D&G Bus

[Rick Hunter]

RE: D&G Bus
Cab fares in the Knutsford/Macclesfield area are far from cheap. However due to the dismal level of bus services provided taxis are the only option in some cases, especially evenings and Sundays.

(09/08/2020 21:41)EDB325 Wrote:  It used to be that 5 people sharing a black cab for a local journey cost much the same as a bus. Now 3 people can share that cab more cheaply than a bus. Bus fares have reached ridiculous levels, but then they're not controlled. Black cab fares are kept artificially low by local councils.

[knutstransport]

RE: D&G Bus
The Enviro running the 08:00 Altrincham to Knutsford needs a mechanic to look at it urgently, it's making so much noise that it just drowned out a workman using a pneumatic drill!

[knutstransport]

RE: D&G Bus

(09/08/2020 22:56)Rick Hunter Wrote:  Cab fares in the Knutsford/Macclesfield area are far from cheap. However due to the dismal level of bus services provided taxis are the only option in some cases, especially evenings and Sundays.

Passenger Cars Group fares from Longridge, Knutsford:

Bexton Road, Knutsford (near bus station, Booths and the community hospital) £4.60
Wilmslow station £14.60
Altrincham: £15.40
Manchester Airport terminal 1: £23.40
Macclesfield hospital £24.20

Which means return fares by taxi are
Bexton Road, Knutsford (near bus station) £9.20
Wilmslow station £29.20
Altrincham: £30.80
Manchester Airport terminal 1: £46.80
Macclesfield hospital £48.40

D&G charge a maximum of £5.50 return or £8 for a group return. Even if we presume to get from Knutsford to the airport no-one is going to get the 88 bus to Hale Barns and then the 288 bus to the airport and will instead either get the train to Altrincham and then the 288 to the airport or the 88 to Wilmslow station and then the train to the airport the bus is significantly cheaper. Someone at D&G obviously realised if they make a group of people all buy £5.50 return tickets then a taxi may be cheaper in some cases.

That's not to say in some cases like when it's a long wait for the next bus or you can get a bus there but there's no bus back home people won't use the taxi as an alternative. Also obviously in the case of the Knutsford to Knutsford journey I quoted if you've got a group of 4 that's just £1.15 per person each way so even if the bus was cheaper people may be happy to pay a bit more for convenience.

[Rick Hunter]

RE: D&G Bus
Cab fares from Over Peover/Chelford to Knutsford are around £15 one way with the local cab firms. The D&G group ticket takes 5 people for £8 and is both ways so even against the single person day ticket is good, but against cab fares it is better value. For convenience the bus will always lose out purely because of the sparse timetable and early finish of services. To make the connection by bus at Hale Barns to get to the airport from Knutsford only works on 30 mins past the odd hour up to 13.30. The 15.35 gets to Hale Barns after the 288 has left.

(10/08/2020 08:49)knutstransport Wrote:  Passenger Cars Group fares from Longridge, Knutsford:

Bexton Road, Knutsford (near bus station, Booths and the community hospital) £4.60
Wilmslow station £14.60
Altrincham: £15.40
Manchester Airport terminal 1: £23.40
Macclesfield hospital £24.20

Which means return fares by taxi are
Bexton Road, Knutsford (near bus station) £9.20
Wilmslow station £29.20
Altrincham: £30.80
Manchester Airport terminal 1: £46.80
Macclesfield hospital £48.40

D&G charge a maximum of £5.50 return or £8 for a group return. Even if we presume to get from Knutsford to the airport no-one is going to get the 88 bus to Hale Barns and then the 288 bus to the airport and will instead either get the train to Altrincham and then the 288 to the airport or the 88 to Wilmslow station and then the train to the airport the bus is significantly cheaper. Someone at D&G obviously realised if they make a group of people all buy £5.50 return tickets then a taxi may be cheaper in some cases.

That's not to say in some cases like when it's a long wait for the next bus or you can get a bus there but there's no bus back home people won't use the taxi as an alternative. Also obviously in the case of the Knutsford to Knutsford journey I quoted if you've got a group of 4 that's just £1.15 per person each way so even if the bus was cheaper people may be happy to pay a bit more for convenience.

