I'm just waiting for the bus home in oldhams smaller horrid bus station. However not as horrid as the big one. I noticed a couple of things on the service change notice. Firstly a shuttle to dovestones from uppermill and greenfield and more oddly a single bus from mossley to manchester and a single return trip in the evening all run by checkmate. The one to town is 0710 from mossley and 1600 from town. Hardly the busiest of times to run it. Is this just to stop dead mileage if they start a 220 in town in the morning? Who knows. I'm sure these trips will have keen eyes watching them though.
Yes there positoning journeys to set up 220's and are being run as C20's. They run from Mossley to Ashton on the same route as the S50/350. Then from Ashton they run over Lord Sheldon Way past Snipe retail park then down Ashton Old road to avoid the traffic. I carnt imagine it getting too many passengers but who knows.
ReplyDeleteThe two Dovestones Shuttles have been set up by Oldham Council and Gmpte as trains now run to Greenfield station on Saturdays and Sundays so its hoped people will leave the cars at home and use the train/bus. This was done in 1995 & 1996 but wasn't very successful infact the buses ran around every weekend empty.
Judging by the looks of it, they're just to draft in any additional revenue for any dead mileage...couldn't hurt. It is timed around from going to manchester, arriving 5 minutes before the 220 starts, and return when it finishes...no idea why they didn't label it the 220...perhaps another 'no frills' service? Do they start at Hey farm though? it just says 'Mossley' on the info page.
ReplyDeleteThe shuttles are summer time only, so it is bound for the busiest time in the year...plus the lovely weather *cough*
Hopefully there'll be a bit more publicity for the Greenfield/Uppermill-Dovestone services this time than perhaps there was last time round. Good luck this time I say.
ReplyDeleteIts quite a clever thing to do. At one time alot of operators did it. I know most of Mayne's services finished outside there depot and Warrington Transport run to there depot as well.
ReplyDeleteI could be wrong but when a bus is running on a registered journey the operator claims back the VAT on the fuel used but when its running 'dead' they have to pay the VAT.
I wonder if Checkmate will be publishing a timetable to go with this new service lol.
They may have had several people hail their bus service during 'dead mileage'. Good luck to them atleast.
ReplyDeleteThere has to be a timetable produced. Im curious as the where this bus will stop in Ashton Bus station. I have never been able to understand dead running. I like it though as its nice to drive with no one on. We have 3 or 4 buses on either the 7 or 330 that finish in stockport and run dead, sorry "private" is the new term. to Ashton. i'd run them back in service.
ReplyDeleteYes Ashton Bus Station is getting rather cramped now, once speedwells 'frequent' S48 starts it will be even busier. I would imagine it will get given the Stand next to the probation service offices, but thats only a guess.
ReplyDeleteWe have a problem now with the S50. The bus that comes off the 346 to go on the 236/237 has a 12 minute layover on the stand it comes in at 39 and 09 past the hour and leaves at 21 and 51. This blocks the stand for the S50 and the PTE hitlar keeps coming over moving us on lol. Happy days
ReplyDeleteIts been hinted on another site that JPT are to take over the 346 from June. Is there any truth in this rumour?
ReplyDeleteI was on a 236 last week and the S50 had to load in the middle of the carrigeway.
There seems to be problems with ticket touts in Ashton at the moment. I was approached last week twice by two lads claiming to be selling day savers.
doubtful cosidering they're commercial services....except checkmates and the evenings, so you never know
ReplyDeleteI have been told by the guy that sends the weekly reports bus ones that a First Bolton driver is beinging a bus from that depot to run on the Ashton services everyday for firstbus also Oldhams 34082 is on loan here at Ashton as 40433 is dumped at Wigan
ReplyDeleteThe tickets they are selling are not real daysavers but scanned imitations. As previously mentioned easy to spot and really not worth buying. JPT might win the evening service on the 346 which checkmate run at the moment but i dont think it will be the day service.
ReplyDeleteIf Ashton Bus Station is tight for space now what's it going to be like when they realign it and reduce the stands again.
ReplyDeleteCheckmate's yard is in Bury Street (Google Street View http://is.gd/cBmoz ) so the buses will probably run to and from Manchester Road/ Stanhope Street.
ReplyDeleteWhy not label it 220? Because it will only follow the 220 route as far as The Trough, Audenshaw.
Martin, thanks for answering a question ive been wondering for quite a while. Intrestingly Checkmates OC is listed on Vosa as being at Seel street Mossley, but presumably this is where the owner lives.
ReplyDeleteIts a difficult one deciding what number to give a route like this, but surly it would have been easier to run it as an extended 216 or a 219 and then it would have a better chance of picking up good loads of passengers in Ashton/Manchester.
That was one of Speedwells problems running between Manchester and Ashton. Nobody on the route recognised the number S50 so waited for a 216. If it had been numbered as a S16 for examle im sure more would have used it.
ahright, so it's literally the reason why it's not labelled as '220' is because it doesn't follow the actual route...I was under the idea it was.
ReplyDeleteIf they labelled it as '216' or '219' is because it may cause confusion with SC, mossley and frequent users asking why can't they use their megarider lol
Well yes if it was running all day then maybe but as its only 2 trips i think it would be easier. Also they could always do what JPT have done and except Stagecoach Dayriders on the stretch between Ashton and Manchester.
ReplyDelete