Withdrawal of 358 service to New Mills and Hayfield.

[andrewbowden]

I definitely don't want to see the 358 go as it's a great route.  And it seems optimistic it will be saved. But it did have an uncertain future anyway due to bus franchising - where Transport for Greater Manchester will start controlling the local bus network, starting next year and rolling out to Stockport in 2025.

My understanding of the franchising documents is that cross-county boundary services like the 358 would have been exempt from franchising.  However under bus franchising Transport for Greater Manchester will buy the large bus depots from the current big bus operators (Stagecoach etc).  Companies will then bid to run services from those depots.  Stagecoach run the 358 from their Stockport depot, but may not be the company who will operate buses from Stockport depot from 2025.  i.e. there could have been a situation where Stagecoach still had the 358 but had no depot to run it from.

Assuming the route's saved, that should also mean its future becomes certain in the franchised world.

[marplerambler]

The TfGM website states that the £2 single fare is not transferrable for a second journey. Sorry about that!

[marplerambler]

From 4th September we shall see a major revision to bus fares in Greater Manchester. £2 max for a single journey (and a connecting second bus can be caught within an hour) , £5 max for a day's bus travel in Greater Manchester. Let us hope that this attracts more bums onto 358 bus seats. The ticket can be used on buses operated by any bus company in Greater Manchester. The £2 ticket will function as a 'hopper' fare - meaning the same ticket can be used for any change of bus (any operator) within 60 minutes of the ticket being bought, regardless of how many times a person changes buses within that hour.

[marplerambler]

During lockdown the government introduced subsidies to ensure that many bus services continued to run despite a very considerable reduction in usage due to Covid. These subsidies are to be withdrawn at the end of August. Stagecoach are threatening to reduce the frequency of the 358 and terminate the service at Strines. A public meeting will take place on Wednesday 17 August at New Mills Town Hall from 7.30pm chaired by the New Mills and Hayfield County Councillor Anne Clarke and MP Robert Largan is due to attend. It is hoped that a representative from Stagecoach will attend. I wish to see the continuation of this cross-border service to New Mills/Hayfield so I shall certainly be attending. Not a great deal of information can be found about cuts to buses in Stockport. The Manchester Evening News states that nine Stockport services will cease and that five will be operated with a reduced frequency but the only information that seems to be forthcoming about Marple buses is that the 358 could be terminated at Strines (possibly operated by a different company) and that evening 358, 383 and 384 services may not be operated by Stagecoach. The 375 and 394 provide a lifeline that can only survive if subsidised. If anyone has more information I would like to hear it. Off-peak, evening and Sunday services will almost certainly threatened. Are Marple Councillors and its MP prepared to fight for our bus services? It would certainly be encouraging to hear them state that they intend to fight to preserve and improve public transport in Marple.