GHA Group (Bryn Melyn, Vale Travel + Others)

[33109]

RE: GHA Group (Bryn Melyn, Vale Travel + Others)
Which is the ex london plaxton president GHA have acquired? Can just about make out centreline? Branding on the top deck.

Also meant to ask when are GHAs contracts for the 38/27/130 etc due to expire??? Sure they've gotta be due up for renewal relatively soon? Also slight gripe, few times I've shown up at crewe for the 07:00 84 chester & at least 3 times it's a no show. Anyone know what's going on?

[djb]

RE: GHA Group (Bryn Melyn, Vale Travel + Others)

(28/05/2016 13:35)33109 Wrote:  Which is the ex london plaxton president GHA have acquired? Can just about make out centreline? Branding on the top deck.

Also meant to ask when are GHAs contracts for the 38/27/130 etc due to expire??? Sure they've gotta be due up for renewal relatively soon? Also slight gripe, few times I've shown up at crewe for the 07:00 84 chester & at least 3 times it's a no show. Anyone know what's going on?

27/130 are commercial

[knutstransport]

RE: GHA Group (Bryn Melyn, Vale Travel + Others)

(28/05/2016 15:54)djb Wrote:  27/130 are commercial

Indeed. The 27 was contracted to High Peak, when the contract as expiring Cheshire East asked them to consider running the route commercially which they did but it was a disaster and they lost many passengers after they put up the fares, reduced the frequency and reliability was dreadful. They withdrew the service and Cheshire East put it out to tender but GHA registered it commercially. After they had the route for a while they reinstated most of the withdrawn journeys - a morning peak return working and evening peak return working on weekdays wasn't reinstated while the last bus is an hour earlier on Saturdays.

GHA lost the contract for the 130 - D&G won it but as GHA decided to run a reduced service commercially instead, the contract award to D&G was cancelled.

Unrelated to the above YJ59 GHA was reported to be parked up in an affluent residential street in Bowdon (near Altrincham) yesterday. The person who saw it suggested it had probably broken down on the 289 route and been moved off the main road. However, I saw YJ59 GHA driving around Altrincham late afternoon today - not in passenger service. A debranded Cheshire Connect Solo with registration starting DK09 was on the 289 route, with the usual Enviro 200s on the 88 services I saw.

[knutstransport]

RE: GHA Group (Bryn Melyn, Vale Travel + Others)

(27/05/2016 19:57)Depotosw Wrote:  There appears to be some interesting comments on social media that ARRIVA Shrewsbury are to continue some if not all of the route lost on tender i.e. the 21, 23 & 26? GHA have since removed all reference to these from their previous big write up on the news page the GHA website and only mention the 511 now. Oddly the Shropshire timetables on the website have them listing the 21. Anyone know what is going on with it all?

Maybe Arriva have decided to run the routes commercially after losing the contract - like GHA did with the 130 which I mentioned in my previous post? A subsided service can't compete with a commercial one.

Alternatively maybe GHA haven't required the resources to run the extra services, which is reportedly why two Cheshire East contracts they won were cancelled and awarded to Arriva and D&G instead.

[GHA Coaches]

RE: GHA Group (Bryn Melyn, Vale Travel + Others)

(28/05/2016 17:42)knutstransport Wrote:  Indeed. The 27 was contracted to High Peak, when the contract as expiring Cheshire East asked them to consider running the route commercially which they did but it was a disaster and they lost many passengers after they put up the fares, reduced the frequency and reliability was dreadful. They withdrew the service and Cheshire East put it out to tender but GHA registered it commercially. After they had the route for a while they reinstated most of the withdrawn journeys - a morning peak return working and evening peak return working on weekdays wasn't reinstated while the last bus is an hour earlier on Saturdays.

GHA lost the contract for the 130 - D&G won it but as GHA decided to run a reduced service commercially instead, the contract award to D&G was cancelled.

Unrelated to the above YJ59 GHA was reported to be parked up in an affluent residential street in Bowdon (near Altrincham) yesterday. The person who saw it suggested it had probably broken down on the 289 route and been moved off the main road. However, I saw YJ59 GHA driving around Altrincham late afternoon today - not in passenger service. A debranded Cheshire Connect Solo with registration starting DK09 was on the 289 route, with the usual Enviro 200s on the 88 services I saw.

Dear Mr Knuts Transport,

Its interesting to hear the history on routes in the Knutsford area and although we dont always get it right I can assure you that we are trying hard and there is lots happening behind the scenes. I am currently looking at revising the 27 timetable and now that the buses travel empty from Winsford there is scope to add earlier and later buses to and from Macclesfield.

In your opinion what other improvements could we make to the timetable?

[knutstransport]

RE: GHA Group (Bryn Melyn, Vale Travel + Others)

(31/05/2016 15:26)GHA Coaches Wrote:  Dear Mr Knuts Transport,

Its interesting to hear the history on routes in the Knutsford area and although we dont always get it right I can assure you that we are trying hard and there is lots happening behind the scenes. I am currently looking at revising the 27 timetable and now that the buses travel empty from Winsford there is scope to add earlier and later buses to and from Macclesfield.

In your opinion what other improvements could we make to the timetable?

Thank you for asking for my opinion on what improvements could be made to the 27 timetable.

