Merseytravel: Bus service Consultations

[iMarkeh]

Merseytravel: Bus service Consultations
I have created this thread because there currently isn't one and a lot of the current bus consultations are regarding tendered services so this will help keep them in a neat thread compared to posting in the individual operator threads.

Anyway, 2 brand new consultations have popped up
3/3A
Basically, remove Roseheath Drive around Halewood (which is something Merseytravel should have done when the 163/263 were around but that is a different story)
Also the 3A will divert via Hartsbourne Estate. (which interestingly enough will provide much earlier and much later services than the Belle Vale Circulars which is the provision it is supposedly there to cover)

211
Due to punctuality issues, the proposal is
1 - Keep the route half hourly but one bus each hour will serve Mains Estate and the other Dymchurch Estate
2 - Keep the exact same route but reduce the frequency to every 40 minutes.

121/214/215
No news on these yet. It is taking them a long time to review the feedback on these services compared to the likes of the 106.

[Valandil]

RE: Merseytravel: Bus service Consultations

(13/02/2019 03:31)iMarkeh Wrote:  2 - Keep the exact same route but reduce the frequency to every 40 minutes.

40 minutes is a really annoying frequency - almost every route I've ever known with a 40-minute frequency later gets cut further to a 60-minute frequency or worse.

[CX06 EBK (Administrator)]

RE: Merseytravel: Bus service Consultations
The 3A proposal is laughable as they have given no additional time for this, instead just moving 2 minutes from Huyton > Roby Road to Roby Road > Belle Vale on what is the tightest part time wise on the 3A anyway. As per usual asking drivers who drive these services regularly what they think is just a step too far for them.

[mr t]

RE: Merseytravel: Bus service Consultations

(14/02/2019 15:31)CX06 EBK Wrote:  The 3A proposal is laughable as they have given no additional time for this, instead just moving 2 minutes from Huyton > Roby Road to Roby Road > Belle Vale on what is the tightest part time wise on the 3A anyway. As per usual asking drivers who drive these services regularly what they think is just a step too far for them.

Hartsbourne ave at school times takes at least 10 mins to get back on to Childwall valley road

[CX06 EBK (Administrator)]

RE: Merseytravel: Bus service Consultations
Yes and having seen the proposals surprise surprise, this is not accounted for! I'm sure they could have done something with the other Belle Vale routes, such as the 174, rather than mess about with the 3A.

[Walton 46]

RE: Merseytravel: Bus service Consultations
I was reading the feedback from the 204 consultation last year. Several respondents had asked for the 204 to run via Hartsbourne Avenue instead of Childwall Valley Road, but Stagecoach said no on the grounds that Hartsbourne takes longer to traverse than via Childwall Valley Road and that it would mess up the timetable.

[iMarkeh]

RE: Merseytravel: Bus service Consultations
People want the 165 back. That is where this mainly stems from. There was a petition to get it put back on and this is most simple way of sorting it.

Bar funds, there is no reason why they can't try to do the 165. It started late enough for a morning school to be linked into it. Then do the circular, half hourly using 1 bus (missing out the Chelwood part). Simples. The 3/3A is the biggest mess ever. Shrinking the routes down has done nothing but cause issues and is providing a vastly increased service compared to Pre 3/3a to areas which don't need it.

The only way to serve Hartsbourne with no extra resources is mess with the 174 (but it would be so messy it would reduce the service level to some areas) or they mess with the 3/3A which they aren't bothered about. It's just there to keep people quiet.

[Quackdave]

RE: Merseytravel: Bus service Consultations
A bus gate at the bottom of Hartsbourne Avenue, allowing access to/from Hedgefield Road for buses and emergency vehicles only, could maybe make it work better. Not that there's any likelihood of it happening, though.

[iMarkeh]

RE: Merseytravel: Bus service Consultations

(15/02/2019 09:25)Quackdave Wrote:  A bus gate at the bottom of Hartsbourne Avenue, allowing access to/from Hedgefield Road for buses and emergency vehicles only, could maybe make it work better. Not that there's any likelihood of it happening, though.

I was saying this to a friend just the other day. It would certainly be of benefit. I think that is the one thing which strongly discourages bus companies from running a service in the area. Put some cameras in, it is then a cash cow with all those numpties who ignore the bus lanes. I don't understand why councils won't implement more bus gates.

[L401CJF]

RE: Merseytravel: Bus service Consultations
Whilst not on topic of the current consultations, the 1,1A,1B,1C circular routes in Moreton on the Wirral have kicked up a huge fuss since they replaced the 901 route in the Wirral bus review. They have popped up in local papers a few times now , im not sure if they have changed since first implemented, but they cover more areas than the 901 used to, and i suppose is fair enough in the day as handy for the old dears as it serves the little roads in the estates that the big buses dont.

However it runs until near midnight, or rather some of them do. I can't comment from the day time as im never up that way, but whenever you see it at night 9/10 times it has no passengers on it, occasionally just 1. The majority of the route is within walking distance ofthe 38A/423 at night with exception of Moreton shore. Seems a lot of money for such a 'necessary' route that carrys mostly fresh air especially when money is so tight with funding. What is even more frustrating is that at night it was just as busy when it was the 901 - mostly fresh air, so no idea what they were thinking! There won't be any more complaints about this route now, as the residents have their beloved bus coverage but Merseytravel dont seem to care how many people actually use it. It must cost them hundreds to run the bus each night, and for the sake of a couple of passengers , a lot of which just get it because its the first bus that comes when they could get a 423, seems a waste of public money when it could be contributing to a route such as the much missed hospital route 118/119 - which oddly still runs on christmas day. When i contacted merseytravel as to why the 118 was still running on christmas day despite being axed 364 days a year, the response was (no joke) it's a vital link and people need to visit the hospital. Clearly only on christmas day though? Anyway rant over and back to topic!