First Manchester

[Mayneway]

RE: First Manchester

(15/07/2014 20:48)Dentonian Wrote:  I'm guessing by "TFGM" in these instances, you mean the Ashton Bus Station Manager. Where commercial services are concerned, passing complaints to the Operator initially is the correct procedure. Whilst technically wrong, I can also see the temptation not to get involved where passengers are dropped just outside the Bus Station - unless it is compromising your attempts to make tight connections. Otherwise, its like complaining that a bus dropped you off 50 yards after an on-street stop because the stop was illegally obstructed. Dropping off on private ground well away from the bus station is more serious - and one wonders why Gala Bingo management have not complained! As for failure to run a journey at all; not only is it more serious again, but it will be dealt with by a completely different department for whom service compliance is a major part of their job. So I would expect it would be taken very seriously.

My main issue with buses alighting outside of the bus station has always primarily been safety. I once witnessed a First 348 alighting outside the bus station in the afternoon. A large group of school kids go off and walked directly infront of the bus into two lanes of busy traffic. Its always been my opinion that the bus station is there for the picking up and alighting of passengers. It's sheltered from the weather, it's lit up in the dark and is protected by a quite expensive CCTV system (so I'm told) and is manned by TFGM staff - all at the expense of the taxpayer, so it's a bit disappointing that lazy drivers choose to alight away from the bus station, and that the powers that be choose to do nothin about it.

When I first raised the issue with TFGM they confirmed that the area ouyside the bus station was extra layover space so shouldn't be used for alighting, they then identified that three operators were doing this - Speedwell, Stagecoach and First and passed my email and concerns onto the operators. I received a very positive email back from Stagecoach (AZ ops manager) stating that no stagecoach buses should alight there and and any drivers caught dong it would be disciplined. Speedwell pulled out of Ashton soon after and eventually I recieved a letter from First claiming my comments had been passed onto the depot manager ( yet to this day they still alight there).

But getting back to my main point. If TFGM award First a contract to run a bus service between A and B then it should run from A to B, not 50 yards short of B! But I would have thought TFGM would have been able to insist a tendered service did terminate in the bus station as probably stated in the actual contract.

[M60lad]

RE: First Manchester
Repainted Tameside Solo 53150 was out on 335 yesterday and then yesterday evening was on 343.

Also if what I heard is true that I'd advise anyone who wants them to get their rides on Oldham's Olympians in while you can as their due to be withdrawn shortly as it sounds as if Oldham is getting all or most of the ALX400 B7TLs from Rusholme Depot and these might be replacing Olympians on Schools from September

[37554BY]

RE: First Manchester

(17/07/2014 06:08)M60lad Wrote:  Repainted Tameside Solo 53150 was out on 335 yesterday and then yesterday evening was on 343.

Also if what I heard is true that I'd advise anyone who wants them to get their rides on Oldham's Olympians in while you can as their due to be withdrawn shortly as it sounds as if Oldham is getting all or most of the ALX400 B7TLs from Rusholme Depot and these might be replacing Olympians on Schools from September

Me personally would have said not quite all, once again Bury has serious shortages in the last few days a couple of buses a day have broken down, plus there is this what really happened to 66917 was it a fire or not rumour doing the rounds. 32869 has transferred there from Rusholme. Bury driver who I know and you probably know also Andrew says just one in from Rusholme for now, Wheather that changes we shall see. Oh and 60381 is loaned also to Bury

[Mayneway]

RE: First Manchester
30965 has just left Ashton on a 389, I'm guessing its a loan.

[Benzo]

RE: First Manchester

(17/07/2014 11:41)Mayneway Wrote:  30965 has just left Ashton on a 389, I'm guessing its a loan.

Actually a transfer, taken a closer look at the legals and has Pioneer.

[Mayneway]

RE: First Manchester

(17/07/2014 12:00)Benzo Wrote:  Actually a transfer, taken a closer look at the legals and has Pioneer.

