GHA Group (Bryn Melyn, Vale Travel + Others)

[djb]

RE: GHA Group (Bryn Melyn, Vale Travel + Others)

(13/10/2016 08:24)knutstransport Wrote:  I don't think it's surprising some routes have gone back to their old operators. I found it more amusing that the 300 Saturday service and the 37 evening service were awarded to GHA but they never started running those services due to a lack of resources!

The 82 is a Cheshire West service and I think their emergency contracts lasted for longer than the Cheshire East ones.

While there's been comparisons to how the new timetables compare to the old GHA timetables, how do the new timetables compare to the pre-GHA timetables? For instance, the 82 was hourly under Arriva pre-GHA and is currently hourly under Arriva so while there has been a cutback over how it was recently it appears to be the same level of service as it was historically. The D&G 88 service will be an overall improvement on the pre-GHA timetable but the 27 and 289 are both reduced services compared to both what GHA operated and what the level of service was pre-GHA. I've not heard many complaints about the recent 289 cutbacks and the ones I heard related as much to a lack of notice about the timetable being changed as the cutback. However, I have heard a lot of complaints about the recent 27 cutbacks and that some people travel indirectly via Stockport by train because the bus doesn't run at the times they need to travel, which costs them a fortune in relation to how far Macclesfield and Knutsford are apart.

Regards the 27, as we've discussed previously a return to an hourly service in the short term is unlikely.

What's your take on curtailing the interpeak service at monks Heath? Would enable an hourly service between there and knutsford at the hours that gha offered it, and could be timed to get a connection with the short 130 that starts soon. The peak time service could stay as it is now, as it's been like that for a while, and the 130 isn't clockfaced in the peaks.

Upside - an hourly bus based connection.
Downside - changing buses, lack of interoperator ticketing.

[knutstransport]

RE: GHA Group (Bryn Melyn, Vale Travel + Others)

(13/10/2016 13:11)djb Wrote:  Regards the 27, as we've discussed previously a return to an hourly service in the short term is unlikely.

What's your take on curtailing the interpeak service at monks Heath? Would enable an hourly service between there and knutsford at the hours that gha offered it, and could be timed to get a connection with the short 130 that starts soon. The peak time service could stay as it is now, as it's been like that for a while, and the 130 isn't clockfaced in the peaks.

Upside - an hourly bus based connection.
Downside - changing buses, lack of interoperator ticketing.

I'm not sure I understand what you're suggesting. Are you saying an hourly Knutsford-Over Peover-Monks Heath service? If so why not Knutsford-Macclesfield Hospital (direct) which would have an approx 25 minute journey time? Either way if a 5 year contract has just been awarded for a Knutsford to Macclesfield service your suggested curtailing isn't going to happen any time soon. Even if an operator registered it as a commercial service (very unlikely) I don't think it could cause the contracted service to be cancelled as there would be journeys the commercial service wouldn't cover.

The current 27 service suggests Cheshire East don't appreciate how many people commute to Knutsford for jobs or appreciate the types of business that exist and the hours they work. There are many businesses in the digital industry in Macclesfield (it's one of the main industries in Macclesfield.) These types of business see a Mon-Fri 9-5 working day is seen as outdated in a world where consumers use the internet 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.

As for changing in general Northwich, Knutsford and Hale have an hourly service to Manchester even at peak times with the peak time extras only going as far as Stockport. If you look at passenger loadings most people wanting Manchester go for the direct services especially southbound where a missed connection could leave you with a long wait for the next service.

[djb]

RE: GHA Group (Bryn Melyn, Vale Travel + Others)

(13/10/2016 14:13)knutstransport Wrote:  I'm not sure I understand what you're suggesting. Are you saying an hourly Knutsford-Over Peover-Monks Heath service? If so why not Knutsford-Macclesfield Hospital (direct) which would have an approx 25 minute journey time? Either way if a 5 year contract has just been awarded for a Knutsford to Macclesfield service your suggested curtailing isn't going to happen any time soon. Even if an operator registered it as a commercial service (very unlikely) I don't think it could cause the contracted service to be cancelled as there would be journeys the commercial service wouldn't cover.

The current 27 service suggests Cheshire East don't appreciate how many people commute to Knutsford for jobs or appreciate the types of business that exist and the hours they work. There are many businesses in the digital industry in Macclesfield (it's one of the main industries in Macclesfield.) These types of business see a Mon-Fri 9-5 working day is seen as outdated in a world where consumers use the internet 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.

