Is having a Metro Mayor better by half for bus users?
HERE’S a funny thing. I caught the X41 Lancashire Way back from Manchester the other day.
It’s a great service, as is the Witch Way bus too which I’d caught the other way.
What was odd, however, was the fact that if I caught the bus from Ramsbottom to Manchester, the bus advertised it as £15 for a weekly pass.
A weekly pass to do the same journey from Accrington or Haslingden to Manchester was more than £30.
Clearly, the journey length doesn’t double, so why does the cost?
The clue is in the fact that the Ramsbottom pass is called the GM Saver.
This suggests people ‘over the border’ have access to cheaper fares than we do.
Is this another sign that living in areas with a Metro Mayor guarantees better and, in this case, cheaper, services?
A lot of time is being spent fighting the case for trains in Rossendale, but proper support for our existing bus network should surely be a priority too.