Mayor vows to look at axed bus service

MAYOR Andy Burnham has vowed to investigate plans to axe the number 88 North Manchester bus service after an outcry from the communities it serves.

The M.E.N revealed last week that operator First Bus aims to withdraw the Blackley/Moston/Harpurhey/ city centre route from April.

Part of a trend which has seen Greater Manchester lose eight million miles of its bus network over the past four years, the decision has been met with outrage and confusion by passengers.

Now, Mr Burnham has vowed to look into the reasons behind its withdrawal.

He told the M.E.N.: “I fully understand how strongly passengers feel.

“You can’t have crucial services withdrawn and it not cause real hardship for people. I will be looking into the 88.”

Under the current system, bus operators can axe or curtail services at will.

However, a new Bus Bill giving the mayor and Transport for Greater Manchester more powers over how the buses are run could change this in the future – with more control over prices, scheduling and routes that cater for passengers, not profit.

Mr Burnham added: “Some operators are suiting themselves, doing what’s right for them rather than the travelling public.

“Any operator that wants to operate in Greater Manchester needs to be in it for the long haul and not be leaving communities high and dry.

“This illustrates why we need to change bus services in Greater Manchester.”

He said he couldn’t guarantee the service would be reinstated, adding: “The system we are operating under at the moment doesn’t give me the power that I need – it gives power to the operators so their private interest has more power than the public interest.”

Buses are by far the most popular form of public transport in our region.

Phil Medlicott, managing director at First Manchester, said: “We believe the section of route that will no longer be served by the 88 will be covered by other services or a TfGM tender.”