Stagecoach MCSL - Chester & Wirral Depots

[mbonwick]

RE: Stagecoach Chester & Wirral
Dentonian - have to say I agree with your point. One would hope what actually happens is that the Scanias are transferred to Preston, with their Enviro400s moving to Gillmoss. Somehow I doube this will happen though.

[H101GEV (Administrator)]

RE: Stagecoach Chester & Wirral
I understand they plan to "renew" Gillmoss' double deck fleet this year, but it needs to be a lot more than just a like-for-like swap of the current, pathetic token allocation. Frankly to have neither the 20/21 nor the 14 double decked is absolutely scandalous given how long the overcrowding has been an issue for. The 59 plates are of a reasonable age and were all 24 to pass to Gillmoss, a full conversion of the 14 at least would be possible, not that it would happen.

At least with the 14 there's always the chance that Arriva will actually bother to order correct sized buses. Anyway, I digress.

[E400]

RE: Stagecoach Chester & Wirral

(09/04/2015 21:19)507009 Wrote:  I understand they plan to "renew" Gillmoss' double deck fleet this year, but it needs to be a lot more than just a like-for-like swap of the current, pathetic token allocation. Frankly to have neither the 20/21 nor the 14 double decked is absolutely scandalous given how long the overcrowding has been an issue for. The 59 plates are of a reasonable age and were all 24 to pass to Gillmoss, a full conversion of the 14 at least would be possible, not that it would happen.

At least with the 14 there's always the chance that Arriva will actually bother to order correct sized buses. Anyway, I digress.

It comes across as if Stagecoach aren't "pulling their weight". They could, nay, should, be doing a lot more. Arriva's fleet isn't even comparable to what it was just 4 or 5 years ago; SC are just stagnating. I'm sure they won't end up the same way as First did in Wirral, but they're heading the right way.

[mbonwick]

RE: Stagecoach Chester & Wirral
Not sure how 90-odd new vehicles since 2010 can be seen as stagnating - bearing in mind that's only 1 depot. A further 13 this year will take them over 100 vehicles in 5 years - so on average 20/year. I'd still say that's pretty good going.

[E400]

RE: Stagecoach Chester & Wirral

(09/04/2015 23:51)mbonwick Wrote:  Not sure how 90-odd new vehicles since 2010 can be seen as stagnating - bearing in mind that's only 1 depot. A further 13 this year will take them over 100 vehicles in 5 years - so on average 20/year. I'd still say that's pretty good going.

They're going nowhere with it though. How much has capacity increased? Particularly in Liverpool where a good proportion of their single deck allocations are unsuitable.

[Barney]

RE: Stagecoach Chester & Wirral

(10/04/2015 06:35)Enviro400 Wrote:  They're going nowhere with it though. How much has capacity increased? Particularly in Liverpool where a good proportion of their single deck allocations are unsuitable.

GM's fleet is totally unrecognisable compared to the one it inherited in 2005. With the exception of the dozen or so Tridents, all permanent allocations have been brand new buses. Having said that, I am sure that anybody following this thread from outside of this region would be amazed to learn that its only allocation of deckers are the aforementioned 15-year-old Tridents (with cherished registrations to disguise their true age). GM has a PVR of over 110, serves some of the lowest car-owning areas in the UK - many routes with 5/6 minute frequencies - and must be unique in the SC empire regarding its vehicle profile.

[Barney]

RE: Stagecoach Chester & Wirral

(10/04/2015 08:10)Dentonian Wrote:  The 5/6 minute frequencies may be deemed suitable. Also, if MSL have the same attitude as Stagecoach (and others) in Gtr. Manchester, then "low car ownership" translates as "potentially massive increase in car ownership = decrease in patronage". Except where "KickStart" had failed, the January cuts by Stagecoach Manchester were almost exclusively in low car ownership areas.

I assure you, there is no "potentially massive increase in car ownership" in the areas that GM operates. Many single-deckers run close to capacity during the day and it is this that probably is probably putting off potential passengers. Also, did you know that Liverpool has more black hackney licences per head of population than London and that the largest independent private hire 'mini cab' firm in Europe operates on Merseyside. It is these two factors that create the competition for SC and other bus operators.

[H101GEV (Administrator)]

RE: Stagecoach Chester & Wirral

(10/04/2015 06:35)Enviro400 Wrote:  They're going nowhere with it though. How much has capacity increased? Particularly in Liverpool where a good proportion of their single deck allocations are unsuitable.

Fully agree. I think the short answer is "new doesn't necessarily mean better". It says something that the Enviro400s on the 10/10A seem much more of an improvement on Pulsars than the Pulsars were on the previous rag-bag collection of older single deckers.

On my local route there is the choice between Arriva and Stagecoach, the former with leather seated double deckers and the latter with cramped, creaky single deckers. I hardly need to explain further why I haven't used Stagecoach despite having the choice for well over a year.

[PO59 MXJ]

RE: Stagecoach Chester & Wirral
I think the only routes in Gillmoss that would get deckers are the 20/21 and 82/86. I think the 19s need bigger buses than darts, but wouldnt go as far as deckers. The rest of the routes dont require deckers apart from maybe 1 or 2 trips at peak times.

[T42 PVM (Moderator)]

RE: Stagecoach Chester & Wirral
You need to take a look at the 14, Thats always busy when i get it, I agree fully on your 19 point tho