MORE BUS SERVICES FACE AXE
33 ROUTES IN NORTH AND SOUTH OF CITY COULD BE CUT OR CURTAILED
MORE than 30 bus routes are set to be cut or curtailed next month as the axe falls on the network yet again.
Routes spanning north and south Manchester – and taking in Trafford General, Manchester Royal Infirmary, Tameside Hospital and the Trafford Centre – are hit by the changes.
Services facing withdrawal include routes through Gorton, Levenshulme, Stockport, Altrincham, Sale, Stretford, Ashton, Bury, Oldham, Bolton and Wigan.
There is also an impact on buses running through parts of Cheshire, including Poynton and Northwich.
In total, 14 services will be withdrawn and 19 reduced – with either frequency, routes or the number of services to be slashed. An additional 16 services will be boosted or rerouted – but at least 10 of those are in an attempt to patch-up the gaps left by the cuts.
There are also four new Bolton and Wigan routes planned to start in April.
Many of the proposals, to be discussed at a transport meeting on Friday, have been made by operators, while withdrawal of public funding by transport bosses has also had an impact.
As revealed last month by the M.E.N., the 88 service through Blackley, Moston, Harpurhey and Manchester city centre is among routes facing the chop. After passenger outrage and the intervention of Greater Manchester
mayor Andy Burnham, the number 114 has been rerouted to partially salvage the route – but many will still be left out in the cold.
Part of a growing trend, the bus network in Greater Manchester has shrunk by eight million miles in just four years.
Under the current system, the majority of Greater Manchester’s bus services are run by commercial operators who are free to decide routes and timetables and set fare levels.
Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has no say in how these services are run, and is not responsible for planning and co-ordinating the bus network. TfGM financially supports around 20 per cent of Greater Manchester’s bus services, which run at times of the day and in areas where there is a social need. The budget for subsidised services has been frozen at £27.11m over the past two years. So while costs increase, the budget has not. A TfGM spokesman said: “TfGM is largely funded by the 10 local authorities across Greater Manchester and has seen a significant reduction in funding as councils are having to deal with the effects of severe funding cuts.
“Currently, TfGM financially supports around 20 per cent of Greater Manchester’s bus services, which run at times of day and in areas where there is a social need. In 2016/17, £27.1m was spent on running essential bus services to ensure access to education, healthcare and jobs.”