St Helens Bus Network Review (2018)

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RE: St Helens Bus Network Review (2018)

(12/09/2018 11:58)T42 PVM Wrote:  In the local news today is a Petition led by Lib Dem Councillor Michael Haw trying to get the 137/138 and 194/195 Services reinstated, The Article does have some valid points as to why withdrawing these routes was a mistake but from a personal point i used the 137/138 regular as it connects where i live to where my mum lives. Does any other member have any views on this?

http://www.sthelensstar.co.uk/news/16835...-hospital/

I can’t say too much as I don’t get up that way much and think I’ve only ever caught the 194 once back when I had a bus pass limiting me to Merseytravel’s zone A only. Probably going back five years.
Back then I was only just getting into public transport and can’t recall where the passenger usage was greatest. Nor am I able to say the to say the exact route number I caught.

However the simple fact of the matter is if a route isn’t making money after being heavily subsidised, the axe is always going to be considered. There's the 603 that I think was a daft idea to reroute. Maybe it should have been a hourly 320 to/from Ashton covering Liverpool Road in Garswood via Haydock Industrial Estate with the rest going through Haydock. Think of it as the first 320 of the day but running for as much of the day as possible. It may be used, not well as I’d guess at workers would be the majority using it but used nonetheless and it can still give Arriva a profit. This would possibly make a few pence spare per journey available for 137/138 and 194/195. Although likely only to be spent on one of them in one direction.

I must say that I’m not too familiar with underused routes but is there really a need for a service that’s so long of a run in to operate in Eccleston and Rainhill? I can see why with Whiston Hospital being so close