Blimey that's a turn up. They've bothered to change the legals but it seems the destinations don't work as it was carrying a very small peice of paper with '389' on it. Clearly the depot staff at Dukinfiekd have excellent eyesight!

[SF07]

RE: First Manchester
First have posted their service changes on their website. Some changes not mentioned previously:

*Mon-Sat late evening journeys and Sunday evening journeys on services 472/474 will be operated by Rosso instead of First.
*Stagecoach will take over the evening service on the 53 from the end of August.

http://www.firstgroup.com/ukbus/greater_...181&conf=0

[SF07]

RE: First Manchester
Some proposed changes for 31 August/1 September listed on the Forthcoming Changes to the Bus Network for next week's TfGM Bus Committee meeting:

*23 - New weekday off-peak service introduced, running hourly between Shaw Wren's Nest and Manchester via Buckstones, Shaw centre, High Crompton, Thornham then as 24 route. This will replace service 428 plus some journeys on service 24.
*24 - Some weekday journeys replaced by service 23.
*41 (Sale-Mcr) - Short journeys between West Didsbury and Manchester are to be extended to Eccles via Pendleton along with some peak-time journeys to/from Sale.
*41 (Tameside) - Service to continue along temporary route between Ashton and Dukinfield only.
*180 - Most Mon-Sat journeys to be re-numbered X80 and run limited stop between Hollinwood and Manchester.
*339 - New service, partly replacing service 419 between Ashton and Crowhill
*419 - Service to revert to former route, running direct along Oldham Road between Ashton and Hathershaw
*428 - Withdrawn and partly replaced by new service 23.
*510/536 - Mon-Sat daytime service to be withdrawn and replaced by service 511.
*511 - New Mon-Sat daytime service introduced, replacing services 510 between Bury and Breightmet and service 536 between Breightmet and Bolton. No changes to eve/Sun 510/536 services

http://www.transportforgreatermanchester...us_network

[SF07]

RE: First Manchester

(17/07/2014 19:09)Dentonian Wrote:  I think you've misread this, in regard to 536. It is not being withdrawn, rather it is retimed to provide a 30 minutes service on common stretches of route with the new 511.

Although, it does look like the rest of the 510 section would be reduced to hourly.

[Mayneway]

RE: First Manchester

(17/07/2014 18:54)SF07 Wrote:  Some proposed changes for 31 August/1 September listed on the Forthcoming Changes to the Bus Network for next week's TfGM Bus Committee meeting:

*23 - New weekday off-peak service introduced, running hourly between Shaw Wren's Nest and Manchester via Buckstones, Shaw centre, High Crompton, Thornham then as 24 route. This will replace service 428 plus some journeys on service 24.
*24 - Some weekday journeys replaced by service 23.
*41 (Sale-Mcr) - Short journeys between West Didsbury and Manchester are to be extended to Eccles via Pendleton along with some peak-time journeys to/from Sale.
*41 (Tameside) - Service to continue along temporary route between Ashton and Dukinfield only.
*180 - Most Mon-Sat journeys to be re-numbered X80 and run limited stop between Hollinwood and Manchester.
*339 - New service, partly replacing service 419 between Ashton and Crowhill
*419 - Service to revert to former route, running direct along Oldham Road between Ashton and Hathershaw
*428 - Withdrawn and partly replaced by new service 23.
*510/536 - Mon-Sat daytime service to be withdrawn and replaced by service 511.
*511 - New Mon-Sat daytime service introduced, replacing services 510 between Bury and Breightmet and service 536 between Breightmet and Bolton. No changes to eve/Sun 510/536 services

http://www.transportforgreatermanchester...us_network

Interesting regarding the new 339 service. It's basically reverting to the way it was when Stotts ran it as the 337 although its interworked with the 41 for many years. I'm guessing it will now interworked with something else?
Any idea why they have not gone back to using the route number 337?