[knutstransport]

RE: D&G Bus

(10/08/2020 11:43)Rick Hunter Wrote:  Cab fares from Over Peover/Chelford to Knutsford are around £15 one way with the local cab firms. The D&G group ticket takes 5 people for £8 and is both ways so even against the single person day ticket is good, but against cab fares it is better value. For convenience the bus will always lose out purely because of the sparse timetable and early finish of services. To make the connection by bus at Hale Barns to get to the airport from Knutsford only works on 30 mins past the odd hour up to 13.30. The 15.35 gets to Hale Barns after the 288 has left.

At certain times of day in school term time getting any taxi company based in Knutsford to do work can be difficult. They all seem to have school contracts and it leaves very few (if any) taxis available for booking. That's probably why Passenger Cars Group try to advertise themselves as a Knutsford taxi company with a Knutsford phone number, even though they are based in Timperley and most of their taxis have Trafford licence plates.

Scotts Cars also advertise that Knutsford is within their area and they are willing to do journeys like Knutsford to Holmes Chapel for a reasonable price (compared to the Knutsford based taxi companies) but if you want the reverse journey they are more reluctant to accept - perhaps not wanting to take the risk of a driver going out to Holmes Chapel and then not being able to find the person who booked the taxi.

I think both Scotts and PCG usually get plenty of Knutsford to Manchester Airport bookings so they aren't worried about sending taxis empty from the Altrincham area to Knutsford to do a local run for just a few pounds.

[knutstransport]

RE: D&G Bus

(09/08/2020 21:41)EDB325 Wrote:  Bus fares have reached ridiculous levels, but then they're not controlled.

The only real control on commercial bus fares is that if a large operator sets their day ticket at a certain price then the small operators will usually go no higher than that for their own day ticket, especially when the smaller operator covers fewer routes.

Perhaps Warrington's Own Buses are an exception given they are the main operator in Warrington so go above what Arriva charge and then there's not much competition between them in the towns that WOB go in to where Arriva are one of the main operators e.g. Altrincham & Northwich.

Subsided single bus fares can be capped by the local authority and I think that is the case in the TfGM area.

[Rick Hunter]

RE: D&G Bus
There's something in that. The adult single between Altrincham and Hale Barns is £2.60 on the 88 but is £2.20 on the 288. Does cause aggravation with customers who obviously feel the fare for the same journey with the same operator should be the same.

(10/08/2020 12:51)knutstransport Wrote:  Subsided single bus fares can be capped by the local authority and I think that is the case in the TfGM area.

[knutstransport]

RE: D&G Bus

(10/08/2020 15:46)Rick Hunter Wrote:  There's something in that. The adult single between Altrincham and Hale Barns is £2.60 on the 88 but is £2.20 on the 288. Does cause aggravation with customers who obviously feel the fare for the same journey with the same operator should be the same.

I wasn't aware of that. It must be especially annoying for those who normally catch the 288 but have to travel on the 88 instead due to the 288 running to a reduced frequency.

When MCT operated the 288 D&G Bus charged their standard £3.50 single fare for Hale Barnes to Altrincham on the 88 but MCT only charged £2.10 for a single from Manchester Airport to Altrincham on the 288. It led to some people boarding the 88 then getting off and either walking or waiting for the MCT bus!

[EDB325]

RE: D&G Bus

(10/08/2020 17:09)knutstransport Wrote:  I wasn't aware of that. It must be especially annoying for those who normally catch the 288 but have to travel on the 88 instead due to the 288 running to a reduced frequency.

When MCT operated the 288 D&G Bus charged their standard £3.50 single fare for Hale Barnes to Altrincham on the 88 but MCT only charged £2.10 for a single from Manchester Airport to Altrincham on the 288. It led to some people boarding the 88 then getting off and either walking or waiting for the MCT bus!

A black cab from Altrincham Interchange to Hale Barns village is approximately £7, and with 5 passengers £7.80

So two people sharing costs practically the same as catching the 88. This illustrates my original point perfectly.

[knutstransport]

RE: D&G Bus

(10/08/2020 21:57)EDB325 Wrote:  A black cab from Altrincham Interchange to Hale Barns village is approximately £7, and with 5 passengers £7.80

So two people sharing costs practically the same as catching the 88. This illustrates my original point perfectly.

See Rick Hunter's post - D&G now charge £2.60 on the 88 and £2.10 on the 288. Although, do they still charge the higher fare on the Sat Eve/Sun Wilmslow to Altrincham 88s when they are running, as those are TfGM contracted and part of the same contract as the 288.

When you say black cab do you mean a cab from a taxi rank opposed to one you pre-book? If so then it would be easy to get one at Altrincham where there are loads waiting but maybe not so easy to get one going towards Altrincham.