First Manchester

[Polo Mint]

RE: First Manchester
I have seen a few old Solo's on the Metroshuttle routes. Did these come from Oldham, and what routes do Queens Road operate with these Solo's?

I see many Enviro400's on the 181/182/24 these days. What will happen when the 81 reduces frequency, will the spare Enviro300's be shifted to other routes?

[M60lad]

RE: First Manchester
To answer your questons Polo Mint:

1> Yes the older Solos did come from Oldham Depot and they are normallly used on 94 Cheethem-Pilsworth service

2> Yes I think the spare Enviro300s will start turning up on other routes although they do already as there's normally a couple daily along with a B7 allocated to 350s

[SF07]

RE: First Manchester
No mention on the website, but noticed adverts on a couple of Queens Road depot buses that First Manchester will be using 'change vouchers' if drivers run out of money.

The vouchers, which have been introduced on other bus services in other areas (Centrebus, Arriva Midlands and Stagecoach Yorkshire/East Mids to name some), are issued when drivers are unable to give passengers the correct change (mainly if they pay with £5, £10 or £20 notes). The vouchers can then be used for future payments (full or part) of tickets on First buses.

[Mayneway]

RE: First Manchester

(31/08/2015 22:10)SF07 Wrote:  No mention on the website, but noticed adverts on a couple of Queens Road depot buses that First Manchester will be using 'change vouchers' if drivers run out of money.

The vouchers, which have been introduced on other bus services in other areas (Centrebus, Arriva Midlands and Stagecoach Yorkshire/East Mids to name some), are issued when drivers are unable to give passengers the correct change (mainly if they pay with £5, £10 or £20 notes). The vouchers can then be used for future payments (full or part) of tickets on First buses.

Sounds like a good idea and perhaps long overdue. I wonder how exactly it will work. Im assuming the vouchers will be printed off the ticket machine. I don't much like the idea of the vouchers being redeemable off future tickets. This means waiting passengers in bus stations across Manchester will be pestered to buy vouchers for 10/20p less than there worth.

I wonder if Stagecoach will follow suit. I personally hope so as I'm fed up of having my mega rider closely inspected as I board the bus only for the same driver to then let 4 or 5 passengers on for free because he hasn't got any change. It's infuriating.

[Bevan Price]

RE: First Manchester
Chaos on the 582 today (1 September) due to roadworks near Atherton station - long gaps in service, followed by "convoys" -- one of 5 buses arriving in Bolton in late morning. Some huge queues in Bolton bus station as well. Definitely a need for some double deckers on this route, at least until the roadworks have finished.

[WhiteVanMan]

RE: First Manchester

(01/09/2015 19:52)Bevan Price Wrote:  Chaos on the 582 today (1 September) due to roadworks near Atherton station - long gaps in service, followed by "convoys" -- one of 5 buses arriving in Bolton in late morning. Some huge queues in Bolton bus station as well. Definitely a need for some double deckers on this route, at least until the roadworks have finished.

When Stagecoach Manchester/Ribble operated the 582, in the late 1980's it use to be Double Deck.

[SandyDrew]

RE: First Manchester

(01/09/2015 20:51)Dentonian Wrote:  Were Ribble owned by Stagecoach then - and certainly nothing to do with Stagecoach Manchester. Even their first incarnation wasn't until the early 1990s when they joined with Finglands to compete with GMBS on the 192.

Besides, before de-reg, the vast majority of Routes in GM were operated with 'deckers - certainly major trunk routes such as 582. Single-deckers were largely the preserve of low usage local routes or routes with low bridges.

The first Stagecoach Manchester incarnation was a trading style of Ribble, before being sold to Finglands so that Stagecoach (group) could buy GM South (sorry if you already knew that).

[WhiteVanMan]

RE: First Manchester

(01/09/2015 22:19)SandyDrew Wrote:  The first Stagecoach Manchester incarnation was a trading style of Ribble, before being sold to Finglands so that Stagecoach (group) could buy GM South (sorry if you already knew that).

Correct.

[citario]

RE: First Manchester
53144 appeared on the 149 today.
Sam

[SF07]

RE: First Manchester
Change vouchers will be launched on all First services from 20 September:

http://www.firstgroup.com/greater-manche...ge-voucher