394 bus service

[marplerambler]

Monday 22.02.2016 I have put notices of the withdrawal of the service on all bus shelters on the route between Hawk Green and Lane Ends. Notices to 3 doctors surgeries in Marple  and Marple Bridge and to Ludworth School. Called in at office of William Wragg MP but he was out.  Have now collected about 60 signatures on a hand written petition.

If you use this route regularly or if you need the route to Stepping Hill or think that you may need the route to Stepping Hill to avoid the difficulties and cost of parking please sign. https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/save-our-394-glossop-marple-stepping-hill-hospital-bus-1

Whilst I agree that the withdrawal of the 394 service will be a loss to some, I can understand why it proved uneconomical to run.

For a fair few years I used this service to get to work at Stepping Hill. The problem was that the service was once an hour at best.ln the mornings the 8.45 never arrived on time because of congestion so it could not be relied upon to get me to work on time leaving only the earlier bus an option. In the evenings - well I lose count of the number of times I stood at the hospital waiting for a 5.20 bus that never arrived or was ridiculously late; leaving you debating whether to wait for the 6.30 & hope that turns up or take over another hour getting the 192 to Stockport and another bus then to Marple. That's before you even consider the bus fare which was fairly expensive.

Once I had children it just became out of the question because of its reliability - nurseries and after school club staff do want to go home on time too & I risked fines for being late.
 
So it's really no surprise that there are not many people using the service. It is a shame for those that don't have the option of a car and will not help parking at the hospital either.

The problem of timekeeping  will not get any better in the foreseeable future with all of the work on the SEMMS Road on the A6 at High Lane but this problem is not solved by simply withdrawing the service. We need a subsidy and an operator who offers a sensible timetable in the mornings.

[Middle wood]

Whilst I agree that the withdrawal of the 394 service will be a loss to some, I can understand why it proved uneconomical to run.

For a fair few years I used this service to get to work at Stepping Hill. The problem was that the service was once an hour at best.ln the mornings the 8.45 never arrived on time because of congestion so it could not be relied upon to get me to work on time leaving only the earlier bus an option. In the evenings - well I lose count of the number of times I stood at the hospital waiting for a 5.20 bus that never arrived or was ridiculously late; leaving you debating whether to wait for the 6.30 & hope that turns up or take over another hour getting the 192 to Stockport and another bus then to Marple. That's before you even consider the bus fare which was fairly expensive.

Once I had children it just became out of the question because of its reliability - nurseries and after school club staff do want to go home on time too & I risked fines for being late.
 
So it's really no surprise that there are not many people using the service. It is a shame for those that don't have the option of a car and will not help parking at the hospital either.

[marplerambler]

is this it @marplerambler ?

https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/save-our-394-glossop-marple-stepping-hill-hospital-bus-1

Thank you Stationery Supplies. Would everyone who wishes to see the continuation of the 394 service please sign this online petition. If this service is a lifeline for you please put a message on this site saying why. If our political masters don't know why the bus is vital to enable you to get to the shops or to the doctors in Marple/Marple Bridge/Hazel Grove/ Glossop they will evade responsibility so please don't just sign - tell us on the Marple Community Website why this is a lifeline. With a few stories of hardship caused by the loss of the bus and a bit of luck things can progress to the next level of getting the local newspapers reporting about the problems the loss of the bus service will cause.

[My login is Henrietta]

I have contacted Campaign for Better Transport informing them of the withdrawal of this service and requesting their assistance making the following statements:-