I think what immediately stands out is that if you're working normal office hours in Knutsford but live in Ollerton/Chelford/Macclesfield then the bus times aren't really suitable for getting to and from work. An arrival in Knutsford between 08:00 and 08:30 and a departure between 17:30 and 18:00 would change that. I'd also say that while a 17:45 from Macclesfield would suit the needs of most commuters who work in Macclesfield, the lack of a later departure rules out the possibility of doing overtime and with Macclesfield has a number of businesses in the digital industry where being able to do some overtime at the end of the day is seen as an advantage to employers.

Another point to consider is the fact the route serves Macclesfield Hospital, reducing the gap between services in the morning and evening would also suit people who use the bus to go to appointments at the hospital. Visiting times at the hospital are 2.00pm - 4.00pm and 7.00pm – 8.00pm, the current bus times meet the needs of people who want to visit a patient during the afternoon but for someone who works full time Mon-Fri there's no option of using a bus for the evening visiting hours so they'd have to wait until Saturday unless they have a car or can get a lift.

Personally I think one reason more under 60s don't go from Knutsford to Macclesfield for shopping trips more is because most buses follow a slow round the houses route, whereas some other towns have more direct public transport links from Knutsford. Obviously Over Peover should have public transport links but I'm not sure it needs a service most hours when speeding up the service might make it more attractive for end-to-end leisure use.

[djb]

RE: GHA Group (Bryn Melyn, Vale Travel + Others)

(31/05/2016 18:43)knutstransport Wrote:  Thank you for asking for my opinion on what improvements could be made to the 27 timetable.

I think what immediately stands out is that if you're working normal office hours in Knutsford but live in Ollerton/Chelford/Macclesfield then the bus times aren't really suitable for getting to and from work. An arrival in Knutsford between 08:00 and 08:30 and a departure between 17:30 and 18:00 would change that. I'd also say that while a 17:45 from Macclesfield would suit the needs of most commuters who work in Macclesfield, the lack of a later departure rules out the possibility of doing overtime and with Macclesfield has a number of businesses in the digital industry where being able to do some overtime at the end of the day is seen as an advantage to employers.

Another point to consider is the fact the route serves Macclesfield Hospital, reducing the gap between services in the morning and evening would also suit people who use the bus to go to appointments at the hospital. Visiting times at the hospital are 2.00pm - 4.00pm and 7.00pm – 8.00pm, the current bus times meet the needs of people who want to visit a patient during the afternoon but for someone who works full time Mon-Fri there's no option of using a bus for the evening visiting hours so they'd have to wait until Saturday unless they have a car or can get a lift.

Personally I think one reason more under 60s don't go from Knutsford to Macclesfield for shopping trips more is because most buses follow a slow round the houses route, whereas some other towns have more direct public transport links from Knutsford. Obviously Over Peover should have public transport links but I'm not sure it needs a service most hours when speeding up the service might make it more attractive for end-to-end leisure use.

If there was a possibility of an extra bus in the timetable, what about an split mid route. You've got 2 tourist destinations in jodrell and capesthorne close to the route, but not served by public transport. Running macclesfield (or knutsford) to say holmes chapel/middlewich via these destinations would offer multiple new links as well as increasing frequency on the existing portion of route.

[Depotosw]

RE: GHA Group (Bryn Melyn, Vale Travel + Others)
Noted a GHA Solo on the first 576 inbound to Oswestry today. I assume the Metrocities are been deployed on the 511 Shrewsbury - Whitchurch that GHA take over from ARRIVA Midlands from today?

[knutstransport]

RE: GHA Group (Bryn Melyn, Vale Travel + Others)

(31/05/2016 20:33)djb Wrote:  If there was a possibility of an extra bus in the timetable, what about an split mid route. You've got 2 tourist destinations in jodrell and capesthorne close to the route, but not served by public transport. Running macclesfield (or knutsford) to say holmes chapel/middlewich via these destinations would offer multiple new links as well as increasing frequency on the existing portion of route.

There's also Tatton Park which isn't properly served, while a park entrance is within walking distance of Knutsford town centre, most people aren't going to walk a 6 mile round trip to see the mansion, gardens and farm.

I'm not sure a Macclesfield-Holmes Chapel/Middlewich via Jodrell Bank bus would be quicker than taking a bus to Congleton then picking up the 42 from there. I think a Tatton Park-Knutsford-Over Peover-Jodrell Bank-Holmes Chapel-Middlewich route could be viable - perhaps routed via Chelford to offer connections to the 27 bus. The parish council in Holmes Chapel do want a bus to Knutsford but Cheshire East decided there doesn't need to be one as it's possible to get a bus from Knutsford to Chelford and a train from Chelford to Holmes Chapel. Middlewich is focused on getting a rail service to Northwich, Knutsford and Altrincham (which has an excellent business case according to the consultants who looked at it) and they don't seem to be looking at any interim measures. I wonder if the National Trust and Manchester University (who own Jodrell Bank) would support a bus service doing that sort of route?

Didn't Bakerbus used to run an Alderley Edge to Congleton service at one point which went past Capesthorne Hall?

[Depotosw]

RE: GHA Group (Bryn Melyn, Vale Travel + Others)

(01/06/2016 08:07)Depotosw Wrote:  Noted a GHA Solo on the first 576 inbound to Oswestry today. I assume the Metrocities are been deployed on the 511 Shrewsbury - Whitchurch that GHA take over from ARRIVA Midlands from today?

Noted ARRIVA still on the 21 before in Shrewsbury with 2504 so can assume GHA are not operating the 21, 23, 26 as the big article to the Shropshire Star proclaimed last month. GHA however show a 21 timetable online but not a 23 or 26:

http://www.ghacoaches.co.uk/timetables/21-3/