Arriva North West - St Helens Depot

[H101GEV (Administrator)]

RE: Arriva North West - St Helens Depot

(09/07/2014 14:13)FC Pictures Wrote:  Deckers on the 10/10A is nonesense, not needed, using the odd VLW which St Helens are unlikely to be keeping now they have no schools to do doesn`t justify the cost of a fleet of deckers ,overcrowding is minimal,i dont know what magic hat you think the 5 million quid for new deckers is coming from,when they are not needed.

I have lived on the route for several years and have used the route every day in recent years. It is wrong to suggest that overcrowding is 'minimal'. It's a lot worse than that. I know because of the frequency with which I use the route. I'd argue this route should have been upgraded with deckers ahead of the 79 if anything.

As for the ticketing issue, £5 certainly is poor value compared with a similar journey time on the train for a return journey. It's only worthwhile if you're continuing your journey elsewhere within the North West. It would make a lot more sense if a more reasonably priced return fare was offered on the Cross-River services. I know a few people in Wallasey who have simply been priced out of using the 432/433 due to the high fares. So, to sum up, good for longer journeys within the North West, poor for a simple return journey. For the train (a comfortable, quiet, much more reliable train service) to be £1.60 cheaper is incredible.