Wirral Bus Network Review

[L401CJF]

RE: Wirral Bus Network Review
I was actually quite shocked when the 73 was first announced when I looked at the route and saw it followed the 487/464 from Bebington to Broadway, I was almost certain it would have ran down to Beb Station then along Old Chester Road and up either Town Lane or Kings Lane, which would have been sensible considering neither of the 2 have a bus especially given the 73 was a substitute for the 77, which went down both the mentioned roads. Going via Beb Station would be more useful as it also counts as a partial replacement for the 112 axed in the last Wirral review.

Its all very well routing buses to places just so they still have a bus (like they did in the last review with the 84 running to Poulton Lancelyn in place of the 112), but given that all the passengers who used the 112 went shopping in either New Ferry or Bebington, the 84 didn't help them at all. There is no consideration as to where people actually use a route to/from, so long as there is a bus that serves it they don't care whether it goes anywhere relevant.

The last bus review in 2017 cut the network back ridiculously, and I have found it quite difficult to travel by bus ever since. I used to travel from Neston to Bromborough, 487 to Spital then a 419/119 to Bromborough. Can't do it of an evening or on a Sunday now as there is only the 16 running down Spital Road once an hour Mon-Sat(can change at clatterbridge Mon-Sat daytime too and catch a 17 but of course have to trek around Raby and Eastham before reaching Bromborough). Im also not sure what sort of future the 16/17 actually has on that end of the route, it never seems to carry many.

Other than that its a case of get off at Bebington Civic and either walk to Beb Station or jump a 410 and change for a 38 (I used to do this for the 418 if it was the 487 at the wrong side of the hour for the 419 at Spital) but the 38 treks around the retail park etc first, or make my way all the way up to New Ferry for a 1/41/42. Other than that its a trip to Birkenhead and change there particularly on a Sunday when the 487 is hourly and 410 every 30 mins. On a good day (16 on time) ,the journey can be done in about 40mins end to end. Considering it only takes me 20mins or less for the same journey by car, there isn't much persuading me to use a bus.