Stagecoach MCSL - Chester & Wirral Depots

[mrd97]

RE: Stagecoach MCSL - Chester & Wirral Depots
Stagecoach are looking to alter/reduce service provision in the Wirral to keep commercial viability. As a result, they are running a consultation on Merseytravel’s website. One of their proposals is to have the 22 revert to its original route (before it was even ran by Stagecoach) between West Kirby and Chester only, via Greasby and Irby. This is welcome news to those in Irby but then West Kirby is left without a bus to Arrowe Park Hospital, and the 82 would be redundant between Irby and Greasby. How would merseytravel respond?

According to Eastham Councillor Phil Gilchrist, Stagecoach have also proposed shortening the 2 to run between Liverpool and Croft Retail Park only. The Liverpool - Chester bus corridor is rather complex in my opinion, as they no longer run to a combined 10 minute frequency as they did under the QBP, so this would certainly simplify the network. However, this would see large sections of Great Sutton in Ellesmere Port without a bus service at all. My hope is Stagecoach would then extend the 6 or 7 as a response as I doubt Cheshire West and Cheshire Council would plug the gap by funding a subsidised service.