Mikros have registered a replacement 78 service which will run to practically the same timings as the current D&G service, apart from arriving 1 minute later at Nantwich Bus Station.
There's a lack of information on either the D&G or Cheshire East site about what's going to happen to the 88/88A/89 while the B5085 is closed between 09:30 and 15:30 for resurfacing for up to 2 weeks starting on Wednesday.
Cheshire East Council has produced another error free leaflet for the new 88/89 timetable - not! The 16:50 Altrincham to Macclesfield is shown as an 88/89 service despite not being a Northwich service. Also the changes on the front cover don't mention the withdrawal of the last 89 Knutsford to Northwich service, the addition of a later Knutsford to Macclesfield service or that all services are re-timed. It just says 88A withdrawn, 88 re-routed via Longridge and 188 unchanged.
For any Knutsford residents (particularly those in Over ward) wanting to comment on the new timetable or bus services in general in Knutsford there's a drop in session on Saturday 21st July at 10am:
http://www.knutsfordguardian.co.uk/news/...n-session/
Changes to the D&G Bus fleet:
Withdrawn, formerly at Adderley Green:
1 YX12 AOF Alexander Dennis Enviro 200 10.2m
2 YX12 AON Alexander Dennis Enviro 200 10.2m
163 PL05 PLO Dennis Dart (East Lancs Myllenium)
181 CNZ 2250 Transbus Dart (Pointer MPD)
Withdrawn, formerly at Crewe:
147 YG52 EVY DAF SB200 (Wright Commander)
148 YJ53 VDT DAF SB200 (Wright Commander)
149 YJ07 JWD VDL SB200 (Plaxton Centro)
Moved from Crewe to Adderley Green
121 YN03 NDL Optare Solo M920
132 YJ60 GDK VDL SB180 (MCV Evolution)
133 YJ60 GGV VDL SB180 (MCV Evolution)
Moved from Adderley Green to Crewe
32 SL64 JGU Alexander Dennis Enviro 200 10.8m
33 SL64 JGV Alexander Dennis Enviro 200 10.8m
118 YX59 BXY Alexander Dennis Enviro 200 10.8m
137 YJ55 BHN Optare Solo M990
138 YJ55 BHO Optare Solo M990
139 YJ55 BHP Optare Solo M990
140 YJ55 BHU Optare Solo M990
141 YJ55 BHV Optare Solo M990
Route 318 Alsager to Congleton is also now run by Crewe depot.
Some of the early 88 services didn't run this morning - not a good start to the reduced timetable. Judging by the mid-morning loadings on the 88 D&G are going to need to find bigger buses to run the route now it's only 1 bus an hour through Over Ward, when it used to be 4 earlier in the year (2 x 300 and 2 x 88.) They are using 3 x standard Solos and 1 x Streetlite on the 88 today.
It seems the problem wasn't so much services not running on the 88 but drivers expected to take the new 88 route when they hadn't previously worked the former 88A or 300 routes or received any additional training. End result drivers going the wrong way or being directed by passengers!
They seem to be sticking to using 3 x 28 seater Solos and 1 slightly bigger bus on the 88 route. On Monday and Tuesday the slightly bigger bus was a 33 seater Streetlite which ran services including the 10:30 Knutsford to Altrincham (the first Altrincham bound service accepting ENCTS from Knutsford bus station), the 16:55 Knutsford to Macclesfield and 18:05 Macclesfield to Knutsford. Today the bigger bus is a 35 seater SR and was on the Macclesfield workings AM peak today and will be on the 17:35 Knutsford to Altrincham if they don't swap it. It used to be usually two Streetlites or Solo SRs under the old timetable. Not sure if they can think they can get away with a reduced service and smaller buses due to the school holiday or whether someone in their planning department has given Wincham an inappropriate allocation now the 288 and 270 have been merged and the 88A has been withdrawn. I'd be very surprised if a 28 seater Solo on the 07:00 Altrincham to Knutsford can fit everyone on every day when Knutsford Academy returns - that service will pick up between around 7 and 20 school pupils on Longridge, depending on weather conditions (more walk in good weather) and that's ignoring school pupils that might board elsewhere, someone reported the other day almost every seat was filled on the 07:00 when it was being operated by an ex-Go Goodwins Solo on the first day of the school holidays.
Gutted they've withdrawn 163, was always a pleasure to travel on. The dart CNZ 2250 however was a bit shagged out so had had its day.
D&G are to start running a new Biddulph service under contract from Staffordshire CC next week:
http://dgbus.co.uk/assets/93_2018-08-06.pdf For some reason they'll be operating it from the Crewe depot, judging by the times it looks like a service which will be operated using the same vehicle as a school/college service.
The Plaxton Centro (149) has re-entered service at Adderley Green.