Why is the bus service important to you?
This is the only bus service to link Marple to Glossop. Withdrawal of the service will isolate the population living between the outskirts of Marple Bridge and Charlesworth denying access to shops and medical facilities in Marple Bridge or Marple to the west or Glossop to the east. At Marple Bridge there is a frequent 383-384 service to Stockport and train service to Manchester/Sheffield. At Glossop the 394 links with a train service to Manchester and bus services to Tameside. To the west of Marple there is an hourly Stagecoach 375 service from Hawk Green to Marple and Stockport Stepping Hill Hospital but this uses a particularly circuitous route. This service is a vital lifeline for those on the route who do not have access to a car. Passenger numbers are low but I believe that usage could be increased considerably it the route were to be marketed more effectively to the generally fairly affluent users who face tremendous difficulty when attempting to park at Marple Bridge, Marple station, Marple centre and Hazel Grove.   The service does suffer difficulties with timekeeping due to peak hour traffic jams in Glossop, Marple Bridge and Hazel Grove and these problems are currently exacerbated by single lane traffic on the very busy A6 just south of Hazel Grove to the construction of the SEMMS Manchester airport relief road.
Details of the cut.

I have just discovered that from 28th March 2016  High Peak Buses are completely withdrawing the Monday to Friday hourly 394 Glossop to Stepping Hill Hospital service via Gamesley, Charlesworth, Chisworth, Marple Bridge, Marple Station, Marple centre, Hawk Green, High Lane, Hazel Grove, Stepping Hill Hospital service. The service currently operates without subsidy Monday to Friday (and will continue to operate as a subsidised service on Saturday). The service serves an affluent semi-rural area of Greater Manchester between Hazel Grove and Marple with a very high rate of car ownership. Once out of Marple Bridge population density is low with a small number of houses adjacent to the main road. The small village of Chisworth has no other bus service and the next village Charlesworth is at the moment currently also served by Stotts Tours hourly 341 service. Gamesley is a large Manchester overspill estate originally built in the 1960s and the service is well used for the section to Glossop. I would appreciate your advice about maximising political pressure for local authority support for this service.


This statement is a starting point but it certainly does not fully reflect the dreadful effect the withdrawal of the service will have upon some people who live on the route. For this to be an effective campaign I need a lot more detail of how the withdrawal of the service will effect you personally enabling me to provide a convincing argument for support from Transport for Greater Manchester and Derbyshire County Council  so statements online if you wish or by email to me Steve Slater marplerambler@marplerambler.plus.com would be most useful.

Suggestions about the way forward and offers of assistance to set up an action group would be appreciated. I will write to our MP and Councillors asking for support I would suggest an online petition as well as a straightforward petition so any offer of assistance would be greatly appreciated.

Lateral thinking is always beneficial. Does anyone have any useful suggestions about marketing of a campaign or possible changes to the route or timing of services which would improve usage?

It will also impact on the local students attending the Kirklees College equine and animal care courses at Hargate Hill Equestrian Centre.

I use it daily to get to and from Buxton Lane to Hargate Hill where I keep my horse. As I'm an OAP it saves a lot in petrol. I only have to drive on Sundays (it doesn't run then).

It will be a disaster for anyone who lives on the route, works in Stockport and doesn't drive. The service is also used by shoppers who need to go into Glossop or Marple to do their regular food shops.

[Stationery Supplies]

is this it @marplerambler ?

https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/save-our-394-glossop-marple-stepping-hill-hospital-bus-1

[admin]

At the moment I can only get it to show on my Facebook site.

I think you must have it set to friends only as I can't see it on your FB page. Can you make it a public post then may be able to help?

[marplerambler]

I am pleased to see that that Councillor Anthony Mckeown of Gamesley has set up an online petition for the retention of the service. Are any of the Marple /High Lane / Hazel Grove or Stepping Hill councillors prepared to state that they will fight to ensure the service continues do the same and set up a petition on their websites?

Can any of the computer nerds advise how to get my 'Save the 394' petition to display on the 38degrees website? At the moment I can only get it to show on my Facebook site.

[Stationery Supplies]

@marplerambler there is a lady on the Glossop Facebook page campaigning to save the 394. She is called Mary Cahill.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Glossopdale.for.all/

[marplerambler]

Do we know how much is involved?

Cllr Mckeown from Gamesley states that in 2013 the Saturday service was subsidised jointly by Transport for Greater Manchester and Derbyshire County council at a cost of £350. The Saturday subsidy will continue. The problem is that High Peak Buses currently runs the Monday to Friday service without subsidy and the service is not now economically viable due to low usage.

