Crewe reacts to 'much-needed' bus routes set to be cancelled in town
Crewe residents and representatives have reacted to 'much-needed' bus routes set to be cancelled in the town - following an announcement by Arriva North West.
Arriva North West is consulting with employees on plans to close its Winsford and Macclesfield depots - affecting bus routes in and around Crewe.
The move, if confirmed, would see the shutting of the depots with Arriva no longer operating any bus services in the Crewe, Winsford, Northwich, and Macclesfield areas.
Services to parts of Cheshire East, including Crewe, Sandbach and Macclesfield would be scrapped.
This affects six routes in and around Crewe, including the 84 Crewe to Nantwich/Chester, 6 Leighton Hospital to Shavington, 31 Northwich to Winsford to Crewe, 37 Northwich to Winsford to Sandbach to Crewe, 38 Crewe to Macclesfield and 3 Macclesfield to Weston.
A number of local residents have reacted to these potential bus route cancellations - shocked by the announcement.
Helen Gillett from Crewe, said: "The amount of students from the college and high schools I see getting on and off the 84 on Nantwich Road, they clearly rely on this service.
"Also the 6 that runs down Manor Way, always people on it, admittedly not many but still a used and much-needed service."
Crewe resident, David Owen, was hopeful another bus company would take the routes on.
He said: "We had buses long before Arriva came along and there will be other companies wanting to take the routes.
"If you go Into Hanley [Stoke-on-Trent] there are multiple operators covering various routes."
Leader of Cheshire East, Cllr Sam Corcoran, is urging residents to sign a petition to stop plans to close bus depots in Macclesfield and Winsford. The petition is HERE.
Arriva say both depots have been loss-making since before the pandemic and the number of journeys taken by passengers in the areas served by the depots has not recovered to the same levels as comparable operations following the pandemic.
It also says the bus sector is facing 'sustained and significant cost inflation' - meaning revenue from the operations doesn't cover the costs of running the operations.
Crewe and Nantwich MP, Dr Kieran Mullan, believes local bus services have not recovered since the COVID-19 pandemic and need a major rethink.
He told Nub News: "It is clear our local bus services, which were already struggling, have simply not recovered since the pandemic.
"They are requiring huge amounts of taxpayer subsidy still and passengers are still not coming back.
"We face a vicious cycle of route cuts meaning people can't rely on the bus, and dwindling numbers meaning more routes become financially unviable.
"We have got to find a way forward.
"As local MPs we will need to meet urgently with Arriva in the short-term, but we have also got to work with local councils and the government to come up with a long-term solution."
Crewe Nub News has contacted Cheshire East Council for comment.
READ MORE: Firefighters rush to hedge deliberately set on fire in Crewe.
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