I guess an email to D&G with the suggestions wouldn't go amiss. One journey each way per day on the 88 to Macclesfield serves Beggarmans Lane so I guess something could be sorted round Northwich. The extension to 89 would need to fit in the 13 minute layover in Northwich as the bus becomes an 88 on return to Knutsford. The last 89 Monday to Friday often ends up with a Solo SR as it comes off the Altrincham - Macclesfield track. 1 day last week it was the small Enviro200 120 on it.
(30/03/2019 21:07)Rick Hunter Wrote: [ -> ]I guess an email to D&G with the suggestions wouldn't go amiss. One journey each way per day on the 88 to Macclesfield serves Beggarmans Lane so I guess something could be sorted round Northwich. The extension to 89 would need to fit in the 13 minute layover in Northwich as the bus becomes an 88 on return to Knutsford. The last 89 Monday to Friday often ends up with a Solo SR as it comes off the Altrincham - Macclesfield track. 1 day last week it was the small Enviro200 120 on it.
The 88 service via Beggarman's Lane is a CEC contract requirement as there was objection when the 27B service was withdrawn so the council specified one service in each direction going via Beggarman's Lane. Prior to the High Peak and GHA commercial attempts of running Knutsford to Macclesfield the standard pattern service was a 2 hourly Knutsford to Macclesfield via Beggarman's Lane and Over Peover interworked with a 2 hourly direct Knutsford to Macclesfield service, with some peak time services running as 27A with a diversion to serve Astra Zeneca, plus running a combination of the 27 and 27B routes between Chelford and Knutsford to serve both Ollerton and Radbrooke Hall but not serving Beggarman's Lane like the off-peak services which went near Radbrooke Hall. That must have been a nightmare for driver training!
From what I see D&G are inconsistent with which 88 workings get the smallest buses and which get the biggest with the exception of the 06:20 Wilmslow-Knutsford and the 06:55 Knutsford-Altrincham (the bus off that then goes on to the 288) as those services pretty much always get a 33/35 seater bus - presumably relating to the All Hallows loadings. The peak time Macclesfield buses and the 07:00 Altrincham-Knutsford get a 28 seater some days and get a 35 seater other days, meaning some days a lot more people have to stand than others.
Bus 130 is doing the honours on the first day of the 15A. Drivers seem unaware of the ticketing acceptance in place.
1 X Solo M990, 1 X Solo SR and 1 X 64 reg Enviro on the 82 today. Seems 88/89/288 have more baby Solos than normal. Some services quite busy though!
(09/04/2019 12:28)knutstransport Wrote: [ -> ]1 X Solo M990, 1 X Solo SR and 1 X 64 reg Enviro on the 82 today. Seems 88/89/288 have more baby Solos than normal. Some services quite busy though!
Actually on checking there were 2 x Solo SRs on the 88/89 so more larger ones than usual. The bus which normally does early 88 and then goes on to the 288 was one of the ex-Go Goodwins Solos though when it's usually a larger one.
Also Enviro200 36 was on 88s
(09/04/2019 19:04)knutstransport Wrote: [ -> ]Actually on checking there were 2 x Solo SRs on the 88/89 so more larger ones than usual. The bus which normally does early 88 and then goes on to the 288 was one of the ex-Go Goodwins Solos though when it's usually a larger one.
Solo on the 82 this morning had West Cheshire College on the destination display and the wrong route number!
(10/04/2019 16:24)knutstransport Wrote: [ -> ]Solo on the 82 this morning had West Cheshire College on the destination display and the wrong route number!
Which West Cheshire College routes do they do?
Big Solo 140 was on the 82 88/89 had 2 Enviro200s 36 and 53 and 2 Solos 130 and 131 A few of the big Solos, 136, 137 and 140, have turned up in Wincham and are not well liked due to their long wheelbase and poor steering lock. Wilmslow station can be interesting to get round with one.
(10/04/2019 16:24)knutstransport Wrote: [ -> ]Solo on the 82 this morning
(11/04/2019 08:26)Rick Hunter Wrote: [ -> ]Big Solo 140 was on the 82 88/89 had 2 Enviro200s 36 and 53 and 2 Solos 130 and 131 A few of the big Solos, 136, 137 and 140, have turned up in Wincham and are not well liked due to their long wheelbase and poor steering lock. Wilmslow station can be interesting to get round with one.
When GHA used 10.8m Enviros on the 88 poorly parked cars on Chapel La, Wilmslow seemed to caused more problems than the preying taxi drivers overcrowding the taxi rank at Wilmslow St. I think parking restrictions have since been introduced on Chapel La.
The D&G Solo SRs seemed to work well on the 88. I'm not sure why D&G thought it was a good idea to replace them with other buses.