Pupils face chaos on buses

Exclusive by Alan Salter

December 29, 2006

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EMERGENCY travel arrangements may be made for hundreds of Greater Manchester pupils as the future of a troubled bus company is decided.

Gorton-based GM Buses and its sister UK North were ordered to garage their 74-strong fleet over Christmas following safety concerns.

The company, which takes pupils to and from 17 schools in Manchester, Oldham, Stockport, Tameside and Trafford, will appear before Commissioner Beverley Bell on Tuesday to hear whether its buses can return to the road after she suspended them `to ensure road safety during the festive period'.

Most of the secondary schools are in Manchester, where the New Year term starts on Thursday, but four are in Tameside. Youngsters there will return to classes on Wednesday, less than 24 hours after Mrs Bell will make her decision.

Hearing

Another four in Oldham and Trafford are due back on Tuesday, the day of the hearing, when replacements will have to be used. Pupils at two schools in Stockport have until Monday, January 8, before they return.

Officials at Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive have been working over Christmas to ensure the children won't be left in the lurch next week.

Strategy director Keith Howcroft said: "Whatever happens, the pupils will be picked up as normal."

GM Buses was called to answer safety allegations last Friday after a probe following the death of 27-year-old window cleaner Martin Pilling, when he fell from a cherry-picker's platform, which was hit by a bus on November 1.

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a ward, lancashire (29/12/2006 at 11:56)

Piccadilly has been a lot better withouth the queue of buses Only the other week I got on a uk north bus to go to stepping hill and the driver did not know how to turn the heating of I ended up getting of the bus as the heat was overpowering good job i had a day saver for any bus The best company i have found for time and cleanliness is the arriva buses

mrs fotheringam, chorlton (29/12/2006 at 15:58)

when i was a girl i had to get up at 4am to feed the chickens, make breakfast for my ten siblings, iron my parents work clothes, do the housework and THEN walk 8 miles to school. buses, pah! luxury!

Ace Riley, manchester (29/12/2006 at 16:05)

No doubt all the UK busses excuses will be swallowed by our government minister? and all the "It wont happen again excuses" And a standard fine will be issued and everything will return to normal until the next time ? People have been complaining for years about this problem and its taken a accident for something to be done about employing people who are not fit to do the job and the vehicles not fit for the roads or the passengers?? Our government dont give a toss until something seriouly happens like the poor man on wilmslow road who was killed by a bus hitting his cherry picker ?And now the powers that be and the bus company are trying to con us yet again by moaning "what about the schoolkids" We have other bus companys that could do the job "Probably not as cheap" because other companys employ real drivers who know how to drive the buses within "our laws" so have to pay real rates of pay?????Its time that manchester came up to date with its transport policies?Buses and taxis that are suitable for a modern 21st century city .not a third world free for all and the cheapest wins???

bus driver, manchester (31/12/2006 at 08:19)

for once Ace, i actually agree with your comments. respectable bus companies pay "real pay" as you say. money shouldn't come into it as a company that makes a good profit, could afford to operate it at a loss, with just a fraction of the subsidy from the PTE. they could even amalgamate the schools with their own services, so even less subsidy is needed. and i'd like to point out that since 23 dec, it's been a joy to drive a bus in and out of piccadilly, arriving and leaving when advertised, instead of queuing down mosley st. let's hope it stays like that

At the public inquiry today, Manchester (02/01/2007 at 18:07)

Looks like UK North/GM Buses have been suspended until 19th January 2007 at 23:59, when the traffic commissioner will give her final verdict (with evidence scheduled to come from VOSA regarding some aspects of the case by the 19th)

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