Fewer trams and buses on the way

TRAMS could run every 12 minutes and bus services run to a Sunday service in response to the escalating coronavirus crisis.

With passenger numbers already falling and government advising against all but essential travel, Metrolink could run at half the current frequency but with longer carriages, in order to allow people extra space.

Transport for Greater Manchester confirmed public transport would be reduced as a result of the situation, with passenger numbers already down 10 per cent, but had declined to clarify what that would look like.

Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham said: “I am considering these matters at the moment and obviously the transport system is facing difficulties as any other part of public services or business community is.

“We will I think at some point have to move service frequency back both in terms of buses and trams.

“There are discussions ongoing with the bus operators and I’ll update people on those soon.

“There is an expectation possibly of a Sunday service coming in in the nottoo-distant future.

“With regard to the tram system, the idea that hasn’t yet been finalised but that in the spirit of openness I might share with you, is that there’s a suggestion we might reduce frequency of tram services from six-minute to 12-minute services.

“But in doing so we’d be able to provide double trams, so that would allow people to have more distance from each other on the tram system.

“So that’s where we are with it. I imagine we will be moving in this direction but as soon as the date has been confirmed we would of course let people know.”

On Monday the government advised against all but essential travel and since then public transport has been noticeably quieter, but the M.E.N. understands passenger numbers had already dropped off by 10pc before that.

TfGM said it was expecting services to reduce ‘in the coming days.’