As for changing in general Northwich, Knutsford and Hale have an hourly service to Manchester even at peak times with the peak time extras only going as far as Stockport. If you look at passenger loadings most people wanting Manchester go for the direct services especially southbound where a missed connection could leave you with a long wait for the next service.

What i was trying to do was start a discussion about ways of improving a route that you clearly care about, when there is no money in the pot to provide an extra bus. Its not just enthusiasts that read forums, and you never know quite where an idea starts. You seem to know a lot about the route, hence my enquiry about whether a higher frequency but with a connecting service would be preferable.

To clarify, what i meant was to curtail the service off peak only, to run between Knutsford and Monks heath only. At the timetable frequency gha provided. This could be operated by the existing 27 bus.

Anyone wishing to travel beyond monks heath would have to change onto the 130 off peak, but the timetable would be written to allow connections.

Although there is running time for a macc hospital to knutsford service, it would not allow time for peover diversions, or would create a non clockface timetable.

The peak service would run at existing times.

A contracted service can be altered as long as it doesnt adversely affect the operator, and the provider deems it to offer better provision (or value).

[knutstransport]

RE: GHA Group (Bryn Melyn, Vale Travel + Others)

(13/10/2016 15:12)djb Wrote:  To clarify, what i meant was to curtail the service off peak only, to run between Knutsford and Monks heath only. At the timetable frequency gha provided. This could be operated by the existing 27 bus.

Anyone wishing to travel beyond monks heath would have to change onto the 130 off peak, but the timetable would be written to allow connections.

I think that would be a non-starter due to the number of people travelling to the hospital from Knutsford and Chelford and the fact that most of them aren't young and fit.

Quote:when there is no money in the pot to provide an extra bus
...
it would not allow time for peover diversions

I wonder if anyone at TSS (Cheshire East) remembered why they introduced a new subsided school bus between Over Peover and Knutsford Academy a couple of years ago when they were writing the OJEU for the new tenders? Previously those schoolkids got the 27 arriving at Knutsford bus station at around 08:25 and the one leaving at around 15:45 but when High Peak trialled a commercial 27 service up to every 90 minutes using a single bus it was not deemed acceptable for the schoolkids to have to get to Knutsford at 07:25 and leave at 16:45 so a designated school bus was introduced.

I also wonder if the withdrawing the 27B service has resulted in more older people and those with limited mobility on the outskirts of Knutsford relying on the subsided D&G Little Bus service to make essential trips.

Living in Knutsford the main reasons I don't use the Macclesfield bus for more leisure trips are:
1. Lower frequency than train services to other towns.
2. Timings not competitive. Including walking distance to the bus stop/station Altrincham is around 30 minutes from my house by public transport while Macclesfield is up to around 60 minutes, so a return trip to Macclesfield takes up an hour more of my day than one to Altrincham. While the Macclesfield bus would never be as fast as the Altrincham train, reducing the difference would make the bus more attractive especially as there's more to see and do in Macclesfield than Altrincham.

[mikestone]

RE: GHA Group (Bryn Melyn, Vale Travel + Others)
Is Knutsford perhaps the largest place not served by any of the major groups (assuming TrentBarton counts)?

[knutstransport]

RE: GHA Group (Bryn Melyn, Vale Travel + Others)
D&G changes relating to the new Cheshire East contracts are now on VOSA, so it's just a couple of the smaller operators who haven't had registrations/timetable amendments approved yet.

[mikestone]

RE: GHA Group (Bryn Melyn, Vale Travel + Others)
I don't think d&g have registered the 99 yet?
;
Hollinsheads advertised on facebook for drivers some time ago!

[knutstransport]

RE: GHA Group (Bryn Melyn, Vale Travel + Others)

(14/10/2016 17:26)mikestone Wrote:  I don't think d&g have registered the 99 yet?

Yes I missed that one. D&G have put on their website it'll be operated by their Adderley Green depot so it might go through as a West Midlands registration rather than a North West one.

[mikestone]

RE: GHA Group (Bryn Melyn, Vale Travel + Others)
It surely must be published in the TA it runs in, regardless of the licence - perhaps it might have to be agreed by both to go in at short notice?

[knutstransport]

RE: GHA Group (Bryn Melyn, Vale Travel + Others)

(14/10/2016 17:26)mikestone Wrote:  Hollinsheads advertised on facebook for drivers some time ago!

D&G Bus, Springfield and High Peak all have live adverts for drivers on the Job Centre website.