Saturday Variety

Readers may have been mystified that, about a week ago, fbb promised to tie up the consequences of Arriva’s closure of its Macclesfield depot. The replacement services from D&G/Centrebus took some time to resolve as the negotiations with the bit of Cheshire doing the tendering were somewhat protracted.

These were eventually resolved and a splendid new timetable  fold-out leaflet was produced.

The contrast between D&G’s marketing effort and the non-publicity policy of Arriva goes some way towards explaining the latter’s abject failure in the town!

We already know that route 10 to Bollington was a simple registration by D&G, operating commercially.

Service 3 to Weston is similarly absorbed but probably with a smidgen of tender money. The service remains half hourly.

It is, naturally, better presented than anything Arriva bothered to offer its few remaining passengers.

The horrific complexity of Arriva’s presentation of the 4, 5 and 6 is just confusing.

The half hourly 4 to Broken Cross is straightforward but the 5 and 6 are an attempt to cobble together an evening service to include bits of the 3 and 4.

D&G’s map shows some reduction in confusion.

The result is a much neater 19 and 19A …

Cleverly, this local service rides on the back of the pre-existing route to Prestbury. Neat eh?

Which leaves Arriva’s route 9, a nice simple 30 minute frequency.

This time  it becomes a somewhat less neat and tidy 14/14A.

fbb guesses that this gives a similar service to the 9

… but at lower cost because again the former Arriva Moss Rose service piggybacks on a modified and pre-existing Centrebus 14.

Clearly Centrebus and its associated companies have come up with a good plan to maintain similar levels of service throughout the town but sharing the costs with their existing routes.

But what is so good is the quality of the maps and timetable presentation in the new leaflet. You might say that it is all creating desire – as some one once said!

The whole Macclesfield project seems to deserve at least one (probably more than one) chocolate peanut and the very best wishes for on-going success.

Oh, yes; the leaflet has a detailed map of the centre of Macclesfield …

And there are some very attractive fares …

£10.50 for two passengers – £11 for a group of FIVE!

fbb Bemused By Beeline B-route

Weird! It runs from Manorcrafts Primary School …

.. .actually this roundabout near the school; then via Egham Station …

… and then on to nowhere in particular in Egham.

But, near that unnamed terminus on the map, you will find this …

… an more notably, this!

This magnificent Victoria pile is the University of London Royal Holloway College Founders Building.

When we look at a timetable extract …

… we see that reflected in the timetable running on college days only. The student web site also shown the FH3 running at weekends …

…and Sreetview shows Diamond running route RH1. 

Traveline shows the 8B and, RH2 and RH3 both run by Diamond Bus South East.

Lets hope that the students know what is happening.

fbb has reviewed McGills significant cut-backs in the Livingston area of West Lothian. Pre-McGills there was some very aggressive competition by Lothian Buses attacking First Bus. Two express services started using coaches.

The pictures come from Roger French’s blog. The services did not last.

Parking Shortage In Ilfracombe?

Use the harbour – but check the tides!!

Price Confirmed

Generally speaking, if promoters are somewhat coy about revealing the price of their product, you can expect said price to be high. The above book retails at …

OUCH

Sadly, not on fbb’s “must have” list!

Tomorrow we go to Paris and also back to Leicester.

 Next Variety blog : Sunday 30th April