Merseyside Bus Review 2022

[iMarkeh]

RE: Merseyside Bus Review 2022
Here's my take on it all. Some good, some bad. Cuts are never good but generally, there are alternative buses for people or the frequency remains high enough.

Wirral:
Interesting proposals in many cases. Not huge cuts, I'd probably say fair cuts here. 106/107 is a mess, can't see that being of much use to anyone. All the grannys going around the houses. I'm not a big DRT fan but surely that has to be more appropriate for this area rather than the 106/107 going here, there and everywhere.
41/42 very interesting that they are going to throw that to Arrowe Park. Wasn't expecting that.


St Helens:
I feel like the 17 route number should be kept. I think the 17 means more to people than the 30 does and that bit of familiarity would be good rather than changing the route number which 80% of the passengers feel is their core service. A small detail perhaps but oh well, my opinion. Double run in Sutton Manor is daft too. As St Helens Rider says, should be on the 32 service.
37/38 is a big cut. Not sure how justified this is. Could the 37 and 38 be better with a lower cost operator. Arriva isn't exactly low cost and that has to make a big difference.
352, big cut. Would it be fair to assume that it could/should be dropped to every 20 but every 20 doesn't work out for the 395 interworking?

Knowsley:
17 extensions being cut to half hourly evenings and Sundays. For some reason, they forgot to mention that, I presume in the hope no one notices. One area of growth is industrial workers. Yet Merseyside doesn't seem to agree.
79 - That's a laugh. Every 16 minutes to Halewood with Belle Vale shorts. Eh? Surely Netherley is better? where do they plan on turning the 79s around? Terminate in the bus station, plod around Morrisons then start outside McDonalds? More questions than answers on that one.
97/98 - Undecided as they haven't put any route map or timetables underneath. I presume making it difficult for people to make a judgement so they can push it through easier.
121 - Shouldn't even be a route. Should be trips on the 'core'
217/227 - Looks interesting but the timetable and descriptions don't match so need to await further details.

Liverpool:
204 - shame to see it cut back but kind of understandable. Otherwise, seems fair, nothing major. Still good levels of service and areas where there is a fair cut, there is generally alternatives.

Sefton:
I'd like to know what the fascination is with Millers Bridge. Every time tenders change, there is an insistance on serving Millers Bridge. Is this where all the invisible people board? Must be!.
135 - shouldn't be a route. Should focus on the core network, not gimmicky evening routes which not only provide a service to areas which have no core route but also cover over areas which are hardly used in the daytime, let alone night. Waste of money.
41, 42, 44, 45 - What a complete and utter mess. I'd love to try and make sense of it but it's just 4 routes which go here, there and everywhere. Some bits combine to make a frequent service in some areas. you could ask a baby to throw their spaghetti all over a map and it'd make a simpler network.
159 - Interesting that they are going to make this all day to Walton Park. Good move in my opinion. Will be interesting to see if the demand is there.
300 - bit of a shame. Perhaps if Sefton Council sorted their sh** out and forced the David Wilson Homes into sorting the bus gate for the development in Kew, maybe the 300 would have usage as it would be going through a development.
310, there isn't the demand there for 4bph Ormskirk to Skem all going the same way. Does no one have the brains to reroute a service, give the 310 and 375/385 a bit of a USP? That's what is needed. With a good bit of route branding. Lancashire is one of those areas which needs the extra attention to get people onto buses and running bare basics following corporate line doesn't work (and isn't working in general, not specifically aimed at Arriva)