Liverpool City Region Bus Franchising

[Jw88]

RE: Liverpool City Region Bus Franchising
Looking at the Wirral changes, there are a mixture of changes.

I see Merseytravel are keeping the Moreton Circulars which are a waste of a route, especially after 17:00 even more so it is served by routes 438/438A, 413/414 and now 417 after hours.

I also see the 407 has now gained an evening service over the proposed 464.

The new 453 route from Thingwall to Clatterbridge, while it is nice and needed to link Heswall with Clatterbridge seems an odd route, it is a shame they did not merge it with the 482 and terminate at West Kirby rather than Thingwall.

The 482 seems to take the Thurstaston route from Caldy to Heswall, i am shocked it does not go via Irby and Pensby like all previous routes on this section 77/82 etc.

I can see many being annoyed the 423 is now replaced by the 414, the Liverpool loadings often were high despite being evening and sunday only.

I like the new 483/484 route, (which is the northern section of Avons old 83/83A) but odd choice to go via Saughall Massie rather than Overchurch into Moreton.

The 441/442 timetable confuses me, apparently the 441 serves a different part of Woodchurch and New Ferry according to the timetable, yet the map would suggest otherwise.

It seems Heswall Circulars 474 and 475 now receive a Sunday service, i am very unsure of how these will pick up, they don't carry much in the week, similar with the 480 West Kirby to Newton increased hourly, it does not seem to pick up more than 4 passengers at current, it used to pick up more on its previous route 138 when it went via Newton Post Office and Frankby Road, rather than the full Ennisdale Drive.

In addition it also seems the 73 (473) also receives a sunday service, this route is odd regardless, it does not need a Sunday service in my opinion.

It is nice to see Prenton Dell and Beechwood Noctorum have been finally addressed with an hourly evening/Sunday frequency (492/495) and a direct route into Birkenhead for the 414 through Prenton Dell rather than the long detour of the current mess of a 418 route. While Prenton Dell gains the 414, they lose the 491 (91).

Also odd to see not only does the 811 continue, but evening journeys have been curtailed to Woodside rather than Moreton, meaning if using it from Moreton in the morning there is no return journey in the afternoon. They may as well start the whole route from Woodside if they are doing this.