Wirral Bus Network Review

[mrd97]

RE: Wirral Bus Network Review

(16/01/2020 18:16)L401CJF Wrote:  I was actually quite shocked when the 73 was first announced when I looked at the route and saw it followed the 487/464 from Bebington to Broadway, I was almost certain it would have ran down to Beb Station then along Old Chester Road and up either Town Lane or Kings Lane, which would have been sensible considering neither of the 2 have a bus especially given the 73 was a substitute for the 77, which went down both the mentioned roads. Going via Beb Station would be more useful as it also counts as a partial replacement for the 112 axed in the last Wirral review.

Its all very well routing buses to places just so they still have a bus (like they did in the last review with the 84 running to Poulton Lancelyn in place of the 112), but given that all the passengers who used the 112 went shopping in either New Ferry or Bebington, the 84 didn't help them at all. There is no consideration as to where people actually use a route to/from, so long as there is a bus that serves it they don't care whether it goes anywhere relevant.

The last bus review in 2017 cut the network back ridiculously, and I have found it quite difficult to travel by bus ever since. I used to travel from Neston to Bromborough, 487 to Spital then a 419/119 to Bromborough. Can't do it of an evening or on a Sunday now as there is only the 16 running down Spital Road once an hour Mon-Sat(can change at clatterbridge and catch a 17 but of course have to trek around Raby and Eastham before reaching Bromborough). Im also not sure what sort of future the 16/17 actually has on that end of the route, it never seems to carry many.

Yes I’d have the 73 run down Town Lane and up past Bebington Station. Maybe every other journey could run via Kings Lane as 73A. Or just leave Town Lane with the bus. It’s better serving one of the two than neither.

The 16/17 is a bit long and complex. Better leaving it how it was. Could the 41/42 be extended to Arrowe Park with a subsidy?
The Clatterbridge - Bromborough/Eastham section of the 16/17 could be a new route entirely, 84 and 85 circular. These could even go from Eastham Ferry and then do the Clatterbridge circular, and the 38 could be cut to Mill Park (which now is only served by the 41/2)