Stagecoach MCSL - Chester & Wirral Depots

[iMarkeh]

RE: Stagecoach Chester & Wirral

(05/06/2018 18:28)Raawwwrrr! Wrote:  That already exists as the park & ride. Normal fare paying passengers can also use this service.

The 1 and X8 calling at the zoo pick up people trvelling to/from work and day trippers coming to the zoo from Liverpool and Wirral. Without this passengers would have to travel to and from Chester additionally

The park and ride doesn't take fare paying passengers. You can only get on if you have a valid ticket. You can't travel between intermediate stops and pay. I have previously emailed the council to get clarification on this as Arrivas prices along Sealand Road into town are astronomical.

The best thing I would say is extend the 1 to the train station. I doubt Stagecoach would do it though with them being friends with Helms (Given most people would have or purchase day tickets on the Stagecoach bus as they run earlier and later). Extending the 1 (when the deckers come) would allow for better connections and it much more frequent to the zoo to start with which would possibly reduce the amount of dupes needed.

You could also make the dupes unadvertised so you don't cause confusion like on the current X8 timetables at bus stops, it shows a really regular service to the train station with notes saying only certain dates etc. With the X8, you kind of have to show them on timetables to show people you run more than hourly on a Sunday but only on certain dates. If people see you run hourly, they aren't likely to jump on but every 20 minutes, they are more likely to use public transport. As the 1 is already every 20 minutes, you wouldn't want or need to add too many dupes on like you have to on the X8.

I think the benefits of it well outweigh the cost of the extra bus. Plus the extra X8 customers you would gain from the service being faster. I think it would make more money for both routes in the long run. I doubt they would do it though.

A Chester Bus Stn - Zoo service and removing the 1 and X8 from the zoo wouldn't work because people travel from the wirral and Eport into the zoo so when you think of it that way, it would use more resources and make less money. I do see where you are coming from though.

There is a little site just opposite Demage Lane at the back of the Islands development. It's a shame they don't make that into a bus stop area. IF they did that, all buses would stop there. The issue is you have to go into the zoo. When the zoo is busy it seriously delays services. When it is dead, it is a useless stop. I think if there was a stop outside on the main road somewhere with a pedestrian entrance, they would have more buses. The 26 may even call in there as it is closeish to where that runs. Into the zoo takes too long and that is where all the issues lie.