The History of the 343 Bus Route
The more scenic route to Mossley and Oldham from Hyde and Dukinfield (Page 3)
Contents:
The end of an era?
On the 31st January 2007, an announcement in the Manchester Evening News created shockwaves among bus users in the Greater Manchester area. Instead of the low profile approach, the conurbation's biggest bus company decided to announce its service revisions months in advance. This announcement publicly stated six routes, proposed for withdrawal or revision.
Of the six routes affected, two of them were in the Tameside area: the 387 and the 343. The demise of the latter would have had the most adverse implications, with the potential loss of a more direct Oldham - Mossley route. The changes, proposed for the first week of the school summer term would have had adverse effects on school travel with increased journey times and changes.
To raise awareness of this, flyers were printed for distribution on the 343 and 387 services, stating their intentions. This resulted in a meeting with First and the local authorities on the 16th February 2007.
The Speedwell years
With the daytime service of the 343 doomed to demise, a meeting with GMPTE in late March 2007 saw the route saved at the eleventh hour. The saviour came in the form of Hyde based company Speedwell Bus.
The last year saw the fledgling company make inroads into the Tameside area running subsidised services into Uppermill, Glossop and Dukinfield. On the 17th April 2007, Speedwell Bus took over daytime operations of the 343 - maintaining not only Dukinfield's link with Mossley and Stalybridge, but also Oldham. The replacement of FirstGroup's Barbie liveried single and double deckers with Speedwell's modern minibuses has seen improved passenger loadings.
At the time, Speedwell Bus shared the 419 service [Ashton - Middleton] with First Manchester and augmented its modern fleet with some well turned out - though older - Dennis Dart single deckers.
First Manchester's contribution to the 343 route are the evening, Sunday and bank holiday services, which they have operated since February 2001. In addition to this are two weekday peak journeys from Oldham to Mossley (Brookbottom). A further peak hour journey leaves Oldham for Mossley (Commercial Inn) at 1615 with a second one an hour later, terminating at Dukinfield (Albion Hotel) on Monday to Friday.
In spite of increased loadings, the route was put out to tender for 2008. Speedwell's daytime service was originally scheduled for withdrawal by the 23rd December 2007. With this decision about to cause hardship among Christmas shoppers and workers during the Yuletide, this was extended to the 26th January 2008. The tender attracted a lot of interest from other local operators around the Oldham and Tameside.
To the relief of its regular users, Speedwell Bus won the tender, retaining the Monday to Saturday 343 service, and the single 344 journey. Though withdrawn in November 1992, the 344 route between Mossley Brookbottom and Hyde will make a comeback - in the form as Speedwell's version of the 343 service. Staley Road rather than Winterford Road (which at present sees regular services on the 350 route).
Permanent Revolution
From the 27th January 2008 Speedwell operated the daytime service, which was subsidised by GMPTE. By April the following year, the 343 route changed again. This time in terms of its evening route and operators.
At the start of 2009, Speedwell Bus announced its intention to withdraw from Saturday operations on the 343, 337 and the 41. Though the latter two routes had steady passenger flows, the 337 and 41 were affected by traffic in the Ashton Park Parade areas, impacting on reliability. The 343 however was quieter on Saturdays, due to the route being busier in the weekdays. From the 19th April, Speedwell retained the Saturday services on both the 41 and the 337. A month later, First Manchester took over Saturday operations of the 41 and 337 services.
Monday to Friday journeys operated by Speedwell on the 343 became commercial services again, with the Saturday service subsidised. The reason is due to the amount of unique links the route serves; without the 343, travel to Mossley from Carrbrook would require changing at Stalybridge or Ashton. This would add a further three miles to a journey which is half that distance.
For the subsidised Saturday services came a change of operator, in the mould of Middleton's JP Travel. The result of this has seen low floor vehicles on Saturdays. In line with the daytime service, First Manchester's evening and Sunday service was rerouted via Lees Road. The Greenacres Road linked previously offered by the 343 was taken over by an extension of the 415 Middleton - Oldham service, operated by JP Travel.
With Speedwell Bus losing its subsidy for the Monday - Friday service, this meant a reduction in vehicle allocations for the route from 3 to 2 buses. After the 29th June 2009, Speedwell adopted First Manchester's evening and Sunday service, omitting Micklehurst Road, Staley Road and Buckton Vale Road.
Withdrawal 2.0?
Come the summer of 2009, Speedwell announced its intention to deregister their 343 service. As with First Manchester's plans to do the same two and half years earlier, this met with outrage from locals and regular users alike. This time, the campaign for its retention went beyond the letters page of the Tameside Reporter or lobbying GMPTE.
The campaign for its retention began on Facebook, in the form of a group entitled 'Save the 343'. Formed by Tiger Mescaleno, a Mossley based local business owner, the group was enacted not only for the sole purpose of the route's retention but also as a source of information for its users. The 343 route is also represented on Facebook by means of 'The 343 Appreciation Society' whose objective is to promote the route, and places along the way.
By the 05 October 2009, Speedwell's contribution to the 343 was no more. First Manchester (by means of its First Pioneer offshoot) took over its daytime services after being awarded an emergency tender by GMPTE. This arrangement was to be short lived as Speedwell regained the Monday to Friday daytime route on the 13th December.
The 343 route today
From the start of 2010 up to the 18th January 2012, the 343 was operated by Speedwell Bus on weekdays, with JP Travel operating the Saturday daytime route. As has been the case since February 2001, First Manchester have operated the evening and Sunday service. This year alone has seen some changes, with the onus of simplifying the timetable. From the 25 April 2009 to the 12 April 2010, JP Travel's route operated via Micklehurst Road. This was been changed so that JP Travel's journeys follow the same route as First Manchester's and Speedwell Bus' journeys.
However, that change was soon to be short lived. Floated in July 2010 was a suggestion that Speedwell's daytime route would be revised to cover Roaches Lock and Hey Farm. It would turn left to Staley Road from Huddersfield Road, then go straight up Station Road, Winterford Road, and turn left back onto Huddersfield Road. From there, it would turn left at the Royal George pub in Friezland and continue to Mossley station via Roaches.
When first mooted, the plan was met with cynicism by its users. Vociferous were the passengers who boarded at Richmond Crescent. The convoluted nature of the proposed route was met with controversy. Slated for late July, the revision was postponed till the 31 August 2010. One final amendment was made: the restoration of the Carrbrook Village link serving South View and Buckton Vale Road.
All was calm up to the 18th January 2012 when SpeedwellBus ceased bus operations. Transport for Greater Manchester intervened handing Stagecoach Manchester the emergency tender the following day, up to the 13th April 2012, from Ashton depot. Stott's of Oldham will take over from the 16th April. From the 21st April, JP Travel's Saturday service will follow Stott's weekday route.
Today, Stagecoach's 217/218 routes maintain the Richmond Crescent link on a weekday daytime basis, with First Manchester and JP Travel filling in these gaps. Recent changes to the 343/344 has improved links with Saddleworth (changing at Winterford Road for 350 to Uppermill or at Royal George for the 354) and the new Mossley Hollins School building which opened in April 2011.
