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They were bought to replace the optare metroriders on the penketh circs if memory serves me right but the penketh circs services have changed lately as they dont have as many variations now i think.

(17/10/2015 07:54)motormayhem1 Wrote: [ -> ]They were bought to replace the optare metroriders on the penketh circs if memory serves me right but the penketh circs services have changed lately as they dont have as many variations now i think.

You're absolutely right.
The Solos were also originally used on the 29 when it was a much more frequent service.

Wonder if the 11A/12A are to get a full size vehicle then.
Tbh I wouldn't be too surprised if they were withdrawn because the 10C covers the Lower Walton parts hourly (is that frequent enough?) and there's no need for 11A/12A to go down Knutsford Road since that's well covered by the 1/2.

(16/10/2015 19:15)Lynx Wrote: [ -> ]Be nice if Halton bought them to replace there clapped out examples.

That's what the 'new' Dennis Dart 8.8/10.7m are for...

(17/10/2015 20:16)Raawwwrrr! Wrote: [ -> ]That's what the 'new' Dennis Dart 8.8/10.7m are for...

The 8.8m ones where bought for the 200 after the lease on the Fiat minibuses expired.

Not sure if anyone is interested, but from observations these seem to be the general patterns which vehicles follow on Sundays, where SS[XX-YY] means service number SS leaves town at XX past the hour and returns at YY.

19[52-58] -> 28[07-47]

21[30-01] -> 6C[10-45] -> 3[50-25]

21A[00-34] -> 2[40-08] -> 30[13-40] -> 20[45-16] -> 22[20-22] -> 15[27-05] -> 1[10-36] -> 26/27[41-10] -> 20A[15-49] -> 17[55-36] -> 16[45-10] -> 3[20-55]
(Though sometimes a 16 will go back in the pattern and go onto a 20A, when assumedly a 26/27 goes onto a 3).

The 5's do not interwork generally, though the first 5 of the day does drift off onto the 21/6C/3 pattern.

^^^^

Absolutely spot on

From the VOSA thread, the mini bus war isn't over yet, with GHA registering a 46 Northwich - Warrington - Gemini from 14th December.

Buses will still be pretty much empty. Majority of our users use the Touch and Go passes or Day Rovers. If GHA are to take this seriously they need to offer more of a network in the town for it to truly work...

The GHA 16 never has more than 2 on at a time..

(21/10/2015 20:54)RSTurbo50 Wrote: [ -> ]Buses will still be pretty much empty. Majority of our users use the Touch and Go passes or Day Rovers. If GHA are to take this seriously they need to offer more of a network in the town for it to truly work...

The GHA 16 never has more than 2 on at a time..

It seems that frequency of service is the most important point in the town, as competitors only seem to do well when they match Network Warrington's frequencies.
Of course, this is easiest to do on the least frequent and the shortest services.
Fairbrothers's 21X doesn't seem to have taken off and neither does GHA's 16(A), but the two companies have done okay on the routes where they have matched the frequencies.

I for one am kind of surprised that no-one has tried to compete on the 5 during the day since Warrington Coachways went, with half of Warrington's now running as service 35 instead and picking up virtually no-one on the 35-specific section of the route.

The 5 is an extremely busy service and yes im suprised nobody else has decided to give competition. I heard a rumour that GHA were registering a 5, would make sense with their links to Altrincham but nothing has happened yet.

The Solos are up for sale as they are no longer required. They ran on the 11's, 12's, 31's and 02 contract but now VDL's are used on the 11/12 service occassionally and with the 31 and 02 gone, they are just surplus to requirements.

There are no plans to buy anymore deckers at this time.

Bus 155 has had a new hydraulic pump fitted, used to be able to wake the dead with that thing but now, unfortunately, its much quieter..