Club Class Travel (I'm a Little Gem)

[SF07]

RE: Club Class Travel (I'm a Little Gem)

(11/07/2013 14:28)Polo Mint Wrote:  I looked at the timetable on their website and I do not understand the route it will take, it looks incredibly confusing.

I wish them the best, but they will have a hard time competing against Firstbus and JPT.

The main issue for the 61 is that it won't terminate at Shudehill Interchange, so it has to loop around to turn around.

The service starts in Higher Blackley at Tweedle Hill Road, loops around Bank House Road and Plant Hill Road onto Victoria Avenue, then straight down Rochdale Road through Harpurhey and Collyhurst. Once it approaches Manchester, it loops around via Miller Street, Corporation Street, Withy Grove, Shudehill (stopping outside the Interchange at stop NM) and onto Rochdale Road back to Higher Blackley.

[jimbo]

RE: Club Class Travel (I'm a Little Gem)
Im guessing you have to pay tfgm for a stand... I dunno, but a lot do tend to get on at that off licence there... And well... System one passes will be their biggest earner

[SF07]

RE: Club Class Travel (I'm a Little Gem)

(11/07/2013 19:32)jimbo Wrote:  Im guessing you have to pay tfgm for a stand... I dunno, but a lot do tend to get on at that off licence there... And well... System one passes will be their biggest earner

I believe you do have to pay to use stands at bus stations. I remember being on Rossendalebus's 16/X46 service that ran between Bacup/Rochdale and Manchester and terminated at first Quay Street and then Chorlton Street. As we arrived into Manchester, a passenger asked the driver why doesn't the service terminate at Shudehill Interchange and the driver replied 'because we're too tight to pay to use it'. Also missed out Middleton bus station.

[jimbo]

RE: Club Class Travel (I'm a Little Gem)
That may be it then, i suppose they will probably start serving it if the service gets popular

[Polo Mint]

RE: Club Class Travel (I'm a Little Gem)
Thanks for the explanation, the circular at both ends of the route threw me.

Wouldn't the service be better off stopping at Piccadilly Gardens/Stevenson SQ/Albert AQ, which passengers may find more convenient than Shudehill due to a more central location, or do companies also have to pay for stands there?

[Mayneway]

RE: Club Class Travel (I'm a Little Gem)

(12/07/2013 14:04)Polo Mint Wrote:  Thanks for the explanation, the circular at both ends of the route threw me.

Wouldn't the service be better off stopping at Piccadilly Gardens/Stevenson SQ/Albert AQ, which passengers may find more convenient than Shudehill due to a more central location, or do companies also have to pay for stands there?

This was discussed at length on another forum a while ago.
I think operators are charged the minimal amount of about 57p each time a registered service used a TFGM bus station, I think coaches may pay more!
Operators also make contributions for the providing of rest rooms/toliets for drivers within bus stations as well.

Piccadilly gardens is a little more complicated. Its not a bus station or an interchange so operators don't pay charges here but after the UK North 192 fiasco a few years ago Manchester City Council brought in a number of regulations which limited how long a bus could stay at a stop in the city centre and how many buses an hour can load/depart from these stops which makes registering a new service from Piccadilly gardens almost impossible.

[SF07]

RE: Club Class Travel (I'm a Little Gem)
I remember hearing about the restrictions at Piccadilly Gardens, which explains why some buses on services 81/81A, 88, 112 and 118 start journeys on Church Street instead of Piccadilly Gardens (before they were moved to Stevenson Square).

Probably explains why Stagecoach are moving the 80/112 to Lever Street (stop F) from next Sunday, as the number of buses per hour will have reduced following the reduction in the 77 and withdrawal of the 72, plus moving the 74/76 to stand D.

[Polo Mint]

RE: Club Class Travel (I'm a Little Gem)
Sounds a bit anti-competitive for a council to dictate bus services especially since UK North has been gone for years. I seem to recall First service 18 passing through Piccadilly now though.

With both Piccadilly and Shudehill busy shouldn't they build a new bus station?

[jimbo]

RE: Club Class Travel (I'm a Little Gem)
Sounds like a good idea,, but where is the space for it where you wouldnt have to majorly disrupt current services for a year...

[jimbo]

RE: Club Class Travel (I'm a Little Gem)
Apparently according to TFGM this service started running today! - though im sure their website and VOSA registration said the 17th...

tfgm Wrote:61
Serving: Higher Blackley - Manchester
Effective Date: 15/07/2013
Notes:
Please note that this service starts from 15 July 2013, not 17 July as shown on the leaflet.​