Greater Manchester Service Changes

[knutstransport]

RE: Greater Manchester Service Changes

(02/08/2021 22:45)dounowhoiam Wrote:  From my personal experience of the 130, it has picked up the patronage to hold itself well between the Handforth - Macclesfield section.

With regards to viability it's not just the number of passengers - pass holders and children generate less revenue than passengers paying full adult fare. While someone holding a weekly season and commuting from Wilmslow to Macclesfield 5 times a week, would generate less revenue than 10 job seekers all making one return journey per fortnight to the job centre.

I hope passenger numbers have improved since April, with restrictions being lifted. On Saturday afternoon I saw an 88 bus drop off 8 passengers at an unmarked bus stop in Knutsford, during lockdown the bus wouldn't have even had 8 passengers on board.

Quote:With many frequent buses (such as the 11, 101 and 43) running between Wythenshawe Hospital, Interchange and the Airport (and a direct hourly 18 service) if any changes are made to save costs it should be cut to just the Airport and Macclesfield with the savings transferred to a Saturday service being introduced.

Not sure what you mean about Saturday service being introduced, do you mean the existing Macclesfield-Handforth service being extended to Wythenshawe on Saturdays too? I would have thought there would be less demand for Wythenshawe on Saturdays - fewer hospital appointments and the job centre being closed.

The imminent question is whether the 130 will change so that it doesn't compete with the new X1 between Macclesfield and Manchester via the airport, given that councils can't legally use taxpayers money to subside a bus service with competes with a commercial one. With various town and parish councils providing money towards the service it might be changing the route would upset one town or parish council, who could then withdraw their share of funding, which then puts the whole route up for review. If I was a local councillor for Handforth then I would certainly not see Handforth as an acceptable place to terminate Cheshire bus services such as the 130 and to not have them making connections to Greater Manchester services such as the 42C.

If the 130 remains as it is then the question next year will a new contract be awarded and what form does it take.

Quote:Weekend travel on public transport is increasing more than commuter travel (and sadly the 130 in GM hasn't been timed well for commuter use), which does open up travel not just for concessionary travel but also paying customers like myself.

I think one of the issues with leisure travel generally is it can be weather dependent.

Quote:I've used the X57 to Sheffield commute, but it's 2 hourly frequency and higher expense fare from Manchester / Airport (rather than Glossop where I can still use System One on other buses to there) doesn't make it a viable frequent method to travel instead of what is currently on offer.

They appear to be trying to offer a low cost alternative to trains. Offering railcard discounts on bus tickets is unusual, as is a bus operator partnering with a holiday company selling package holidays from Manchester Airport. The buses from Manchester Airport generally tend to focus more on the commuter market with it being TPE who try to market the holiday makers with things like flexible Advances, which can be used on the next train if your flight is delayed.