First Manchester

[Brickmill]

RE: First Manchester

(31/01/2019 22:52)djb Wrote:  Actually a lot of students use the 41 between west didsbury and sale. The problem is that virtually no students (or other fare paying passengers) use it between Manchester and northenden on the shared portion with stagecoach.

If passengers numbers on the northenden to sale section were reflected in the wider route it would be a money spinner. For example on my contraflow Peak journey tonight, my single decker was almost at a standing load of fare paying passengers at northenden (airport hotel). The next passenger got on at fallowfield, despite stops being loaded.

It used to be said that Student fares were so cheap that they could afford both Uniriders and the Finglands/First equivalent. My observations are mostly between the MRI and Piccadilly and I recall catching the bus back to Piccadilly just before Noon on a Sunday (2 Dec possibly) and 3 or 4 buses came together absolutely packed out and I definitely include the First Enviro400 in that. Indeed whilst overall loadings might be lower on First I wonder f they carry a higher proportion of full fare paying Adults.