Stagecoach MCSL - Chester & Wirral Depots

[iMarkeh]

RE: Stagecoach MCSL - Chester & Wirral Depots

(08/06/2019 07:00)mrd97 Wrote:  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.

It’s a hard one really on the 22 as the Neston councillors want a link to Arrowe Park. It’s. shame they can’t shrink it to West Kirby as it would cause too much dead time. Could it work doing the 22 route to West Kirby and then as the 83A to West Kirby to restore the links lost. Sandbrook moved onto the 17 as was mentioned elsewhere. This routing would restore links and give more reason for people to use the 22.
Going back to the old 22 route will be good for the end to end journey. Maybe Stagecoach saw the demand for Avon’s 88 (and their current 82 and are looking to reroute on that basis.

Are you sure about the 2? I would understand Chester to Croft but not Liverpool to Croft. Liverpool to Birkenhead can be empty half the time and then to Bennington is done by the 38 so it’s basically as if Port Sunlight is good enough to keep the route going.

The 2 is a very busy route through to Chester as I am sure many will agree. The issue with the 2 now compared to the QBP is the route. The route goes round the world and back again so it’s become common knowledge, don’t get the 2 as it’s too long and it has contributed to the overcrowding on the 1. Another key issue is the fares for Ellesmere Port. It’s all dayrider plus tickets for returns which is costly if yours only going a few stops. If an EPort zone was introduced, passenger numbers would rise very quickly.