Arriva network following takeover of MTL (April 2000)

[Gillmoss 0324]

RE: Arriva network following takeover of MTL (April 2000)
Yes the 18's were always GL routes even back in MPTE days when they used to be in with the 17's as a circular. After deregulation they split the 17's off and they went to GM with the 18's to Croxteth and 18C's Fazakerley/Kirkby staying with GL. The '91 review saw the 18's cross city extended to Crosby etc. which got split to the 18/18A's a few years later. Strangely enough Arriva kept the 18C's on until 2001 when the 18A's to Croxteth Park were the only bit remaining more recently renumbered 18 and the current route we have now.

Again like the 28's mentioned earlier there is a possible 'need'/usefulness for a 18C style variation on this route but again with the much higher frequency on the 18's than in Merseybus/MTL days and the likes of the 62 and the 14's, 19's snd 17's running nearby the Muirhead/Lower Lane/Fazakerley sections can't see it ever coming back unless the current set up changes and a more franchised/subsidised network comes in.

I always thought Arriva's approach to GL was unusual it's PVR and route network (profit?) was much, much lower than MTL days and only when Huyton closed in '06 did it get a fairly decent group of routes back again. I think GL is a useful base for any operator close to the city and the North/South/Knowsley etc. areas also even if Arriva considered closing it in 2000 could the services have moved to Bootle, Huyton, SH, Speke without any real issues - PVR, drivers, traffic problems etc. Don't think so and probably it's why Arriva have kept it on and sort of developed it over the last decade or so.

Always good looking at these route histories even relatively recently they've changed sonetines a fair bit, in ways you don't think so until you look back at them.