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TfGM plans bus service changes for Cheadle and Gatley
by Lib Dem team on 17 January, 2018
We have been informed of the following changes to bus services which are coming to TfGM.
While we recognise the financial pressure TfGM is under, we question whether a good-enough effort has been made to promote the 44 and 45 services through Gatley. Many people don’t realise they are there, or that they can hail the 45 bus anywhere on its route through the Lakes estate.
Service 11A changes Sunday and evening
Service 11A currently operates a commercial Monday to Saturday daytime service every 30 minutes – this is supported by a 30 minute evening and 60 minute Sunday service.
Service 11 currently operates a commercial Monday to Saturday daytime service every 15 minutes and a Sunday daytime service every 20 minutes with no late evening service.
An hourly 11A service is resource inefficient and officers are recommending to provide funding for an hourly service 11 instead of service 11A.
This would leave small sections of the 11A route unserved during evening/Sundays only between Gatley and Baguley, parts of which would be 800m from the nearest alternative service.
Provision of service 11 would reinstate an evening link between Wythenshawe and Altrincham, from Wythenshawe Hospital to Altrincham, Timperley, Cheadle and Stockport and would reinstate evening services through Broomwood.
Services 44 and 45 changes
I moved from Didsbury to Gatley just over a year ago, and have also moved by business (employing 12 people) from Didsbury to Cheadle. I find the lack of direct buses between Cheadle/Gatley and Manchester very frustrating, and am very surprised that there isn’t a bus that goes directly from Parrs Wood along A34/Kingsway, and the removal of the 44/45 seems madness, particularly as they are developing the Barnes Village site, which may increase passenger numbers along Kingsway.
Have to agree, Karen – it sometimes feels like there’s a wall along the Mersey that stops decent public transport getting through!
If it was up to me ?…
Gatley would have three bus routes…
The 11A, but, traversing Brinksway between Stockport bus station and the Farmers Arms and traversing the centre of Timperley from Brooklands roundabout to the Hare and Hounds – the ‘straightest’ route between the two towns. Also, a different number should be given to the service (as used to be the case of course! – too many dimwits find the current numbers confusing).
The 11 would be much as now. That said, methinks it would be better for the to traverse Crossacres between Gatley and Civic Centre (as the equivalent service did until the late 80’s).
That just leaves the provision of a service to Manchester. Oneself certainly appreciated the old 45 service which traversed the old Wilmslow Road through the centre of Didsbury and Withington. Whichever route north of Gatley is chosen, methinks Manchester Airport should be the southern destination.
Let’s be clear on this, TfGM is simply the messenger which will be shot in the service of Stagecoach, who’s owners are both multi millionaires. They have achieved this status by ruthlessly cherry picking routes in an unregulated market. Andy Burnham plans to regulate buses under new powers in Greater Manchester, a proposal which is already being suggested will be challenged in court by stagecoach.
In the meantime as has been said, anywhere over the Mersey doesn’t seem to count and we might as well have, let’s face it, an old fashioned stagecoach. Poor transport links have an effect on local economy, unlike Ms. Sproston, we elected to open our business in Stockport rather than Cheadle purely on the basis of poor transport infrastructure which showed no sign of improving. Nearly two years on, it still doesn’t.
Not quite Alan. TfGM has say on subsidised routes. The 44 & 45 are not run by Stagecoach (they are Manchester Community Travel – MCT). the 11A is partially subsidised by TfGM.
You are right that bus regulation should help. That’s a key policy which GM has been working on for several years and delivered in 2015 when the Government legislation went through. Andy Burnham, like the other mayoral candidates, said he would implement it, which will be great even if it has been delayed.
Like others, I find the poor provision of transport in Cheadle disgraceful. Perhaps there aren’t enough Labour voters to attract the sympathy of TfGM. On the 11A situation, it’s a bus I sometimes use to visit friends in Altrincham. Quick and direct. The 11 on the same route is interminable. It’s a great shame, and I for one will always drive in future. Like most people I would not claim to have a thorough grasp of the process by which bus routes are decided, but I get the impression that the overall priority is not the convenience of the travelling public or the wider interests of society.
Hi Nick – unfortunately, the issue of public transport funding is the same everywhere. You can look at the TfGM reports each month and there’ll be page after page of bus services being cut – as many in Labour as non-Labour areas.
Am I correct in thinking that the service 11 bus from Gatley to Cheadle and back is going to become a one hourly service ? If it is it is likely to have a detrimental effect on the shops in both Gatley and Cheadle. I currently travel into Cheadle from Gatley on Tuesdays and Fridays to do a number of tasks and to socialise with friends. If the service changes to a one hour service I’m unlikely to use the bus at all as if you just miss a bus you would have to wait for one hour for the next whereas currently the wait is no longer than 15 minutes.
Iain is it not also true to say that services run by MCT are implemented because there is a perceived need for transport that (in this case) Stagecoach aren’t prepared to deliver?
We have the circular bus routes in Cheadle, namely 309 and 310. Surely, with the Barnes Village development now on line, there could be a similar service for Kingsway, Cheadle, Manchester Road, Parrs Wood, Kingsway. And I can also see that it could take in Gatley as well.
Or am living in cloud cuckoo land?
Malcolm – I’ve not heard that one, and I think it’s unlikely, but I’ll keep an eye out for any news.
Alan – yes
Estelle – yes, we’ve been trying to find a way to make this happen for a couple of years now. No success yet, but we’ll keep on at it. One of the bus companies needs to be willing to run it as a fully commercial service if it’s to work.
More pressure should be brought to bear on Stagecoach and other stage carry bus companies.
A bus service that picks up and drops off at more than 4 stops on any particular route is considered a stage carriage and As Such Pays No Fuel Duty therefore all multistop bus services are publicly Subsidised
Yes – we just don’t have a way to bring more pressure.
All the more reasons to reinstate the platform at Cheadle railway station to provide rapid transport to Stockport, Manchester and Altrincham.
How is the Council progressing with this long standing proposal?
One used to be able to go by car to the Parrswood Metrolink terminal and onwards to Manchester but alas the Car park is always jammed solid these days and we believe not always with commuters but local office workers. It seems that nothing can be done about this. If we had money to invest, I think that a taxi service would be a great idea in the future the way transport is going, unless one happens to be a student wanting to go no further than Parrswood. The no. 42 which terminates there are every 5 minutes.