When I brought you news last week of First’s spurious registration of a football service from Shaw Wren’s Nest to the Etihad, I unknowingly managed to ‘break’ some breaking news! Again, don’t say I don’t bring you anything here!
I published my piece at about 0100/0200, and at 1400 Manchester City itself posted a piece to it’s website clearing up the confusion.
It turns out that First’s MC13 is one of a 17-strong group of routes covering 340miles being trialled by TfGM and MCFC to make it easier to travel to matches, hoping to hawk back to the old days of bulging football specials running everywhere.
There was a map produced and it’s quite something to digest. Somehow Gee Cross gets a route, as does Macclesfield! It’s just a piece of beauty, quite frankly. Bravo!
The first run is this weekend’s (17th February) match against Chelsea. Fares are either £6 or £8 for a return. Not sure of details for other operators as of yet, but that there’s only 1 bus per route. Can see capacity being expanded down the line.
Wanting to smooth the transition after everyone witnessed the spectacular ‘in at the deepend’ approach taken by operators in T1 on Bee Day 1 (whether against their will or not), things seem to have kicked off early in T2. I did suggest at the time that things can only be improved for next time. Despite best will from all operators, and all the planning, not everything goes smoothly first time! I’m glad lessons have been learnt and things are on track to being alot smoother this time.
Stagecoach drivers, clad in their standard SC uniform, have started appearing on GNW and First routes on secondment this week, allowing drivers from the incumbents to take up Bee-related training sessions to ease them into Bee life and new routes at their new/old depots.
I did observe a First training bus filled to the brim with Stagecoach drivers the other week, but didn’t think they’d end up starting driving for the outgoing operators!
Works continue at Oldham’s bus station(s). The council has decided that the short linking road connecting the two bus stations is not needed and so has decided to pave over it, leaving a short run around the block and adding in 2 extra sets of lights and a mini roundabout for buses wishing to change stations.
It’s also made life a little harder at the larger bus station, Cheapside, as the only out of service bay at OMBS is on the West Street side (not that you could ever use it anyway due to popularity!). Meaning that now that on top of having no toilet facilities at all on either side, there is now 0 out of service areas for layover/breakdowns/staff breaks at Cheapside, unless you’re willing to receive a report for parking in the ‘authorised staff only’ car bay in the Home Bargain’s loading area entrance or a time-wasting drive around the block.
The M.E.N. had an “exclusive” on Friday that a return of bigger night bus network, in some form on “one or two routes”, will be trialled in T1 at some point soon. Mayor B spoke at the Night Time Economy Summit the day before. Guess where it was held? Depot Mayfield! Possibly home to a bus depot to call its own soon.
King Bee said “For the first time in a long time, we’re talking about running night buses in Greater Manchester” along with other positive utterances. Might he be forgetting the 24-hour 365-day route 43 to the Airport from Piccadilly?
I’ve heard some horror stories of drivers doing the weekend night buses for revellers before First slowly wound down their night network a number of years ago. Despite loadings being observed by police (who I fear won’t return due to ‘resource’), a flat fare of £5, outbound trips only (trip out, dead back, trip out, and so on) and being drop-off only, it was by many accounts quite lucrative with full loads some nights. However, I think there’s now a tide to turn with people getting used to relying more on Uber/etc leading to increased supply which can take them directly home, there needs to be something extra to persuade people back; low fares, safety, and regular departures for example. Also, should drivers offer to work permanent lates/nights, let them!