Why does everyone look at D&G in Macclesfield as them expanding their ops commercially in the area. The 88 and 109 are both tenders and the 130 is complicated with what looks like some funding and some commercial going on. D&G are quite well known for putting in for all tenders and then looking at the logistics later on meaning they have expanding just be winning contracts or getting funding. Not commercial expansions as a result of them finding gaps in the market and taking risks.
The 38 is the only fully commercial route they run in Macclesfield.
I thought the 130 was commercial, at least for Monday to Friday.
D&G's first route in the Knutsford area was the daytime 300 on a commercial basis, after they took over the existing timetable from High Peak, who didn't want to continue operating the 300 after losing the 27 to GHA Coaches. However, after they operated the route for a while they decided Saturday services weren't commercially viable so only Mon-Fri daytime services remained commercial. Then it was part replaced by the short-lived 88A, which again was Mon-Fri only. It has been claimed the 88A was operating around the break even mark but they lost a lot of money on their Macclesfield to Manchester Airport service (which ran at the same time Arriva were still operating an hourly Macclesfield to East Didsbury service), so withdrew all commercial routes which they weren't making healthy profits on in response.
There's a common trend when you look at D&G's commercial services past and present that either there's no Saturday service or the Saturday service is subsided. I think the problem is they always seem to try running the same timetable on a Saturday but with a later start and earlier finish. Running a slightly different route on Saturdays and actually running an evening service might be more successful.
I can see D&G jumping in more routes as/when Arriva pull off but what I can also see happening is a full network review with D&G, High Peak and the council working together to make the best use of resources mixing up routes.
Now Go Goodwins have the 391/392 routes it might be they'd be interested in running a local Macclesfield service using the same vehicles, in the same way that High Peak's vehicles which arrive in Macclesfield on the Buxton service do something else before they operate a return service to Buxton.
but due to contractual requirements, we are unable to confirm the details of this service until 25 September - a further update will follow after this date.
Strange that they can't confirm what has been put out to tender. Are they perhaps looking at different options e.g. one option a straight replacement for the D&G service, while another is working with TfGM to extend the existing 42C to Macclesfield?