Greater Manchester Service Changes

[KXW212]

RE: Greater Manchester Service Changes

(03/08/2021 16:10)knutstransport Wrote:  As already discussed PTEs interpret the same rules differently, possibly due to higher total usage. It's possible in the case in PTE areas that if an operator loses out on one route by a different interpretation then they might also gain on another route. In Cheshire that's less likely to happen.

I've checked on the details for what happened when GHA registered an hourly commercial 45 Northwich to Warrington via Lostock Gralam. Cheshire West withdrew funding for both the 45 and 46 and Network Warrington continued to initially run them both on a commercial basis before switching to running only a 46 on a commercial basis, before giving notice of their intention to cancel the commercial service when GHA collapsed.

Now the 46 serves villages which the 45 does not cater for. It's possible had Network Warrington not been willing to keep the 46 going on a commercial basis that Cheshire West would have done something to cater for those villages, possibly an extension of the 4 Northwich-Barnton service? However, it seems they deemed Northwich to Warrington via Barnton & Anderton as competing with Northwich to Warrington via Lostock and Wincham.

The 289 that also run from Wincham to Northwich was unaffected but that was operated by GHA at the time, so we don't know if the 289 would have been affected if it hadn't been operated by GHA and GHA had kicked up a fuss.

If two different Northwich to Warrington routes can be deemed as competing then why can't an express and an all stops Wilmslow to Macclesfield? (Presuming Hulleys do serve Wilmslow.)


And there's the problem. As I mentioned half the subsidy for the 130 is coming from town and parish councils, if Macclesfield Town Council think we offered to help subside it on the basis that it would run to the airport so if it doesn't we'll pull our funding, then that's 1/16th of the funding gone.


You might be aware that in 2018 Wilmslow Job Centre closed and Macclesfield Job Centre moved to a new building to allow for it to provide the services which were previously provided by Wilmslow.

You might not be aware that in the past you got may have been asked which Job Centre you would prefer to attend as part of a benefit application. However, under the new system anyone in the former Macclesfield borough (whether it be Handforth, Wilmslow, Chelford, Macclesfield, Knutsford, Mobberley, Plumley, High Legh or anywhere else) is automatically assigned to Macclesfield Job Centre. If you don't want to attend the allocated Job Centre you had two options:
1. Phone DWP as soon as you get the initial appointment invitation for your allocated Job Centre (which could be for an appointment the same day as you receive it), turn down that appointment citing difficulties in reaching that job centre and request that you are given an appointment at your preferred job centre.
2. After you are signing on, walk in to the Job Centre you'd like to attend and ask to have your claim transferred to that job centre, the same as what you'd do if you relocate while claiming benefits.

For someone without a car in certain villages they will need to do option 1 because it's not practical to get to Macclesfield.

However, in saying people in Wilmslow and Handforth can go to Wythenshawe instead it will depend on:
a) Whether they bother to transfer.
b) If they hold a railcard. If they do the railcard discounted train fare for Stockport will be a more attractive price than the bus to Wythenshawe or Macclesfield.

As part of the registration process Cheshire East would have all the relevant information and have the facility to comment in advance on the proposed service (assuming they understand it). It would be surprising if there hasn't been communication between the parties, bearing in mind the possible effects on contracted services that are considered to be paralleling it.
Common sense would suggest that this is a complimentary service that may well increase bus usage in a car dominated area, but common sense has always been sadly lacking when it comes the CEC and public transport provision.