(09/02/2021 21:37)dounowhoiam Wrote: [ -> ]I know that this would be useful as when D&G briefly had the 130 between Airport and Wilmslow it was being used between these points including with SystemOne and concessionary holders.
Given you often refer to not wanting to see taxpayers money subside loss making bus services, I'm surprised you decided to bring up the 130 Manchester Airport to Macclesfield. D&G took the unprecedented step of publicly blaming the lack of patronage on the 130 for not only cancelling the 130 but also cutting back other services at the same time. There were peak time buses running between Manchester Airport and Wilmslow without a single passenger on board.
In my experience there was passengers when it was between Airport and Wilmslow. Whilst it probably didn't have enough to merit continued commercial usage, to have the 88 serve the Airport it would give them passengers back a service that links the two areas.
My main point was that the 288 and 88 duplicate most of the route, and that driver resources could be taken from the Altrincham - Airport element of the route and used for the East - Didsbury section instead; with the 88 having an extra connection.
I understand that routes need subsidising, and that franchising the profits made from this can be used to subsidise the route rather than the likes of Stagecoach generating a lot of profit on the daytime route but then still expecting taxpayer money for evening services (where they tend to use Dayriders bought earlier in the day).
The 130 was dead long before D&G's ill fated attempt to serve MIA. The never ending roadworks on the A34 and the Airport surrounds killed it. All the 'improvement' benefit went to the Airport, with nothing whatsoever to help the bus services that suffered from it. Unreliability because of this drove passengers away. Those same 'road improvement' works saw off the 200 before it, despite the operators best efforts to run it reliably. That combined with the spectacular disinterest by Cheshire East Council and Arriva's managed decline has resulted in what we have now.
Cancellation of the 288 from D&G Bus today on the Vehicle Operator Licensing site suggests that Go Goodwins will be taking over the full service of the 288. Nothing yet for the 88 from D&G or anything from Go Goodwins/Little Gem Bus for the new registrations.
PC1090231/138 Cancelled
D & G BUS LIMITED
Route: Manchester Airport Bus Station to Altrincham Interchange
Service number: 288
Service type: Normal Stopping
Effective date: 11 Apr 2021
D&G revised the 88 registration last April to NOT include the evening and Sunday Altrincham-Wilmslow 88 shorts. They've not been reinstated since.
(08/02/2021 23:12)Citibus Wrote: [ -> ]VDL SB180 MCV Evolution B34F were at the depot the other day
YJ62 JWF
YJ62 JWL
YJ62 JXG
YJ62 JXW
most recently with Arriva fleets, i think in all over white, not standard fleet livery.
two of these are now WEZ552 & WEZ553 - i think!
WEZ 553 on the 84A today
(09/03/2021 12:52)PSbusdriver Wrote: [ -> ]WEZ553 on the 84A again today, carrying number 1963EC.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/ps_bus_dri...018459993/
Based on how it's presented with the recent repaint and the number plate that doesn't reveal it's age I have no idea how old that vehicle is or isn't and the I guess the average passenger won't know how old the bus is, even if they pick up on the bus design being a bit less modern looking than some others around such as an Enviro 200 MMC.
At least 5 ex Arriva London dual-door envrio 200s have arrived for the new tendered services. One of which is LJ09 KPF