Cheshire East proposed funding cuts

[knutstransport]

RE: Cheshire East proposed funding cuts
Final timetables which are to be put out to tender have been published. There's a few timing related changes as a result of the consultation to most services. They've also accepted larger vehicles will be needed on some routes due to the frequency cutbacks. The major changes are the retention of through services to Stockport via Hazel Grove and a new J route which will see the 78 route retained plus a very limited SB and 319 service.

Interesting that 7 pensioners complaining about a lunchtime driver break leaving a gap in service in the 19 route has prompted Cheshire East to take action but ignored concerns about people no longer being able to get to work as a result of cut backs to other routes.

http://moderngov.cheshireeast.gov.uk/ecM...8/Combined 2.pdf

[iMarkeh]

RE: Cheshire East proposed funding cuts
Why mess around with route numbers? No need to make them into route J or whatever .Just keep normal numbers. Adding letters can confuse people.

[wirralbus]

RE: Cheshire East proposed funding cuts
If the letter and number have a historic significance it can help , just start looking at how many old route numbers seem to be making a comeback , people can remember them better with the letter , we aint all youngsters.

[knutstransport]

RE: Cheshire East proposed funding cuts

(20/10/2017 15:17)wirralbus Wrote:  If the letter and number have a historic significance it can help , just start looking at how many old route numbers seem to be making a comeback , people can remember them better with the letter , we aint all youngsters.

At the time of bus deregulation contracted services in Cheshire all started with a letter and commercial services all had 3 digit numbers. So having all contracted services starting with a letter in some ways is going back to the old system. It should also avoid instances where an operator takes over a service and changes the route number because they already operate a service elsewhere with that number e.g. when GHA changed the number of the Macclesfield to Congleton service. However, given the routes will be different it's not possible to resurrect the old numbers from the 1990s.

In a way the numbering system will help passengers with routes which Cheshire East have over complicated e.g. at the Coach & Four in Wilmslow passengers wanting Knutsford just need to look for E at the start of the route number - it doesn't matter if it's E1 Knutsford, E1 Macclesfield or E2 Northwich shown on the display they can remember all E buses from that stop go to Knutsford.

Incidentally the thing that most annoys me about the E route (which Cheshire East have ignored from the feedback given) is taking a bus off the regular services to run a school service which then partially duplicates a regular service. Just re-route the regular service and use a bigger bus - no need to leave a huge gap in the Macclesfield to Knutsford service and run two buses between Knutsford and Mobberley at the same time!

[Barney]

RE: Cheshire East proposed funding cuts

(20/10/2017 16:10)knutstransport Wrote:  At the time of bus deregulation contracted services in Cheshire all started with a letter and commercial services all had 3 digit numbers. So having all contracted services starting with a letter in some ways is going back to the old system. It should also avoid instances where an operator takes over a service and changes the route number because they already operate a service elsewhere with that number e.g. when GHA changed the number of the Macclesfield to Congleton service. However, given the routes will be different it's not possible to resurrect the old numbers from the 1990s.

In a way the numbering system will help passengers with routes which Cheshire East have over complicated e.g. at the Coach & Four in Wilmslow passengers wanting Knutsford just need to look for E at the start of the route number - it doesn't matter if it's E1 Knutsford, E1 Macclesfield or E2 Northwich shown on the display they can remember all E buses from that stop go to Knutsford.

Incidentally the thing that most annoys me about the E route (which Cheshire East have ignored from the feedback given) is taking a bus off the regular services to run a school service which then partially duplicates a regular service. Just re-route the regular service and use a bigger bus - no need to leave a huge gap in the Macclesfield to Knutsford service and run two buses between Knutsford and Mobberley at the same time!

I may well be wrong but I always thought that prefix letters in large swathes of the north west and Wales stemmed from the practice Crosville adopted in its vast empire decades before deregulation.

[knutstransport]

RE: Cheshire East proposed funding cuts
As a summary these will be what is to go out-to-tender:

Route A Macclesfield - Prestbury (19 replacement)
PVR: 1
Minimum seating capacity of vehicle: 21

Route B Crewe - Nantwich
(39 replacement)
PVR: 1
Minimum seating capacity of vehicle: 27

Route C: Congleton - Crewe (42 and 85A replacement)
PVR: 3
Minimum seating capacity of vehicles: 35

(Route D: Buxton and Hayfield services managed by Derbyshire CC so no Cheshire East tender)

Route E Altrincham to Knutsford/Northwich/Macclesfield (27, 88, 188 and 289 replacement)
PVR: 4
Minimum seating capacity of vehicles: 39

Route F Macclesfield to Stockport via Bollington or Kerridge (P1, 11 and 392 replacement)
PVR: 3
Minimum seating capacity of vehicles: 21 and 23

Route G Nantwich services (51, 52, 53, 71,72, 73, 56, 75, 79, 83 and 89 replacement)
PVR: 2
Minimum seating capacity of vehicles: 27

Route H Congleton services (90, 91, 92
replacement)
PVR: 2
Minimum seating capacity of vehicles: 27

Route J Leighton Hospital - Alsager - Rode Heath - Congleton and Sandbach circulars (77, 78, 315, 319 and SB1-SB3 replacement)
PVR: 3
Minimum seating capacity of vehicles: 27

[knutstransport]

RE: Cheshire East proposed funding cuts

(20/10/2017 16:22)Barney Wrote:  I may well be wrong but I always thought that prefix letters in large swathes of the north west and Wales stemmed from the practice Crosville adopted in its vast empire decades before deregulation.

That probably was the case with Cheshire County Council continuing the practice initially.

[Nicholas]

RE: Cheshire East proposed funding cuts
The route identifiers might be internal references, with the winning bidder able to choose the route number. A similar practise happened in Dorset - they tendered routes that they referred to as 1 to 7, however the operators were able to select what number was used (the same as existing in 5 out of 7).

[knutstransport]

RE: Cheshire East proposed funding cuts

(20/10/2017 20:32)Nicholas Wrote:  The route identifiers might be internal references, with the winning bidder able to choose the route number. A similar practise happened in Dorset - they tendered routes that they referred to as 1 to 7, however the operators were able to select what number was used (the same as existing in 5 out of 7).

In this case they don't all have existing numbers due to part withdrawal of routes and the remaining sections being lumped together in to a new route.

I imagine it's also possible some operators will look at the proposed replacement for a service they currently operate and think "we could provide a service at least as good as that on a commercial basis", as some operators have done in the past which then gives them more flexibility over timings, the exact route etc.

[33109]

RE: Cheshire East proposed funding cuts
Route E sounds entertaining. Altrincham - macclesfield via lands end!