Parents facing an increase in school bus fares
PARENTS in Greater Manchester are facing a school bus fare increase for the first time in six years.
Schoolchildren are set to take a hit as transport bosses look to save cash, while vulnerable users of Local Link – a minibus to help those who can’t access public transport – also face fare rises.
To meet budget cuts and cost increases, the following plans are on the table, subject to consultation:
The price of a weekly TfGM school pass to go from £6.50 to £7 to help save £78,000 year.
Local Link fares – shared minibus services to help people access the public transport network – to be increased by an average of 10 per cent from June to save £20,000 a year.
Manchester Metroshuttle budget to be slashed by £300,000 next year
A review of Ring and Ride, a service for the elderly and disabled
The cost for issuing an Igo card to double from £5 to £10
A £10 charge for lost elderly concession cards to be extended to disabled passengers
A £10 charge to get a Yellow School Bus pass
Funding to help jobseekers travel to interviews and cycling resources are also on the chopping board
John Moorhouse, from passenger campaign group Travelwatch NorthWest, said: “It’s regrettable that passengers who are the most vulnerable and the most dependent on public transport in the community are being targeted in this way.”
The Transport Levy allocated to Transport for Greater Manchester is to be slashed by £6.67m in 2017/18 – but Metrolink reserves will make up the difference, so funding will remain at the same level, while costs increase.
The proposals were discussed at a TfGM committee meeting on Friday.
On school buses, Steve Warrener from TfGM said school bus and Local Link fares had been frozen since 2011, adding: “Due to cost increases we do now need to make a change.”
He said Local Link would remain great value for a flexible service that picks up customers from home.
Funding for Ring and Ride will remain at the same level and they will work to make sure they made the best use of resources, he added.
He said more savings would have to be made on school services in future, but that local education authorities would be consulted.
Coun Andrew Fender, chairman of the TfGM committee, said: “We remain committed to making travel easier, supporting essential public transport services and investing in ongoing improvements to the transport network as a whole to enhance the quality of life for everyone in Greater Manchester.”