City announce trial bus scheme for home games

[Cheadle_hulmeBlue]

They have other options though. From Macc, it’s the train (if it’s not cancelled!) followed by a tram or walk to & from Piccadilly - or drive. The bus has been a good option (but needs to stop being half an hour late!)

stating the obvious, Macclesfield isnt really anywhere near the Etihad, so you’d expect difficulties at times getting to the ground. There are areas in Manchester where you are better off getting a train and then a tram to the ground.

Obviously a bus service helps with that and if that helps people from Macclesfield great. I’d just like to also see that applied to areas within Manchester, where it would make sense to have regular buses to the ground. (Not just town)

 

[Alex - City Matters]

Hi Alex. I use the Macclesfield bus & it’s more than 30% take up. However, the driver has on two occasions had no idea how to use the card payment machine so on the first day v Chelsea, nobody paid. they also do not account for those who have a senior travel card. It doesn’t look as if they have any idea how many have actually used the bus. The guard does nothing & doesn't count the passengers. They therefore wait longer than necessary to leave the college car park after the game.
Having said that, the service seems to be working well in terms of getting us there & back & most people like & appreciate it.

I just don’t want the club to be misled on the numbers using it. It’s been over 50% I’d say on the Macc bus - maybe more

Thanks - that's really useful feedback.

They certainly never knew about us in Middleton

We been doing 3 to 4 buses ourselves for years

I know it is very different as we cater for a different clientele. We want a drink before, on the bus and straight after the game

We also charge less for kids and oaps

And your buses are very much appreciated Steve!

 

[Alex - City Matters]

They're not that bad, some operators are better than others. The BeeNetwork app has only had one ghost bus for me so far, not that I am a prolific user of buses, but this won't cover all of GM for a year or two yet. I don't think these MC buses will be on there at the moment, the TfGM schedule shows some of them on their website but the stops are incorrect, it's showing more bus stops than actual along the routes, which would be great if the long-term plan is to have a timetabled service.

I think this is a good point. As others have mentioned, particularly when in Macclesfield or somewhere else where it is a fair journey to the Etihad, the lack of live information isn't particularly helpful especially when a bus is late. I'll feed that back to the club.

I used the match bus for the first time from Heald Green last night as none of my usual crowd were going. I usually get the train/tram as we get to the ground early for a few beers in the new(ish) South Stand bar. My bus stop is more or less across the road from the train station so no difference there. The price of the bus was £8 and I believe there is no concessionary fares, my train midweek is now £8.30 and then a tram from Piccadilly ( I have a metrolink matchday pass so I don't know the cost of that part). The bus was bang on time as is the train usually. When using the the train/tram combo it normally takes 35/40 min to get inside the ground, I can get a seat on the train but the tram is packed. Using the bus, it left at 5:55 and I was in the ground at 7:40 which is a much longer journey. Getting there that late I obviously had to queue to get in when I normally don't when I get there early. Coming home our bus set off at around 10:20 and dropped off at 11:15. On midweek games I leave dead on the final whistle and have to get to the other side of the ground for the tram, using my fast pass I normally get on the first/second tram and get the 22:20 getting to Heald Green at 22:35. Overall, if you don't mind getting there last minute, the bus is a decent option but I'll stick to the train from now on. I think the fares for the bus need to be looked at and £8 for kids is outrageous.

Two hours on the bus isn't great. That's is the sort of thing that is going to put people off using the services.

Correct. It could pass through Didsbury, Withington, Ladybarn, Burnage and Leve, through Gorton down Mount Road. It’s crazy these massive City areas aren’t on one of the routes. Who came up with these routes? Don’t they know where our support is in South Manchester?

As others have alluded to, the routes were determined by TfGM by analysing public transport 'darkspots' across Greater Manchester and where fans travel to the Etihad from. However, that doesn't take into account where existing service may already exist. As the data sample increases per game, it should help to optimise the routes moving forward.

 

[Stretford Born Blue]

Duck me, it’s a trail to be evaluated at the end of the season, with reference to any lessons learned.
It may well expand with more routes and buses thereafter.
Everybody getting their knickers in a twist.
Try reading the information, rather than knocking it to bits before it starts FFS‍

 

[bluemooncas]

Got an email this morning about the new Arena,
with every ticket, Metrolink and shuttle bus tickets are free,
should be doing this for the football as well

 

[Stephen230]

Got an email this morning about the new Arena,
with every ticket, Metrolink and shuttle bus tickets are free,
should be doing this for the football as well

There’s no reason why it couldn’t have been done previously.

But hopefully with it being a new thing for the music fans, they’ll extend it to football next year.

Possibly not doing it this season due to fans already having bought the Metrolink add on season ticket.

 

[Oooh Curley Wurley]

In SS3

We always stay till after final whistle to give thanks to the best team in the world

Not a chance of making Briscoe Lane for the scheduled departure of the Match Bus

 

[Alan Harper's Tash]

Free buses for Coop Live events. Suddenly £8 seems even more expensive.

 

[Stephen230]

Free buses for Coop Live events. Suddenly £8 seems even more expensive.

It does say ‘included’ rather than free. More likely they’re charging everyone, whether they use it or not.

 

[Alan Harper's Tash]

It does say ‘included’ rather than free. More likely they’re charging everyone, whether they use it or not.

Semantics at the end of the day. I did say it seemed more expensive as it’s the feeling that it can be included in one ticket price and not in others.

It'll only be from town too, so I do understand that there are differences.