Stagecoach MCSL - Chester & Wirral Depots

[T42 PVM (Moderator)]

RE: Stagecoach Chester & Wirral

(27/05/2018 08:41)iMarkeh Wrote:  The 204 is doing well actually. It takes money put it that way. Avon never made a loss on the routes afaik, they just had to reduce their ops because of something to do with Mtravel or traffic commissioner. I personally have been on the 204 and it does alright. Also although it isn't a 'new' route, it is new to the company and there are extensions as well. Just because most people will have Arriva tickets, it doesn't mean they won't switch to Stagecoach. It is only 15 minutes longer and sometimes you can wait that long for a 79 so technically the persons end-end journey time is no different. For people at Alder Hey, Broadgreen etc depending where they want to go in Liverpool, it is the same time for them to get the 204 than the Arriva buses so again, you can grab a few passengers that way but with the state of the buses, why would you go for a rattly dart when there is really high spec bus a few minutes away?
A lot of people in the dingle area etc will just walk an extra few minutes to the 82 bus stop which is great but then it is gamble which bus comes first. If you can get them on the 204 for the first part of their journey, they have a ticket then. Regardless of if they get the 82 or 204 back, you have that ticket sale. If you can make the 204 as attractive as possible, you could sell 300 day tickets (no returns on 204) into L1 and they can all get the Arriva bus back but that doesn't matter as Arriva don't earn anything off that. If you walk to the 82 bus stop, it is an even mix of which bus you will catch and with the way Arriva are running, you are more than likely to get an Arriva bus than Stagecoach. That is how you have to look at it. If you put USB and WiFi on the Enviro200s as well (It was along time since I last jumped on one so these could be done already) as that would then make the 204 and 82 the same spec buses again helping to secure those people who can catch either bus.

The way you write this its almost like you know exactly how much operators have taken on the route, However if we are going to look at the 204 (And 202) as a route then fine, Last operator was Avon Buses who was struggling with a Driver shortage so trips went missing before that you had Eazibus which was also struggling with a Driver shortage at the end. I remember before the troubles started Eazibus used to get a lot more passengers than Stagecoach currently do, I remember once being on their Trident and it was really busy. Stagecoach have a job on their hands now to show they can operate a reliable service to get the Passengers back.

Also no one is going to switch from the 79 to the 204, for a start they dont stop at the same stand in L1 however heading into Liverpool you might pick up some people whos bought the Solo Ticket, Stagecoach are not going to fit USB Sockets for the 204 anyway as its most likely their lowest paying Commercial Service, I think at best it will get some Enviro200s from Rock Ferry to put the Darts back into Reserve.