Day 2 of timetable changes on the 27 timetable and a lot of passengers seem to be fed up.
Criticisms include:
* Poorly advertised timetable changes - local paper mentioned reduced frequency. New timetable available online but no printed timetables about - a lot of the passengers being the older generation may not have Internet access.
* As well as frequency reduction, there is also a capacity reduction as the route is now operated by a Solo. The more frequent was operated by Wright Cadet buses which had a small number of standees at peak times.
* The gap in timetables. People studying at Macclesfield college may not make the 16:00 bus and the next one is 17:45. While someone working in Knutsford who finishes at 5 now has to wait until 18:40 for a bus home!
* The new timetable not working, with some buses unable to run on time due to earlier journeys taking longer than scheduled, while other journeys taking 10 minutes less than timetabled.
The timings of Knutsford-Macclesfield via Stockport on the train are fairly competitive with the bus, although the train fare is more than double the bus fare.
Incidentally, does anyone know where the Wright Cadet buses are now being used? Unless they've been repainted they say 'Cheshire Connect operated by Centrebus' opposed to 'Cheshire Connect operated by Bowers' which was put on the other Cheshire Connect buses which Bowers had.
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A rather archaic method is used by Clowes Coaches on the 108 service from Macclesfield to Ashbourne, via Leek, in that no tickets are issued and everyone irrespective of age is asked for their journey details, which are then individually logged in ball-point pen on a feint-ruled pad by hand by the driver.
So do return and day tickets not exist on that route?