More bus cuts on the way

by Lisa Reeves

Wednesday 13^th December 2017

Wed 13^th Dec 2017

Arriva have confirmed that the 130 bus service will be reduced from a half hourly to an hourly service between Macclesfield, Alderley Edge, Wilmslow, Handforth and Manchester.

The hourly service will come into effect on Monday 27th January 2018 and will run from Monday to Sunday until the end of March 2018.

Last month Cheshire East Council's cabinet approved cuts to the borough's subsidised buses to achieve savings of just over £1m.

This included the withdrawal of all Sunday bus services, unless they are totally self-sustaining, so the 130 Sunday service will be withdrawn from April onwards.

Mark Wynne, General Manager at Arriva North West, said: "The alterations follow a consultation with TSS and the local council, in which Arriva was informed of recent funding cuts. We'd like to reassure customers that the service will remain in operation and apologise for any inconvenience the changes may cause."

Tags:: Arriva, Bus Services

Comments

Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.

Julie Smith

Wednesday 13^th December 2017 at 4:23 pm

The 130 is already an hourly service?

Russell Young

Wednesday 13^th December 2017 at 4:25 pm

Consultation with TSS and CEC (nobody who uses it then) and it should be pointed out the Mon to Sat element is running commercially and has never featured in the forthcoming CEC cuts, so can't see the relevance of linking this substantial cut to that.

The managed decline of this important link continues.....,

Vic Barlow

Wednesday 13^th December 2017 at 4:59 pm

Something has to go to pay for all the ‘suspensions’ on full salary, independent investigations, reports and pay-offs.

This is imporant stuff sod the poor devils who have to rely on public transport.
“Let them take taxis.”

Gwynneth Littleton

Wednesday 13^th December 2017 at 5:19 pm

This is tragic and isolating. Gwynneth Littleton.

Bob Bracegirdle

Wednesday 13^th December 2017 at 5:36 pm

Ho ho ho. It's Christmas. Used to be every 10min from Alderley to Manchester and every half hour Macclesfield (15min on Saturdays) and ran until 1040pm. Thus have our habits and the tie to the car changed - though as well satisfyingly rail takes some beating to Manchester from both Macclesfield and Wilmslow.

Neda Metcalfe

Wednesday 13^th December 2017 at 7:43 pm

Yes the 130 is now hourly except when it doesn’t bother to turn up at all. My sister waited in cheadle for the 27min past 10 service last week, it arrived at 11.05 then a few days later another went missing and an elderly lady waited in the bus shelter for 1hour and 10 mins she was shaking with cold when it arrived. It is so isolating for residents of Wilmslow and Handforth

Pete Taylor

Wednesday 13^th December 2017 at 10:47 pm

According to the response to my recent Freedom of Information request, CEC is paying £39525 per month to people suspended from duty. You can cut and paste the names and amounts as this seems to be a rapidly-moving target.
Michael E Jones, the former disgraced/disgraceful/under Police investigation "Leader of the Council" has thrown in the sponge, according to yesterday's Crewe Chronicle. I'm not a betting man but... I think this story has some way to run yet.

Richard Armstead

Thursday 14^th December 2017 at 12:13 am

So the Northern Planning Committee have the answer to one of the factors for which they deferred their decision to approve or refuse the Lidl development at Summerfields - no 130 service after April 2018.

Ade Whitaker

Thursday 14^th December 2017 at 6:52 am

The bus from Macclesfield is currently half hourly - but alternate ones only go as far as Benson Walk. So - yes ... the current service from Wilmslow to Cheadle/Didsbury/Manchester is already hourly. Strangely, during the morning rush hour, its more like every 70 minutes when you would expect it to be more frequent. No doubt the usual response of "use the train" will come out - but not everyone lives close to a train station and for some people the bus is a lot more convenient. There doesn't seem to be anyone responsible for ensuring people can get around effectively - we are at the whim of the private companies. It's a viscious circle - the more they cut, the less attractive the bus service becomes, so they cut even more.

David Nelson

Thursday 14^th December 2017 at 8:45 am

Just hope also that Arriva factors in getting a lot of students to and from Macc college at the relevant times. The college bus was already cut. This 130 is essential

Gillian Slater

Thursday 14^th December 2017 at 9:32 am

Are the timetables in the bush shelters being altered in good time?. The 130 is an excellent service to/from Macclesfied Hospitals , The Hub etc.

Maureen Marner

Thursday 14^th December 2017 at 10:29 am

I've recently moved here to an Anchor Property in Wilmslow, to find the bus services being cut. I'm so disappointed and upset at the cuts. The 378 completely suspended. The 200 now every 2 hours Which I must admit is better than nothing. At least we can get to the station from Lacey Green. So can at least travel to other towns etc.

The 130 from Half hour to an hour. When not on strike.

At least I can walk to a bus stop, but other pensioners /elderly senior cannot now get to a bus stop in Lacey Green. I fully understand about loosing money. Not being used much, but we are quite happy to pay a contribution either towards our bus pass or pay a subsidy on the bus for our journey. Or can a 'ring and ride' service be considered ????

Birgitta Hoffmann

Sunday 17^th December 2017 at 5:40 pm

I had the pleasure in November to "test" the reliability of the 130 service between MAcclesfield Hospital and Wilmslow and had to come to the conclusion that this is really not a bus service that can be used if you need to be anywhere on time on the route. So hardly surprising that less and less people use it, who have a choice.
But as the main bus service to the hospital, there are large numbers of residents in Handforth, Wilmslow and Alderley dependent on getting to their appointments, even if they have to wait ages. This will now get even worse.
The problem is that Cheshire East does not want to see the large parts of the population who are dependent on the bus services in our area. An utter disgrace!