(10/01/2016 12:35)knutstransport Wrote:  If they're planning to literally duplicate the number 5 I can't see that being successful, the former Warrington Coachway services had low loadings leaving Altrincham even during the period when Network Warrington stopped serving Altrincham in the off-peak period. If GHA are planning a different route to make end to end journeys quicker or to serve places which don't currently have regular Warrington services then it might be a different matter.

(10/01/2016 13:00)Valandil Wrote:  Warrington Coachways also had a bit of a "Fairbrothers" type image, with buses of far lower quality than the competition, and only its loyal customers would really get on in my experience.

(10/01/2016 10:45)knutstransport Wrote:  GHA withdrew a number of number of school/college contracts and infrequent services due to the number of non-accessible buses they were operating which didn't meet legal requirements for post-1st Jan 2016 services.

(10/01/2016 14:00)djb Wrote:  Regarding the non-dda buses- the rr3 is understandable given it only ran twice a week? But when I last saw the phs services 5 out of the 6 vehicles were ok for 2016. Although I'm not sure what other work has been
Dropped.

(10/01/2016 13:00)Valandil Wrote:  I think things are a bit different now on this corridor, as Network Warrington has since pulled their 6 out of Lymm and the 5 is down to hourly, which isn't very good for the sections of the route which aren't shared with the 35.
Warrington Coachways also had a bit of a "Fairbrothers" type image, with buses of far lower quality than the competition, and only its loyal customers would really get on in my experience.

I am in two minds as to whether it would be more worthwhile running along the old 38 route as a more direct route to Lymm than the 5/35 and then onwards to Altrincham via Heatley, which would surely be a great thing for people in Lymm who currently have a very slow bus into Warrington, and it would only require 2 vehicles to provide an hourly service, or whether it would be better to duplicate the 5 exactly and run through Stockton Heath, which might not appeal as much to the Lymm people, who might as well get the 5/35 into Warrington as it'd likely be more frequent, but they might pick up some more people due to going through Stockton Heath.

(10/01/2016 16:16)Dentonian Wrote:  Warrington Coachways also consistently refused to copy TFGM in to their regsitrations (as required by law), never mind agree slots in Altrincham Interchange. Registrations for 37/37A/38 would usually appear months or even years after times were changed.

Coincidentally, today was my first experience of GHA - and also, the first time I've travelled on a 2015 bus (Solo 1204), which gives an indication of the general lack of investment in GM by local Operators - This was on the 130, and I wasn't overly impressed. Although it has well upholstered seats (with seat belts!), the seat back was vertical, so it strained my upper back - the very reason for my journey to the MRI - and leg room was non-existant. As with his Arriva counterparts on this route, the driver could have done with a visit to charm school as well. I think due to the bus stacking caused by Piccadilly being closed, he had loaded passengers some four buses back from the correct stop (EV on Chorlton Street) so didn't seem best pleased when I arrived at the stop itself just as he was leaving. And before anyone asks, I arrived at EV just in time because my bus into Manchester was 8 mins late.

(10/01/2016 21:57)Dentonian Wrote:  Perhaps I should have put it in context. I have seen one or two other 15 reg buses of GHA knocking about, and High Peak also have a few 15 reg Solos that occasional work the 392/3 services. Neither are GM based, nor particularly large. Within GM, Stagecoach have 20 buses built in 2015 (all at Wigan!), out of a fleet in excess of 800. First Manchester's newest buses are April 2014 deliveries and the newest Arriva buses in the county are nearly 3 years old. Yes, First have 20 hybrids due imminently for the Guided Busway and no doubt will be strictly limited to those services, and Stagecoach should get 31 (or is it 25?) MMCs to update Hyde Road's increasingly down at heel Enviro400 (diesel) fleet. Hardly consistent investment, though. In the "bad old days" before De-reg, the county saw 150+ new buses every year, spread fairly evenly across all routes.