(04/10/2021 15:36)DVG526 Wrote:  It doesn’t work like that though with the 471/2. Large sections of the route, the main ones that actually need serving are being missed out, there’s plenty of buses along Woodchurch Rd but the issue is Irby and Pensby, particularly Pensby Road not getting a service in one direction for most of the day.

(04/10/2021 15:56)L401CJF Wrote:  Where are these Rock Ferry drivers going then? To the best of my knowledge, we have had about 5 new starters at LS the last month or 2, not all ex Stagecoach. Laird St isn't unable to cover work, anything that is left gets snatched up as overtime very quickly.

(04/10/2021 15:56)L401CJF Wrote:  I agree with the comments about the one sided services between Thingwall and Heswall. Never have understood why it works this way with one operator doing one way round and the other vice versa. Of course there are exceptions to this from around 6pm onward when it switches around, then of course Arriva run everything after 10pm ish.

(04/10/2021 21:19)iMarkeh Wrote:  What we need is a 472 Arrowe Park - Heswall and 471 Heswall - Arrowe Park shuttle. Stagecoach can't handle many buses on the route due to their shortages so when they have 1 bus available, surely to provide the best possible service, it'd be best to just run a shuttle and then from Arrowe Park to Birkenhead and Liverpool there are plenty of other buses.

A single bus would make a 40 minute frequency or even hourly for simpicity. While no it's not much, it's better than 1 bus doing Heswall to Birkenhead all


Numbers that I have heard from someone who worked at and has contacts at RF, they said the numbers were about 10 over a 2 months going to Arriva with plenty more in the pipeline. I can't say more than that as it's all I was told. You'll know more than me as you work at Laird Street.


If you did 471 and 472 both ways, you'd end up with like 2 Stagecoach then 2 Arriva then 2 Stagecoach etc. The other option would be Stagecoach 471 Arriva 472 but would either one be happy losing either Pensby or Irby?

(04/10/2021 22:01)wirralbus Wrote:  Having travelled on the 471 and 472 i think there is marginally more passengers picked up on the 471 irby , plus you have a school on the line of route .

(05/10/2021 00:11)DVG526 Wrote:  The obvious answer is to operate it as a traditional QP route with one operator doing alternate journeys, at least then you’d have a 40 min service on each side if SC withdrew all journeys. The working of the routes is compounded by LS interworking Heswall with the 407. I’m surprised nothing has been done yet as when LS were short of vehicles in years gone by it wasn’t uncommon for them to use ‘rail replacement’ Olympians with no ticket machine fitted (268-70) to cover peak time 417/418/419/472/473 etc to appease the local councillors..

(04/10/2021 09:07)DVG526 Wrote:  It appears the 471/472 are the lowest priority at RF at the moment, this must be causing massive issues along Pensby Rd/Thingwall Rd/Irby Rd the way the joint operation is set set up with one operator doing each side in opposite directions. Do Merseytravel need to step in seeing as it’s a QP route? LS don’t seem to be having any staffing issues..

(09/10/2021 06:33)Metroline1511 Wrote:  I had to wait over half an hour for a 471 2 weeks ago and 2 472s went past me. It was obvious that a 471 had been cancelled.

(09/10/2021 11:01)DVG526 Wrote:  Numerous buses missing again today reported on SCMSL Twitter Sat 9/10 on 41/42 as well as Heswalls. Surely this can’t go on much longer? Anyone at RF know if any new drivers are being recruited or any plans for emergency timetables?