Forum | Merseyside Dennis Dart Website

Why isn't Merseytravel stepping in to provide some sort of service, especially those who need to get to work or hospitals etc. They provide FREE bus services on Christmas day which see minimal use. It costs a fortune on Boxing Day and New Year's Day to get in a tax.

(14/12/2023 11:56)moreton407 Wrote: [ -> ]Why isn't Merseytravel stepping in to provide some sort of service, especially those who need to get to work or hospitals etc. They provide FREE bus services on Christmas day which see minimal use. It costs a fortune on Boxing Day and New Year's Day to get in a tax.

Simple answer. Politics and stupid people in the organisation who couldn't organise a party (for a better word) in a brewery. Overpaid, underskilled staff who are basically unsackable because it's a shambles of a public organisation.

Just been reading the Christmas booklet on the Merseytravel website and the Boxing day and New year day timetables seem to have been massively increased based on previous arriva and Stagecoach news.
Seems sense has prevailed woop

(14/12/2023 14:55)mr t Wrote: [ -> ]Just been reading the Christmas booklet on the Merseytravel website and the Boxing day and New year day timetables seem to have been massively increased based on previous arriva and Stagecoach news.
Seems sense has prevailed woop

I dont see improvements, I just see St Helens, Wrirral & Southport left with almost no Services on Boxing & New Years Day

Lets bring our local buses under local authority control, do you think we would get bus services on boxing day and new years day? If they can't organise a bus service on Boxing Day or New Years day how will they organise a region wide bus service?

That's one point of view. As a matter of interest, which political party would you like to see in power within the LCR?

Until franchising is introduced the two main operators can make commercial decisions as to when or when not to run a service on any day of the year. Are you suggesting that Merseytravel should heavily subsidise routes that are not deemed commercially viable?

Also, for those of us with long memories, prior to 1986 when buses were under public control most services actually ran on Christmas Day as well as Boxing Day and New Year's Day.

(14/12/2023 14:55)mr t Wrote: [ -> ]Just been reading the Christmas booklet on the Merseytravel website and the Boxing day and New year day timetables seem to have been massively increased based on previous arriva and Stagecoach news.
Seems sense has prevailed woop

What are these increases in service then, as all i see is a dramatic decrease in services on Boxing Day/New Years Day, with areas left with no bus service whatsoever when last year they had a bus service.

Stagecoach operating 1/X1, 10A, 14A, 17/17A, 19, 20, 21, 31/32/33, 41/42, 53, 82, 86, 471/472 & A1 Amazon on Boxing Day, with no services other than 31/32/33, 917 & Soccerbus on New Year's Day

Arriva are only operating 10B, 12, 13, 26, 27, 56, 58A, 166, 188, 201 and 204, on both days, with no services in Wirral, St Helens & Southport

Oh & this from Stagecoach

*Arriva passes will not be valid on Stagecoach services that are part of the Quality Bus Network partnership (Boxing Day Only).

https://www.stagecoachbus.com/promos-and...r-services

Last year it was a Sunday service, & most routes operated until 7pm

Here's the service level provided over the festive season from last year

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-4Yu-aq...J07AA/view

(16/12/2023 08:19)MTL0201 Wrote: [ -> ]What are these increases in service then, as all i see is a dramatic decrease in services on Boxing Day/New Years Day, with areas left with no bus service whatsoever when last year they had a bus service.

Stagecoach operating 1/X1, 10A, 14A, 17/17A, 19, 20, 21, 31/32/33, 41/42, 53, 82, 86, 471/472 & A1 Amazon on Boxing Day, with no services other than 31/32/33, 917 & Soccerbus on New Year's Day

Arriva are only operating 10B, 12, 13, 26, 27, 56, 58A, 166, 188, 201 and 204, on both days, with no services in Wirral, St Helens & Southport

Oh & this from Stagecoach

*Arriva passes will not be valid on Stagecoach services that are part of the Quality Bus Network partnership (Boxing Day Only).

https://www.stagecoachbus.com/promos-and...r-services

Last year it was a Sunday service, & most routes operated until 7pm

Here's the service level provided over the festive season from last year

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-4Yu-aq...J07AA/view

Most of the 'Arriva' services are in fact Merseytravel services and are running because they are being subsidised.

As I posted earlier, it will now be a few years before the two main players will be obliged to run services over the festive period.

(15/12/2023 21:38)Barney Wrote: [ -> ]That's one point of view. As a matter of interest, which political party would you like to see in power within the LCR?

Until franchising is introduced the two main operators can make commercial decisions as to when or when not to run a service on any day of the year. Are you suggesting that Merseytravel should heavily subsidise routes that are not deemed commercially viable?

Also, for those of us with long memories, prior to 1986 when buses were under public control most services actually ran on Christmas Day as well as Boxing Day and New Year's Day.

Merseytravel are subsidising FREE Christmas day bus services - are these commercially viable?

How much did the recent consultation into bringing all bus services under Merseytravel cost? How much does it cost to run bus services that trundle around carrying fresh air?

We could go on about this forever and a day but nothing will ever change. Not from private bus companies, not from Merseytravel, not from the local mayor/council and not from national government - no matter what party it is.

I'm afraid anyone who thinks franchising will make festive period services any better is mistaken. Merseytravel's tendered bus network is a disorganised, illogical mess and they have wasted countless tens of millions of taxpayer money. Franchising is going to cost this city region over £500 million, plus nearly £300 million in loan servicing payments, for what benefit? None. There is zero evidence to suggest Merseytravel and a bunch of unqualified, clueless politicians can do any better than Arriva, Stagecoach. It's about control and boosting egos, pure and simple. Franchising will not improve the lives of anyone in this city region, something Rotheram evidently has little to no interest in doing.