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Just a quick note to say Merry Christmas to all our readers and thanks for making the first couple of months of this blog successful. We'll be back after the Christmas break with all the latest news from the Manchester bus 'scene' (if you can call it that).
By the way, Tiffany from Manchester Transport Sucks has started a Facebook group for you to moan about Manchester's buses, trams and trains. Join up and vent your spleen here.
The future of the ML1 bus service, which is a part of the Metrolink network linking Stretford station with the Trafford Centre and The Chill factor ski centre, is in doubt after GMPTE removed its share of funding.
The reason they've given for this decision is that eight commercial bus journeys per-hour run between Stretford and the Trafford Centre, meaning public funding cannot be justified. However, this doesn't make sense to us here at Manchester Buses.
For a start, two of those eight journeys per hour don't serve the nearest stop to Streford station, they are Arriva's service 18/18A, which serves Stretford Mall, a substantial journey on foot across the busy Chester Road junction. That means they're hardly easy for people who don't know the area to connect to. All the services that make up the eight journeys an hour (the 18/18A, plus First and Stagecoach's 22 and Stagecoach's 23/23A) are all long routes that can easily pick up delays making them unreliable (in fact, the 18/18A can be often up to 25 minutes late too). Compare that with the ML1 which picks passengers up from the station carpark every 20 minutes. It's a short route and is therefore less likely to pick up big delays.
The ML1 also has the benefit of integrated Metrolink ticketing. You can buy a ticket to the Trafford Centre at any Metrolink station and then use it on the ML1 once you get to Stretford. It's easy and convenient for visitors to the city who want to get to the biggest shopping centre in the north of England as quickly and easily as possible.
The service could still be saved but that's down to its other funders, Peel Holdings and The Chill Factor to decide. Fingers crossed they see the benefit of one of the few pieces of integrated transport in the region.
We would have written about this earlier this week, but the run up to Christmas is a busy time in Manchester Buses Towers. The upcoming service changes we wrote about last week are not the only ones to be coming next week. In addition to their new 145 (Manchester - Boarshaw) service, JPT are withdrawing their hourly Monday to Friday service 63 which runs between Middleton and Dam Head. It was the only direct route between the two places (First's 64 and 65 link them via Higher Blackley and Rhodes). However, who's going to wait for the direct bus when the frequent service 17 is a short walk away? Not many obviously, so the service disappears from the 10th of January.
The 10th also sees JPT alter times on their 12 (Middleton - Moorclose) and 129 (Middleton - Stanycliffe) services. They also introduce journeys on service 77 (Manchester Shudehill to Moston via Harpurhey section only) during Monday to Friday peak periods, competing with Bluebird.
Bluebird themselves add new service 73 to their roster. This appears to run via the same route as their 72 service between Chadderton (Sportsman Inn) and Manchester, with this service terminating at Sackville Street instead of Lever Street. No details on times yet, but it runs Monday to Saturday daytimes. This increases Bluebird and First's competition on the Chadderton to Manchester route which started when Stagecoach withdrew from the 181/182 routes earlier this year.
First will have less competition nearby, though, as Stott's withdraw their 427 (Hollinwood - Grotton) service that competes with First's 180/183/184 services via Oldham.
There are also minor timetable changes to Easyride's 484 (Bury - Accrington) and Stagecoach Manchester's 236 (Manchester - Glossop) and 370/371 (Stockport - Altrincham).
We're sure these must already be in use elsewhere, but this is the first time we've seen them in Manchester. Here's a Burnley & Pendle bus on Deansgate today with a multi-coloured destination display. Fancy that!
In addition to the changes to tendered service discussed by GMPTA's Transport Network committee yesterday (see previous post), a number of changes to the commercial network were announced. These include a (kind of) new service for JPT while Speedwell cuts back its services and First and Stagecoach tweak theirs. Here are the details:
Service 145 (Manchester - Boarshaw): This isn't JPT's first service using the number 145. A previous version ran from Manchester to Moston. The new version serves Harpurhey, Moston, Alkrington and Middleton on its journey between Manchester and Boarshaw. Hopefully this new service will be a success. It runs every 30 minutes during Monday to Saturday daytimes, which is a decent frequency to build up regular passengers. It also means that Alkrington gets a much better bus service than it presently does. Although it's a large area it's covered by only three bus services and only has a direct link to Manchester during Monday to Friday peak periods, thanks to service 131.
JPT are good at launching competitive services. When they launched service 118 (Manchester - North Manchester General Hospital) First rerouted their service 51 to directly compete. 118 was expanded into evenings and Sundays although the evening journeys have since been withdrawn.
This new service launches on the 10th of January. It's interesting to note that Stagecoach already run a Magic Bus service from Parrs Wood Road to Manchester with the number 145 during the morning peak. Why can't operators choose unique service numbers?
Service 419 (Middleton - Dukinfield): Big changes here. Speedwell are withdrawing their Monday to Saturday daytime journeys that presently run between Middleton and Chadderton. However, First are increasing the frequency of their Monday to Saturday daytime service to every 30 minutes. At the same time they're removing the Ashton-under-Lyne to Dukinfield section of the route that only launched mere weeks ago. These changes all take place from the 27th of January.
Service 343 (Oldham - Hyde): Speedwell planned to withdrawing this hourly Monday to Saturday daytime service from the 23rd of December. Due to the number of unique links this service provides the search is on for an operator to replace Speedwell on a tendered basis from the 27th of January. Until then Speedwell will continue to operate the service.
