Arriva North West - Runcorn Depot

[Barney]

RE: Arriva North West - Runcorn Depot

(29/07/2018 16:31)iMarkeh Wrote:  The timetable must be finalised or it wouldn't have been registered.

The 500 never seems to take many people from what I have seen. A few people per trip.

We must be talking about a different 500. It is true that not many local residents rely on the 500 and tend to use the 82A but a large number of foreign tourists do. At certain times, especially during the football season, the deckers are very much needed and often have full loads and not just on match days. As for your suggestion that Runcorn depot would be capable of demand response (dupes), I think that you are placing far too much faith in an Arriva management that is very much isolated from its passengers/customers and their travel needs. As you pointed out, profit not provision is any bus operator's focus.

[iMarkeh]

RE: Arriva North West - Runcorn Depot

(29/07/2018 17:12)Barney Wrote:  We must be talking about a different 500. It is true that not many local residents rely on the 500 and tend to use the 82A but a large number of foreign tourists do. At certain times, especially during the football season, the deckers are very much needed and often have full loads and not just on match days. As for your suggestion that Runcorn depot would be capable of demand response (dupes), I think that you placing far too much faith in an Arriva management that is very much isolated from its passengers/customers and their travel needs. As you pointed out, profit not provision is any bus operator's focus.

I am only going off my observation. I mustn't have seen it at football time. What is to say deckers won't do dupes from Speke. People can't get too lost going between the airport and city centre. Just because Runcorn is the operating depot, nothing is stopping any other depot running the dupes. Speke is closest to the area where dupes would be needed so it would make sense. I know Arriva regularly make a hash of things. Chester depot is a current example so I can see first hand how little they know about running a bus company but if a route needs deckers, they wouldn't drop to singles without a plan. Full buses discourage usage just as much as lack of frequency. I could be wrong but the end to end journey on an average day could possibly cope. If they throw a few dupes on a busy times, it means the costs are demand responsive. That's a lot cheaper than having a higher frequency all day.

[busdude]

RE: Arriva North West - Runcorn Depot

(29/07/2018 14:50)Barney Wrote:  In essence, the 82A and 500 are to be merged and although the timetable has yet to be finalised, it indicates that it will be a 30-minute frequency between L One and JLA. As this service is to be operated by single deck vehicles rather than double-deckers, for most of the day, I foresee it leaving passengers at the stop at L One. By my reckoning there will be 150 seats per hour less than exists currently. Also, any would-be passengers along the route are certainly going to be left stranded and possibly miss their flights. Surely it would make more sense to operate a 20-frequency initially to gauge the level of demand.

The 500 will run every 15 minutes from L1 to the Airport then every 30 minutes from the Airport to Runcorn

[MTL0201]

RE: Arriva North West - Runcorn Depot

(29/07/2018 21:40)busdude Wrote:  The 500 will run every 15 minutes from L1 to the Airport then every 30 minutes from the Airport to Runcorn

You're wong it's every 30 minutes L1-Airport, then every 15 to Runcorn

[Gateacre]

RE: Arriva North West - Runcorn Depot
The 15 minute schedule is only between Widnes and Murdishaw, the rest of the route is a 30 min interval.
The revised 500 will operate through the evening and this gives later connections between the airport and Liverpool South Parkway.

[Y727 KNF]

RE: Arriva North West - Runcorn Depot
Forgive me if I've missed anything but which depot is running the new 500? Speke or Runcorn?

[motormayhem1]

RE: Arriva North West - Runcorn Depot

(30/07/2018 07:31)Y727 KNF Wrote:  Forgive me if I've missed anything but which depot is running the new 500? Speke or Runcorn?

Runcorn

[Y727 KNF]

RE: Arriva North West - Runcorn Depot

(30/07/2018 07:58)motormayhem1 Wrote:  Runcorn

Thanks

[Barney]

RE: Arriva North West - Runcorn Depot

(29/07/2018 18:38)iMarkeh Wrote:  I am only going off my observation. I mustn't have seen it at football time. What is to say deckers won't do dupes from Speke. People can't get too lost going between the airport and city centre. Just because Runcorn is the operating depot, nothing is stopping any other depot running the dupes.

Within the Merseyside area each and every depot is free-standing and responsible for its own routes and profit margins and, AFAIK, there aren't any routes within the Merseyside area that are shared between depots. As this new 500 route will be wholly operated from Runcorn, I cannot see how or why Speke would provide dupes at very short notice. I'm sure the depot manager at Speke has enough to worry about without having to concern himself with maintaining a service from Runcorn.

On another note, it will be interesting to see what time the first and last buses will run and whether it will involve a lot of dead mileage.

[mr t]

RE: Arriva North West - Runcorn Depot

(29/07/2018 17:12)Barney Wrote:  We must be talking about a different 500. It is true that not many local residents rely on the 500 and tend to use the 82A but a large number of foreign tourists do. At certain times, especially during the football season, the deckers are very much needed and often have full loads and not just on match days. As for your suggestion that Runcorn depot would be capable of demand response (dupes), I think that you are placing far too much faith in an Arriva management that is very much isolated from its passengers/customers and their travel needs. As you pointed out, profit not provision is any bus operator's focus.

I have just come back from holiday and also see the 82A and 500 most days so know the loadings the 82A normally fills up especially school/peak times with very few people actually using it for the Airport except for Cheshire or Aigburth, especially at L One, that was one of the reasons for getting bigger buses due top also the C4/C5 coming off and the 82A being the only route through Brunswick.

The 500 can fill right up especially weekends and Fridays/|Mondays as Liverpool is now somewhere to go for a weekend break,
Last Monday I was going away and at L One to go the Airport and the queue was out the bus station for the 500, that was at 2pm, so I opted for the 82A instead which no one else actually on to the Aiport thankfully.
The 82A was also nearly full of its normal traffic.
So the problem is if all these holidaymakers now get the revised 82A/500 how are all the local and cheshire passengers going to join the bus if its full from L One not to mention once luggage racks are added there will be even less space! Its an absolute joke by Arriva to replace doubles with singles indeed. I was under the impression it was going to be every 20 minutes which would have been more understandable but dont know where it has gone to every 30minutes now.
The problem with the 82A/500 at the moment is that the routes and times are identical and follow each other from town down Riverside Drive to the Airport with the exception of Parkway.
It would indeed make more sense to make it 15 mins Liverpool to Airport and Widnes to Runcorn, but I have still not seen the finalised timetable.