Save Our 394 Glossop - Marple - Stepping Hill Hospital Bus

394 service saved!!!
Negotiations between Transport for Greater Manchester and Derbyshire County Council yesterday resulted in an announcement that funding will be provided for a Monday to Friday two-hourly service (although this needs to be approved by TfGM tomorrow).
This petition helped a great deal by creating awareness and political pressure which seemed to be totally absent three weeks ago so thank you to 38degress for providing the means to make the dissatisfaction of users of the bus known to our local politicians. I believe that this campaign together with what seemed to be cross-party support in both Gtr M/cr and Derbyshire has secured the continuation of the service, albeit at a reduced level (a Monday to Friday two-hourly service instead of hourly and withdrawal of the Saturday service). A considerable subsidy which was not previously allocated has been secured. This, I believe, is quite an achievement at a time of massive cuts in local authority expenditure.

394 service saved!!! (continued)
My only appeal now is that more people who live on this route should use it more frequently: this has been a worrying close shave and once the bus service goes, that is it, it will be gone forever. If you are a car driver/owner it may be almost irrelevant but don't forget that age, ill-health or other misfortune could lead to the loss of your driving licence and you may suddenly find yourself imprisoned in your home or subjected to huge taxi fares each time you need to visit Stepping Hill Hospital or your doctor in Marple or Glossop.
Many thanks to all who supported, promoted and helped with this campaign.

Flyers posted on all of the bus stops between Hawk Green and High Lane. Flyers on all of the bus stops for the entire length of the A6 on the 199 bus stops from Andrew Lane all the way down to the Middlewood Way. High Lane Medical Practise were unaware of the proposed withdrawal of the bus so are now displaying notices. Met a LibDem in High Lane and discovered that LibDems have just printed a leaflet and are now putting them through letterboxes on the 394 bus route asking for signatures on the LibDem petition supporting continuation of the 394 bus service. Have now put more than 100 notices on bus stops/notice boards/ shop windows etc. LibDem website now has over 200 signatures supporting the continuation of the bus service.

26.02.2016
Requests for support and flyer sent to:
Marple Sixth Form College.
Hargatehill.com (College on the route)
All Saints Primary school
Windlehurst School.
All Saints Church.
St Martins, Low Marple.
St Mary’s RC Church
Marple Methodist Church.
Compstall St Pauls church.
High Lane St Thomas church.
United Reformed Church Windlehurst

This campaign has now been taken up and three new online petitions to save the 394 Monday to Friday service appeared on the web yesterday. The first of these petitions is on the site 'Marple Lib Dems', the second on the site of William Wragg MP and the third on the site of Prospective Conservative Candidate John Bates. A further petition has been in existence for about two weeks on the site of Gamesley (Glossop, Derbyshire) Councillor Anthony Mckeown . There was little awareness of this issue in Marple until a few days ago and I believe that my extensive campaigning on the Marple Community Forum Website, the 38degrees site and my attempt to place a notice informing passengers of imminent changes on most of the relevant bus stops has resulted in these local politicians having to adopt a more open stance on this issue.

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.

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.

Contact me Stephen Slater [email protected] if you can help.