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Been reported by the local newspapers that the new Labour/Independent coalition running Cheshire East council are to organise a new bus review, with an aspiration to improve peak time services.

(20/06/2019 18:26)knutstransport Wrote: [ -> ]Been reported by the local newspapers that the new Labour/Independent coalition running Cheshire East council are to organise a new bus review, with an aspiration to improve peak time services.

I hope there is another review to reverse some of the mess from the last one. Labour councils though are not great at running buses. They are good at reviews and asking but not amazing at doing.

(21/06/2019 12:33)iMarkeh Wrote: [ -> ]I hope there is another review to reverse some of the mess from the last one. Labour councils though are not great at running buses. They are good at reviews and asking but not amazing at doing.

They do have to work with a number of independents in order to have control of the council, so they need to keep them on side.

(21/06/2019 16:22)knutstransport Wrote: [ -> ]They do have to work with a number of independents in order to have control of the council, so they need to keep them on side.

I hope they do put some new routes in. With CEC and CWACC both being Labour, perhaps they will try and work together on some routes to make the cross border routes cost less to each council.

So many routes which could be started in Cheshire East. I look forward to seeing if this review happens. Surely things can't get worse than they are already!

(21/06/2019 19:40)iMarkeh Wrote: [ -> ]I hope they do put some new routes in. With CEC and CWACC both being Labour, perhaps they will try and work together on some routes to make the cross border routes cost less to each council.

So many routes which could be started in Cheshire East. I look forward to seeing if this review happens. Surely things can't get worse than they are already!

Its alright saying start new routes , but there also has to be the passengers to use them , these passengers are slowly migrating to cars , its that drain to the car , that these reviews have to be addressing and looking at the flows across the county as a whole

(23/06/2019 07:52)wirralbus Wrote: [ -> ]Its alright saying start new routes , but there also has to be the passengers to use them , these passengers are slowly migrating to cars , its that drain to the car , that these reviews have to be addressing and looking at the flows across the county as a whole

Unfortunately the perfect storm has already passed through, with the neglect and disinterest of the previous administration, all but destroying confidence and usage in what services their were. I suspect there's no going back.

Only thing i would ask if where are Labour going to find the money to fund extra Peak Services (Or anything else for that matter!). Bus funding has been cut repeatedly since 2010.

(23/06/2019 07:52)wirralbus Wrote: [ -> ]Its alright saying start new routes , but there also has to be the passengers to use them , these passengers are slowly migrating to cars , its that drain to the car , that these reviews have to be addressing and looking at the flows across the county as a whole

One thing that needs to be considered is who the market for the bus service is. The existing Macclesfield Hospital services (both 88 and 130) really cater for those who have hospital appointments, rather than NHS workers - who might have early starts or late finishes, or those who want to visit someone in hospital during the evening visitor hours after work. Surely the NHS workers are the ones who are the more lucrative market as they will be making numerous return journeys most weeks.

Likewise with any public transport to airports - it seems long distance travellers who might make one return journey per year are catered for better than local commuters. Warrington has only recently got a direct train to Manchester Airport, while Newcastle and Middlesbrough have had one for a long time.

(23/06/2019 09:05)T42 PVM Wrote: [ -> ]Only thing i would ask if where are Labour going to find the money to fund extra Peak Services (Or anything else for that matter!). Bus funding has been cut repeatedly since 2010.

Well an improved 88 Altrincham-Macclesfield service could eliminate the need to run a 188 (one 88 in each direction could do a short diversion off the normal route) and also to run a Knutsford Academy to Over Peover bus.

(23/06/2019 09:25)knutstransport Wrote: [ -> ]One thing that needs to be considered is who the market for the bus service is. The existing Macclesfield Hospital services (both 88 and 130) really cater for those who have hospital appointments, rather than NHS workers - who might have early starts or late finishes, or those who want to visit someone in hospital during the evening visitor hours after work. Surely the NHS workers are the ones who are the more lucrative market as they will be making numerous return journeys most weeks.

Likewise with any public transport to airports - it seems long distance travellers who might make one return journey per year are catered for better than local commuters. Warrington has only recently got a direct train to Manchester Airport, while Newcastle and Middlesbrough have had one for a long time.

There is also a problem as usually when the Hospital workers are going into work for an early and coming home from work , there is little other traffic around , hence that is why the commercial bus services invariably operate during the day when most of the bus travellers travel. Without some form of funding you cant improve services at the most socially dependant times.