Greater Manchester Service Changes

[dounowhoiam]

RE: Greater Manchester Service Changes

(03/08/2021 08:19)knutstransport Wrote:  With regards to viability it's not just the number of passengers - pass holders and children generate less revenue than passengers paying full adult fare. While someone holding a weekly season and commuting from Wilmslow to Macclesfield 5 times a week, would generate less revenue than 10 job seekers all making one return journey per fortnight to the job centre.

Quote:Not sure what you mean about Saturday service being introduced, do you mean the existing Macclesfield-Handforth service being extended to Wythenshawe on Saturdays too? I would have thought there would be less demand for Wythenshawe on Saturdays - fewer hospital appointments and the job centre being closed.

It's not so much the extension into Wythenshawe Interchange / Hospital, though if Jobcentre travel is the main target then it should be travelling to the Interchange on Saturday as well as it's open on that day. It could save a little bit of time going directly via Oatlands Road as well.

If full paying passengers (like myself) are the main goal having a Saturday service from within GM (such as the Airport) allows regular GM commuters (bus / tram / train) to travel to Cheshire purchasing the D&G day tickets.

Quote:The imminent question is whether the 130 will change so that it doesn't compete with the new X1 between Macclesfield and Manchester via the airport, given that councils can't legally use taxpayers money to subside a bus service with competes with a commercial one. With various town and parish councils providing money towards the service it might be changing the route would upset one town or parish council, who could then withdraw their share of funding, which then puts the whole route up for review. If I was a local councillor for Handforth then I would certainly not see Handforth as an acceptable place to terminate Cheshire bus services such as the 130 and to not have them making connections to Greater Manchester services such as the 42C.

The experience with the Hulleys service is that it shouldn't be considered a direct competitor with 130 as it will likely be a limited stop (similar to how the X57 is between Glossop and Manchester Airport). Areas like Handforth and Alderley Edge don't get served by other normal bus services where I have seen the patronage board and alight in both directions.

The 42C is an hourly service, whereas the Airport gives multiple transport methods that link different areas of Greater Manchester with facilities to support those travelling on public transport. D&G do run a service that links Handforth Dean with Wilmslow and Knutsford four days a week.

A potential theory I could surmise is that when the 42C tender expires, D&G extend the 130 to serve Handforth Dean using the Relief Road and either continue the 42C route towards East Didsbury or resume the normal route back toward the Airport (should the other Stagecoach buses in this area provide an adequate replacement for the unique area the 42C directly serves).