Arriva North West - Runcorn Depot

[iMarkeh]

RE: Arriva North West - Runcorn Depot

(29/07/2018 17:12)Barney Wrote:  We must be talking about a different 500. It is true that not many local residents rely on the 500 and tend to use the 82A but a large number of foreign tourists do. At certain times, especially during the football season, the deckers are very much needed and often have full loads and not just on match days. As for your suggestion that Runcorn depot would be capable of demand response (dupes), I think that you placing far too much faith in an Arriva management that is very much isolated from its passengers/customers and their travel needs. As you pointed out, profit not provision is any bus operator's focus.

I am only going off my observation. I mustn't have seen it at football time. What is to say deckers won't do dupes from Speke. People can't get too lost going between the airport and city centre. Just because Runcorn is the operating depot, nothing is stopping any other depot running the dupes. Speke is closest to the area where dupes would be needed so it would make sense. I know Arriva regularly make a hash of things. Chester depot is a current example so I can see first hand how little they know about running a bus company but if a route needs deckers, they wouldn't drop to singles without a plan. Full buses discourage usage just as much as lack of frequency. I could be wrong but the end to end journey on an average day could possibly cope. If they throw a few dupes on a busy times, it means the costs are demand responsive. That's a lot cheaper than having a higher frequency all day.