[marplerambler]

Well done there is a partition somewere on the web .but cant find it anyone help /

Two places. There is a 38Degrees petition which I have set up and which is showing on via my Facebook page (Stephen Slater Stockport). I cannot figure out how to access directly this on 38degrees. If anyone knows how please let me and everyone else know
I spoke this morning to Cllr Anthony McKeown from Gamesley. He has an online petition which can be accessed if you google '394 (Glossop to Stepping Hill) - more bad news on the way'. 

[Stationery Supplies]

http://anthonymckeown.info/about-gamesley/local-bus-services/save-the-394-sign-the-petition-now/#mobile-menu

[amazon]

Do we know how much is involved?

no .but the service will run saturdays financial suport of transport for greater Manchester.just for one day

[Condate]

Derbyshire are with drawing the funding .

Do we know how much is involved?

[amazon]

Had 100 notices (details below) printed at Marple Stationery Supplies. I have spent the whole day going around all of the shops/pubs/cafes etc in Marple asking them to display. Many were obliging, quite a few were genuinely very interested. A few of the chains were not allowed. ASDA had an unbelievably patronising  *** telling me that its Community Notice Board could not be used to protest about cuts to bus services whilst the Co-op garage were at the other extreme and were very accommodating with a reply of something like 'Of course you can - that is what our Community Notice Board is for'. Even put one through William Wragg's letterbox.

Notices put on most of the bus stops.

I shall blitz Marple Bridge on Monday.

Notice stated the following:-

 SAVE OUR
394 BUS
The Hazel Grove to Marple to Glossop bus will cease to run on Mondays to Fridays from 28th March 2016.
Please write to your local MP William Wragg (Hazel Grove & Marple) or Andrew Bingham (High Peak) and contact your local councillor asking for his/her support for the continuation of this service.
Help me fight withdrawal of this service by signing the petition at Facebook for Stephen Slater ‘Save Our 394 Glossop – Marple – Stepping Hill bus’ at 38degrees.org.uk. I am currently trying to get this to show but it isn’t showing on the 38degrees site. There is an also online petition the site of Gamesley Councillor  Cllr Anthony E McKeown.
More details Marple Community Website.
 Contact me Stephen Slater marplerambler@marplerambler.plus.com if you can help.

Still having no luck getting the petition to display on the 38 degrees site but the online petition is there at Facebook Stephen Slater Stockport if you would sign it through there.

Well done there is a petition somewhere on the web but cant find it anyone help?

[marplerambler]

Had 100 notices (details below) printed at Marple Stationery Supplies. I have spent the whole day going around all of the shops/pubs/cafes etc in Marple asking them to display. Many were obliging, quite a few were genuinely very interested. A few of the chains were not allowed. ASDA had an unbelievably patronising  *** telling me that its Community Notice Board could not be used to protest about cuts to bus services whilst the Co-op garage were at the other extreme and were very accommodating with a reply of something like 'Of course you can - that is what our Community Notice Board is for'. Even put one through William Wragg's letterbox.

Notices put on most of the bus stops.

I shall blitz Marple Bridge on Monday.

Notice stated the following:-

 SAVE OUR
394 BUS
The Hazel Grove to Marple to Glossop bus will cease to run on Mondays to Fridays from 28th March 2016.
Please write to your local MP William Wragg (Hazel Grove & Marple) or Andrew Bingham (High Peak) and contact your local councillor asking for his/her support for the continuation of this service.
Help me fight withdrawal of this service by signing the petition at Facebook for Stephen Slater ‘Save Our 394 Glossop – Marple – Stepping Hill bus’ at 38degrees.org.uk. I am currently trying to get this to show but it isn’t showing on the 38degrees site. There is an also online petition the site of Gamesley Councillor  Cllr Anthony E McKeown.
More details Marple Community Website.
 Contact me Stephen Slater marplerambler@marplerambler.plus.com if you can help.

Still having no luck getting the petition to display on the 38 degrees site but the online petition is there at Facebook Stephen Slater Stockport if you would sign it through there.