(28/03/2019 19:08)33109 Wrote: [ -> ]Anybody know if D&G run anywhere near little budworth or the aston estate please?
Not unless you fancy a 4 mile walk to Oakmere.
(28/03/2019 18:21)iMarkeh Wrote: [ -> ]The drivers have their break at Sainsburys
I bet drivers will miss taking their break at Sainsbury's when they have to take it at Rudheath.
(28/03/2019 17:27)knutstransport Wrote: [ -> ]Whichever route Arriva re-routed to form a direct Altrincham to Trafford Centre route and then cancelled a few months later. MCT had a tender to run the evening service and TfGM made them re-routed it to match the daytime Arriva service.
Someone with the username Dentonian used to post on here and posted a number of posts on the service but he left the forum and I think asked for his posts to be deleted.
He's still here, he's just changed his username.
(28/03/2019 20:46)knutstransport Wrote: [ -> ]Not unless you fancy a 4 mile walk to Oakmere.
Bugger!
Guess I'm driving then. Cheers for the gen though.
(29/03/2019 08:20)Valandil Wrote: [ -> ]I bet drivers will miss taking their break at Sainsbury's when they have to take it at Rudheath.
I think they prefer their breaks at Booths Supermarkets in Knutsford where they can get a free coffee each day with a Booths card. When D&G were operating the 88A as well there was often a queue of people in D&G uniforms for the coffee machine mid-morning.
(29/03/2019 15:28)33109 Wrote: [ -> ]Bugger!
Guess I'm driving then. Cheers for the gen though.
Arriva go closer (Northwich to Winsford service) but I'm not sure anyone goes through the village.
(28/03/2019 18:21)iMarkeh Wrote: [ -> ]The drivers have their break at Sainsburys so it is a kind of dead millage thing I suppose.
Rudheath I am more surprised in that D&G seem to like playing friendly with Arriva and going into Rudheath won't go down well will it. There must be good explanation but we can only wait and see if/when that comes out.
I think the main reason for not extending to Wincham is the lack of demand. I could see it working for run in/out to cover dead millage but not during the day.
Today I saw a bus shelter with missing panes of glass in it and a notice that no buses serve this stop. The bus stop in question was on Spencer Street, Northwich from the days when the 82 used to run Darwin Street-Spencer Street-Navigation Road, rather than duplicating the 1 route in to town along Chester Rd and Castle St. It was changed when GHA decided to start using longer buses, which they decided couldn't get down Navigation Road, despite the fact lorries serving the trading estate down there use that road. I wonder if anyone at D&G has ever considered serving those roads which lost their bus services?
(29/03/2019 19:12)knutstransport Wrote: [ -> ]Today I saw a bus shelter with missing panes of glass in it and a notice that no buses serve this stop. The bus stop in question was on Spencer Street, Northwich from the days when the 82 used to run Darwin Street-Spencer Street-Navigation Road, rather than duplicating the 1 route in to town along Chester Rd and Castle St. It was changed when GHA decided to start using longer buses, which they decided couldn't get down Navigation Road, despite the fact lorries serving the trading estate down there use that road. I wonder if anyone at D&G has ever considered serving those roads which lost their bus services?
I don't think it would make mega bucks down there but you could certainly pick up one or two. Even if you just do it every other trip or something like that to try and 'dip your toe in the water'. It does look very tight on Navigation Road though from Google Maps.
(29/03/2019 20:27)iMarkeh Wrote: [ -> ]I don't think it would make mega bucks down there but you could certainly pick up one or two. Even if you just do it every other trip or something like that to try and 'dip your toe in the water'. It does look very tight on Navigation Road though from Google Maps.
Yes I don't think those roads are ideal for longer Enviro 200s, I was really just pointing out that if D&G are looking for roads to serve around the Northwich area that there's some roads which currently have no buses without needing to duplicate existing services. The area I'm referring to isn't an affluent area, does have some bungalows and some of the roads are quite steep, so while distance wise people aren't a long distance from stops on the 1 or 82 routes it wouldn't be the easiest route to walk, especially if they are carrying shopping. I imagine because D&G are quite new to serving Northwich that they aren't necessarily aware of every change operators made to routes in the past and why those changes were made.
I think if D&G did want to serve those roads, it would probably be easier to do a commercial extension of the 89 to Greenbank station via Spencer Street, given they normally use 28 seater Solos on the 89. However, there are a lot of people who travel daily from Knutsford to Greenbank by train (we're talking about a couple of hundred) - if even just some of them decided a D&G weekly ticket is better value for money than a Northern season ticket even with the longer journey time, the little Solos might prove to be too small.
(30/03/2019 10:54)knutstransport Wrote: [ -> ]Yes I don't think those roads are ideal for longer Enviro 200s, I was really just pointing out that if D&G are looking for roads to serve around the Northwich area that there's some roads which currently have no buses without needing to duplicate existing services. The area I'm referring to isn't an affluent area, does have some bungalows and some of the roads are quite steep, so while distance wise people aren't a long distance from stops on the 1 or 82 routes it wouldn't be the easiest route to walk, especially if they are carrying shopping. I imagine because D&G are quite new to serving Northwich that they aren't necessarily aware of every change operators made to routes in the past and why those changes were made.
I think if D&G did want to serve those roads, it would probably be easier to do a commercial extension of the 89 to Greenbank station via Spencer Street, given they normally use 28 seater Solos on the 89. However, there are a lot of people who travel daily from Knutsford to Greenbank by train (we're talking about a couple of hundred) - if even just some of them decided a D&G weekly ticket is better value for money than a Northern season ticket even with the longer journey time, the little Solos might prove to be too small.
I would love to see D&G expand within Northwich. There is a lot of unserved area around Northwich despite the many bus services. It's lots of little areas though which are scattered about.
There is a big market for travel from the Northwich area towards Knutsford. My suggestion to D&G was to extend the 82 (via A556 not Higher Wincham) to make use of the market. I think what puts people off buses and onto trains is the irregularity of the Northwich to Knutsford buses and the amount of time it takes. I agree that if there was a regular bus available and it was affordable, I think there could be a market there but only if enough work was put into advertising.