I'm currently sat at the royal oak in glossop waiting to go back to ashton on a 236. Been a weird morning really. Came in as spare and done odds and sods all day. After this trip i'm route learning a school for another driver then home time. Tomorrow is a first for me. I'm starting at 3am. I'm not normally one for getting up in the middle of time night but needs must i suppose. I will be done for 11 though which isn't too bad. It's been crazy week on our buses. Hyde road had problems yesterday 216s are still struggling to keep time and on monday the 231 168 and 169 cop for it. There is a shuttle bus running from ashton to the m60 motorway bridge near littlemoss but thats as far as it will go. I'm first on it monday morning so i'm sure it will be a bit of a headache. All details are on the website now. This pic shows snow still on the hills still lots about.
Arrr you answered my question before i had asked. I wondered whether Ashton would be running the shuttle service. Any idea which vehicle type will be used and will it be interworked with other services?
ReplyDeleteI carn't see many people using it to be honest. The walk from the motorway bridge to Littlemoss terminal is quite a distance. I would imagine most people would travel into Ashton and then use a 216/231.
Should be a dart. Two drivers per day morning and afternoon . One bus 15 minutes journey each way.
ReplyDeleteAs the 231 will be running along Oldham Rd in Ashton will it stop at bus stops on Oldham Rd?
ReplyDeleteNo. No bus should stop on a diversion route.
ReplyDeleteOk, so as Wilshaw Lane is part of the normal 231 route it will stop at the stops there will it?
ReplyDeleteNormally the buses observe all stops along the diversion route as far as I knew. Like when the 330 (then a Stockport depot duty) was diverted along Astley Street and Globe Lane and stopped at all the stops on the diversion route, when the white bridge was shut for strengthening. There was also a shuttle Dart bus here serving the part of the route not served by the diverted 330.
ReplyDeleteWith long term diversions such as that and the current 216 diversion passing piccadilly station we will stop. However. Short term diversions won't use the stops. The main reason is that the road could open at anytime and if someone is waiting at a none normal stop then they will be waiting a long time. The stops on willshaw lane will of course be in use as this is part of the normal route. I would expect the first stop on oldham road to be ok too as it's expected this is where the newmarket road crowd to walk to.
ReplyDeletewhat are you doing there at 3am?
ReplyDeleteStaff taxi bus. Normally avoid them like the plague as i'm not the best at getting up early but suited my day today. For them wondering what they are. One perk of our job is that if we start before 7 we can have a bus pick us up and take us into work for free. Most bus companies do it to help staff get in to ensure services run. Call me company boy but i think its a great perk. Get taken home after a late too.
ReplyDeleteActually another good thing about Taxi buses is the ability to see various depots vehicles where you'll never normally see them
ReplyDeleteThe first "anonymous" can't see many people using the shuttle bus. Why not? What about all the people along Newmarket Road and Taunton Road wanting to get into Ashton?
ReplyDeleteIt's not only the 216s struggling to keep time at the moment. I was on a 219 into Ashton yesterday and have never seen the road more gridlocked. The route itself didn't have any diversions so I can only assume that traffic from elsewhere is being diverted onto this stretch of road.
ReplyDeleteMartin, if you read the Stagecoach website first you may undertsand!
ReplyDeleteThe 168/169 are only running to Littlemoss so anyone wanting to use them beyond Littlemoss will have to use the Shuttlebus to the motorway bridge then 'walk' the rather long distance to Littlemoss bus terminal. My point was i carnt see many people doing that!!