394 bus service

[Barbara]

OK Simone  I apologise! 

[My login is Henrietta]

Cllr Mckeown from Gamesley states that in 2013 the Saturday service was subsidised jointly by Transport for Greater Manchester and Derbyshire County council at a cost of £350. The Saturday subsidy will continue. The problem is that High Peak Buses currently runs the Monday to Friday service without subsidy and the service is not now economically viable due to low usage.

"the service is not now economically viable due to low usage"

It might be more viable if the drivers actually registered OAP's bus passes. I've been on the bus several times when the passes (including mine) have been ignored and tickets not issued. Hmm, I wonder if this is laziness or company policy to prove a point they wish to argue?

[My login is Henrietta]

That's good to know John.

Anthony McKeown, a High Peak Councillor, is alco on the case from the Glossop end of the route.

[simonesaffron]

I know for a fact both Cllr Annette Finnie and William Wragg MP have been making representations. I imagine Cllr Geoff Abell has done so, as I know he has been contacted by Cllr Annette Finnie regarding communications over this.

That's good to know John.

[simonesaffron]

And I don't suppose any of them actually use the buses so won't appreciate just how valuable a lifeline they are for some of their constituents.

Unfair assumption Barbara and I can personally say untrue. For I have actually seen Councillor Geoff on the bus. It wasn't the 394, but it was definitely a bus.

[JohnBates]

I don't suppose any of our local Councillors or our esteemed MP has made any representations? I'd be amazed if they do, seem to be very good at keeping their heads down when there's a whiff of anything potentially controversial in the air.

I know for a fact both Cllr Annette Finnie and William Wragg MP have been making representations. I imagine Cllr Geoff Abell has done so, as I know he has been contacted by Cllr Annette Finnie regarding communications over this.

[Barbara]

And I don't suppose any of them actually use the buses so won't appreciate just how valuable a lifeline they are for some of their constituents.

[skala]

I don't suppose any of our local Councillors or our esteemed MP has made any representations? I'd be amazed if they do, seem to be very good at keeping their heads down when there's a whiff of anything potentially controversial in the air.

[marplerambler]

I received a personal message from a person concerned about what can be done.

The very first thing is to let our Councillors and MP know that we care about and need the service by writing to them or making appointments with them to express our dissatisfaction. Apathy amongst those who want to see the continuation of the service is a huge problem so if you could make your voice heard and write to or request an appointment to the political representative who will have to make a decision about the funding  (or more likely say 'Sorry, not my fault mate. It is wonderful to receive payment to be your Councillor or MP but the responsibility ultimately lies with Transport for Greater Manchester' but at the end of the day not enough people use the service to make it economically viable. You cast your vote and choose a party with a commitment to keep taxes down so we can all afford a car to drive to hospital or pay for a taxi so to oppose the Conservative government's instructions to reduce expenditure on local services goes against all we stand for). The problem is that not everyone can afford a new car or a taxi and not everyone is permitted to drive because they have medical conditions which prohibited driving. The Conservative MP will feed you tea and sympathy but when it comes to the crunch the government is committed to ending subsidy of unprofitable public transport services outside London.  At the end of the day TfGM will fund the service if it receives the cash from central government and/or the ratepayer. The MPs / councillors will only do this if political pressure for subsidy is so great that they fear they may lose their seats.

The Gamesley Councillor is fighting hard for the service. Barely a person in Marple knew about this proposed cut a few days ago but they certainly knew in Gamesley because the Councillor was kicking up a stink. It is a month since High Peak Buses stated that they could no longer run this service without subsidy. If the Marple/Hazel Grove councillors are doing the same as the councillor for Gamesley why has it been kept a closely guarded secret?

So please, protest to your MP and Councillor, ask him or her 'Will you fight for a subsidy for this bus service Yes or No?'

Please put details of the problems this will cause by making an entry stating the problem on this Forum so that the political representative cannot just sweep it under the carpet stating 'no-one used the bus anyway!'

Sign the petition at  https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/save-our-394-glossop-marple-stepping-hill-hospital-bus-1

 and use this website to highlight the difficulties you will suffer or to make it clear that the way forward is that the government should assume no responsibility for spending taxpayers money on public transport.

[JohnBates]

Pressure on a company operating a loss-making service is not enough. The service needs a subsidy from Transport for Greater Manchester and Derbyshire County council and it is the Councillors and MPs who make the decision to fund the service. The bus company needs to cover its costs if fares are lower than the cost of running the service (though it may be that a different bus company may offer a tender to run the service at a lower subsidy than High Peak Buses). This is the responsibility of the councillors and MPs, not the bus company.

I meant pressure on Derbyshire County Council and TFGM

[marplerambler]

I understand Derbyshire are looking at tendering for a two hourly service Monday to Friday.
I do feel that is to infrequent. If we keep up the pressure perhaps an hourly one as currently may be possible.

Pressure on a company operating a loss-making service is not enough. The service needs a subsidy from Transport for Greater Manchester and Derbyshire County council and it is the Councillors and MPs who make the decision to fund the service. The bus company needs to cover its costs if fares are lower than the cost of running the service (though it may be that a different bus company may offer a tender to run the service at a lower subsidy than High Peak Buses). This is the responsibility of the councillors and MPs, not the bus company.

[marplerambler]

My complete message did not show. Second edition:-

The issue with time keeping that enough buses are needed on “standby” that if there is a delay with a bus getting from A to B, there is another bus ready to leave from B at the correct time, even if the bus from A has not yet arrived.  (Otherwise when there are delays the buses will just get later and later as the delays add up.)

However this is not cheap…..

Two buses run backwards and forwards all day long. The journey time from Stepping Hill to Glossop is (in theory at least) 54 minutes so in theory the 38 from Glossop past the hour arrives at stepping Hill at 32 past to return to Marple/Glossop at 36 past the hour. An additional bus would increase the cost of running the service by 50% and even more frustratingly if for example a bus were to arrive 15 minutes late at Stepping Hill and the additional vehicle had left at the time shown in the timetable the bus which had arrived late would not pick up any passengers if it was running ten minutes behind the vehicle which had departed at the correct time. 'Standby' buses are fine on the 192 or 383/384 because the service is frequent. You arrive at the bus stop expecting a bus at half past and a bus will come at that time but you don't realise that the bus you catch should really have left at quarter past but an additional vehicle had been slotted in to ensure there is a 15 minute gap between departures. You just can't do that if the bus is hourly.

If you would like to see continuation of the 394 can you sign the petition at  https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/save-our-394-glossop-marple-stepping-hill-hospital-bus-1  ? Thanks.

[JohnBates]

I understand Derbyshire are looking at tendering for a two hourly service Monday to Friday.
I do feel that is to infrequent. If we keep up the pressure perhaps an hourly one as currently may be possible.

[ringi]

The problem of timekeeping  will not get any better in the foreseeable future with all of the work on the SEMMS Road on the A6 at High Lane but this problem is not solved by simply withdrawing the service. We need a subsidy and an operator who offers a sensible timetable in the mornings.

The issue with time keeping that enough buses are needed on “standby” that if there is a delay with a bus getting from A to B, there is another bus ready to leave from B at the correct time, even if the bus from A has not yet arrived.  (Otherwise when there are delays the buses will just get later and later as the delays add up.)

However this is not cheap…..

[simonesaffron]

Councillor Geoff,

As our local Marple Councillor and as Stockport's TfGM representative, Can you help?

I don't use this service myself but I have an elderly relative who does and cessation of this service would have a major impact on his life.