Service 358 (Stockport - Glossop): As previously reported here, on the 6th of Jaunary this service is returning to the route it served before September.
Service 362 (Stockport - Marple): As previously reported here, on the 6th of January this service is rerouted due to customer feedback.
GMPTA's Transport Network Committee met yesterday and on the agenda was a proposal to cut back on a number of tendered bus services for a variety of reasons. These include yobs setting fire to a bus driver's hair in the Broomwood estate in Trafford. There were also improvements in Marple and a rerouting in Salford discussed.
Service 11 (Stockport - Altrincham): The proposal to remove funding for Monday to Saturday evening journeys between Altrincham and Broomwood estate was put forward. Broomwood is not the best served estate on the Greater Manchester bus network, however last month a driver's hair was set alight(!) by youths on the estate so understandably Manchester Community Transport no longer wants to operate the service. The Committee was asked to withdraw the service with immediate effect. It's a shame the behaviour of a few yobs has caused the removal a bus service in a neglected area but safety has to come first.
Service 31 (Manchester - Farnworth): Due to low usage and high costs, all evening and Sunday journeys are likely to be withdrawn.
Service 42A (Manchester - Reddish): Due to low usage and high costs, Sunday evening journeys (which run between East Didsbury and Reddish only) are likely to be withdrawn.
Service 70 (Manchester - Clifton Junction): Due to low usage and high costs, all daily evening journeys are likely to be withdrawn. This would mean there would be no direct bus link between Manchester and Clifton Junction during the evenings.
Service 74/75 (Pendleton - Irlams O' Th' Height circular): As we reported previously, the last Transport Network Committee meeting recommended rerouting this service away from congestion on Brentwood and Seedley Terrace. A meeting has since taken place to consider ways of allowing the service to continue using these roads but none way found. Therefore, the Committee was yesterday due to discuss again the rerouting of the service via Eccles Old Road and Langworthy Road.
Service 171 (Withington Hospital - Newton Heath): Due to low usage and high costs, all daily evening journeys (which run between East Didsbury and Clayton only) are likely to be withdrawn.
Service 220 (Manchester - Dukinfield): Due to low usage (3 passengers per journey!) and high costs, all Sunday evening journeys are likely to be withdrawn.
Service 304 (Marple - Hyde) / 305 (Marple - Lane Ends) / 306 (Marple - Rowarth): These are part of a local network of infrequent services (also including service 303). A number of changes are proposed. Service 304 would no longer serve Cross Lane, Marple Hall and High Lane and would be increased to run Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. Service 305 would no longer serve Mill Brow and Mellor, instead running via Cross Lane and Marple Hall. It would now run on Tuesdays and Fridays instead of Mondays and Thursdays. Service 306 would now run via Ley Lane and run on Mondays and Wednesdays.
Service 428 (Oldham - Buckstones): Recommendations to reroute the service in Royton (due to difficulties in turning on the present route) and in Summit (due to requests from Oldham Local Passenger Transport Forum) were tabled at the meeting.
Service 481 (Bury - Rawtenstall): This service will be operated by Tyrer Bus from the end of January. Sunday journeys look likely to be curtailed to run between Bury and Holcombe Brook only with a reduced frequency of every 90 minutes.
Following their diversion from Tuesday due to emergency gas works outside Owens Park in Fallowfield, all services were back to their normal routes as of yesterday's afternoon peak period. The pavement still looked a mess, with pedestrians being diverted round several open holes, but the road is now back to normal.
UPDATE: On Saturday (15th December), traffic towards Manchester was closed off at Owens Park. Buses were diverted via Wilbraham Road, Yew Tree Road and Platt Lane.
Plans to bring massive improvements to public transport in Greater Manchester were dealt a blow yesterday when Bury council withdrew its support for the congestion charge that would partially fund the scheme.
Bury had originally backed the congestion charge, providing the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities (AGMA) dealt with traffic congestion north of Bury and in Ramsbottom. However, no progress has been made on AGMA's promise to take action on the problem, leading to the council yesterday voting to withdraw support for the congestion charging element of Greater Manchester's Transport Innovation Fund bid.
At the meeting they also called for a referendum to decide if congestion charging should be introduced. Although here at Manchester Buses we're in favour of a congestion charge that funds improvements in public transport, providing there's no other way to fund the improvements, we think it's only fair that such a major change to the way region operates should be taken to a public vote. It seems that at present there's a growing distrust of the way politicians impose major changes in policy, seemingly with disregard for public opinion.
If such a referendum were to take place, we'd vote in favour of the 'c-charge', but we'd never deny others the right to oppose it. When it all goes wrong and traffic is at a standstill while public transport gets worse it'll be refreshing to blame the public rather than politicians for a change!
It could have been a lot worse. A tram and a Stagecoach bus collided around 1pm yesterday afternoon on London Road, at the point where trams cross to enter Piccadilly Station. Four passengers (two from each vehicle) suffered minor injuries. Services were diverted via Store Street for two hours afterwards but were back to normal for rush hour.
The Manchester Evening News has a picture.
Bus passengers in Fallowfield are due to have some problems this week. Emergency gas works are required on Wilmslow Road near Owens Park. As a result, buses will be diverted via Moseley Road, Birchfields Road and Dickenson Road. This is the latest disruption in the area, which has recently undergone months of work to improve bus facilities. The result includes a new bus stop layby area that takes up half of the available road space, but appears to have improved the traffic flow through Fallowfield.
The diversion starts tomorrow at 9.30am and is in place 'until further notice'.
