improvement Plan

(20/11/2021 16:37)knutstransport Wrote:  Main points seem to relate to integrated ticketing, faster journey times and better connectivity. Crewe to Nantwich and Knutsford to Wilmslow have been identified as where the bus journey times are especially poor compared to car journey times. Note there's a letter from D&G Bus included saying they agree with the report, despite their policy of excessive padding in timetables! There's also an error in the fare table where it implies D&G charge £2.20 for all single journeys. Also interesting that it mentions Go Goodwins have a £4.50 day ticket and a £14 weekly ticket.

Proposals for Demand Responsive Transport have been put forward for the following areas:
• Northwest of Knutsford
• Surrounding Wilmslow
• South and West of Macclesfield
• East of Macclesfield
• Northwest of Crewe
• South East of Crewe.

https://www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/pdf/publ...p-2021.pdf

Very interesting proposals though for frequency enhancements.
Macc 2, 4, 9 & 10 upto every 15 minutes.
Crewe 8 up to every 15 minutes, a Wistaston bus, I presume 84 up to every 15 mins. Also Shavington - Crewe - Leighton every 15 mins (there is 4bph between the 6 and 12 so I presume it's just formalising that).
Chester - Crewe 84 they want half hourly.
Plus an evening bus from Northwich, Winsford, Crewe to Shavington on evenings (I think I would much prefer this to be the 31 and 6/12 separately rather than a standalone evening route).


In Phase 2, they want improved pre AM peak and post PM peak services including on the Macc 2, 4, 14, 19 as well as the 88, 130 and 391/392 tenders.

[knutstransport]

RE: Cheshire East Bus Service Improvement Plan
The Local Transport Delivery Plans also identify some short and longer term bus proposals, following previous consultations:
https://moderngov.cheshireeast.gov.uk/ec...1&MId=8676

One interesting new one is a proposal to extend the 82 service to Knutsford.

[knutstransport]

RE: Cheshire East Bus Service Improvement Plan
A £12 "Silk town" weekly ticket is to be launched covering D&G Bus, High Peak, Aimee’s Travel and Belle Vue services in the Macclesfield area.

https://www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/council_...ravel.aspx

[iMarkeh]

RE: Cheshire East Bus Service Improvement Plan

(30/08/2024 16:00)knutstransport Wrote:  A £12 "Silk town" weekly ticket is to be launched covering D&G Bus, High Peak, Aimee’s Travel and Belle Vue services in the Macclesfield area.

https://www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/council_...ravel.aspx

Isn't it funny how they launched the original Macclesfield weekly a few months back, make a colossal mess of it and now are launching this new weekly ticket as it is completely new, not just them doing what they should have done first time around (rather than just mindlessly wasting taxpayers money).

Even now, the ticket isn't the best as there is no day ticket version. Just barmy. Never fails to amaze me that some Cheshire East staff and councillors are so deluded and wanting public control.

[knutstransport]

RE: Cheshire East Bus Service Improvement Plan
I thought the High Peak and D&G combined ticket was a commercial offering. Pre-COVID the D&G 'Network Return' was valid on High Peak services in the Macclesfield area only and now D&G weekly tickets are valid on the 130 route 7 days a week, even though the Sunday services are operated by High Peak. The poster at Macc bus station on the £20 Macclesfield D&G/High Peak poster is in D&G colours and I don't think it mentions ANSA or Cheshire East. (I hope it's being removed now the cheaper ticket is launching on Monday but it was there last Saturday).

I agree there needs to be a day ticket option. Catching a 14 into Macc bus station and then a 88/130 out to the hospital could end up costing £8 for a single journey (4 x £2 singles).

Ideally there should also be a Macclesfield town ticket and a wider Macclesfield area ticket - maybe even including journeys going as far out as Handforth, Knutsford and Buxton.

Same with Crewe. One Crewe town ticket and a wider area option including other towns in South Cheshire.

[iMarkeh]

RE: Cheshire East Bus Service Improvement Plan

(31/08/2024 10:31)knutstransport Wrote:  I thought the High Peak and D&G combined ticket was a commercial offering. Pre-COVID the D&G 'Network Return' was valid on High Peak services in the Macclesfield area only and now D&G weekly tickets are valid on the 130 route 7 days a week, even though the Sunday services are operated by High Peak. The poster at Macc bus station on the £20 Macclesfield D&G/High Peak poster is in D&G colours and I don't think it mentions ANSA or Cheshire East. (I hope it's being removed now the cheaper ticket is launching on Monday but it was there last Saturday).

I know there was the ticket acceptance in place pre Covid. It was always suggested that this was BSIP funded and no one has ever said otherwise. The poster was D&G colours etc as it was only valid on D&G and High Peak.

(31/08/2024 10:31)knutstransport Wrote:  Ideally there should also be a Macclesfield town ticket and a wider Macclesfield area ticket - maybe even including journeys going as far out as Handforth, Knutsford and Buxton.

D&G Network zone would cover that already. Only issue is some prat called it 'Network return' rather than 'day ticket'.

(31/08/2024 10:31)knutstransport Wrote:  Same with Crewe. One Crewe town ticket and a wider area option including other towns in South Cheshire.

Supposedly Cheshire East are using Macclesfield as the test area for multi operator tickets before considering Crewe and Nantwich areas.

[knutstransport]

RE: Cheshire East Bus Service Improvement Plan

(01/09/2024 04:08)iMarkeh Wrote:  D&G Network zone would cover that already.

It doesn't cover a journey like Chelford to Langley, which involves using D&G and High Peak. Again you end up with an £8 total journey cost, and likely even more when the £2 bus cap ends.

[knutstransport]

RE: Cheshire East Bus Service Improvement Plan
Proposals for next financial year:

- New tendered service from Leighton Hospital to Nantwich.
- Poynton to Stockport section of 391/392 to go hourly.
- Revise FlexiLink on a trial basis. Discounted travel for pass holders, rather than free travel.
- Extend some early/late 130 services to run to/from Wythenshawe
- Retime 42 and 88 journeys to match school finishing times.
- Larger vehicle capacity requirement for 88 due to demand for schools in Greater Manchester and Cheshire.
- Withdraw early 89 journey.

Most contracted services run out on 31 March 2025, so they will go out to tender.