Remaining Independents in Merseyside

[Raawwwrrr!]

RE: Remaining Independents in Merseyside

(25/02/2019 15:31)iMarkeh Wrote:  I am not going to say much as it could start arguments and I don't want that but the point I was making is that Birmingham has lots of little independants who only run a few routes (Bagna, Claribels, Let's Go plus others). Greater Manchester has a few companies who run smaller routes (Jim Stones). Many areas have little independants who run commercial routes which 'big boys' don't want to run. A good example (and only one really) is HTL. They have the 258 and 159 commercially as well as the Mon-Fri 166/188. Based on what has been said in the previous 2 replies, Stagecoach or Arriva should be on these routes or they shouldn't be running as they aren't worth it. Clearly they are worth it for HTL or they wouldn't be ran commercially. Regardless of what you think about any company, if they see a route worth running commercially, go for it. Everyone has different levels of what is and isn't viable and it will be based on many factors. Almost all of D&G is based on taking ex Arriva or Stagecoach routes and trying to make use of them with a few of their Staffordshire routes running between schools. Just because a big company doesn't run it, it doesn't mean it isn't viable. That is all I will say. No arguments. Just explaining my point.

Arriva DID run the 258... and it flopped.
The route was an extended version called the 21. A combination of the current 258 and 248 and a renumbering on the Liverbus 258 (Prescot - Huyton - Stockbridge).

Arriva withdrew the route and it was replaced by Merseytravel contracts as the 258 and 248. (The 248 operating as an evening and Sunday service due to duplication of the 61). The 258 fell to Norbus initially and latterly became ran by HTL who commercialised it with part-funding from Merseytravel.