FREE
Metroshuttle
buses in Manchester city centre will be rolled out to towns across the region.
The hugely-successful service is to be extended to every town in Greater Manchester after a Conservative-Lib Dem coalition took control of the passenger transport authority.
Labour lost the chairmanship of the PTA for the first time last week in a move widely seen as a blow to congestion charging plans.
New Tory chairman Matt Colledge, the deputy leader of Trafford council, has spoken out in the past against the proposal to spend £3bn on public transport in return for the peak-hour charge.
Coun Colledge has pledged to remain `neutral' on the issue of charging in his new role.
"I will be campaigning on the issue of improved public transport," he said. "I will not be taking a position on congestion charging."
The free buses are part of a package of measures put forward by the new administration, in a bid to 'hit the ground running'.
Other suggestions include more orbital bus routes, a crackdown on people parking and driving in bus lanes, and more police on buses and trams.
Keith Whitmore, the new Lib Dem vice-chairman of the PTA, said: "It is time for new ideas on improving public transport throughout Greater Manchester."
In a historic move, the PTA voted last Friday by 16-13 to elect Coun Colledge as the new chairman.
Labour's candidate, Andrew Fender, was defeated when Conservative and Lib Dem members teamed up after thrashing out a behind-closed-doors deal.
Stand down
Under the terms of the agreement, Coun Colledge will stand down after just one year in favour of a Lib Dem.
Coun Colledge replaces Labour's Roger Jones, who regularly spoke out in favour of the £3bn-for-congestion-charging deal before being unseated at the council elections in May.
Mr Jones said: "Without congestion charging we won't get the money, it's as simple as that.
"I never felt that I could talk about one without the other.
"The referendum will get the councillors of the hook and that is sad. I have no time for politicians who do not have the courage of their convictions."
The Manchester Metroshuttle was launched in September 2002 and provides free buses in Manchester city centre from 7am to 7pm, Monday to Saturday, and 10am to 6pm on Sundays.
It is operated by First Manchester through a contract with the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive and is funded by a range of partners including the city council, NCP Manchester and Allied London Properties, the company behind Spinningfields.There are three routes - Piccadilly to the commercial core of Manchester, Victoria-Shudehill-Castlefield-Deansgate-Oxford Road, and Piccadilly-Salford Central. The cost is currently £1.28m a year.
Last year the total number of journeys made on the Metroshuttle rose by six per cent to 2.2m.
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Metroshuttle set for expansion
June 30, 2008
Showing comments 1 to 12 and replies | View All
Ministry of Truth Spokesman (formerly MC Spanner) (30/06/2008 at 07:08)
But Roger, you have plenty of time now the voters have shown you what they think of your courage.
I assume by getting councillors of the hook you mean Sir Dick who has antagonised Greater Manchester with his unwated plan and now he can blame the referendum for the fact nobody apart from Salford, Tameside & Wigan is supporting it.
Robert Tocker (30/06/2008 at 07:58)
Aunty Glo, Great Manchester (30/06/2008 at 08:49)
No waiting at bus stops while people fumble for change.
I'm sure that if all local transport was free people would use it more and would get around quicker.
Ron Silver (30/06/2008 at 09:19)
Ministry of Truth Spokesman (formerly MC Spanner) (30/06/2008 at 09:50)
The trouble with Manchester politics is that it has been controlled by Manchester for too long.
The AGMA are based at the Town Hall, The Secretary to the AGMA & GMPTA is Bernstein. The appointment of Mr Colledge to the GMPTA is a right kick up the backside and Dick needs a few more lessons on Geography yet to show him FGreater Manchester contains 10 boroughs, not just 1 or 2
Laura Norder, Didsbury (30/06/2008 at 10:00)
"I will be campaigning on the issue of improved public transport," he said. "I will not be taking a position on congestion charging."
Just what the anti-brigade need, a charismatic and decisive leader.
(Stitches please nurse, I've split my sides laughing!)
citycentre, manchester (30/06/2008 at 10:15)
Now if only people woould not drive along deansgate and slow them down so much
suge, mancs (30/06/2008 at 10:39)
mancmanomyst, Wythenshawe (30/06/2008 at 15:05)
This seems a big gimmicky to me. I think an extention to the hours of the shuttle in manchester for the evening revellers would have been a better way to spend the cash
lindoman, Hindley (30/06/2008 at 17:16)
Mancmanomyst, the 192 goes up and down one road right through the middle, a Metroshuttle for Stockport would be a good idea for linking together, say, the retail park, Asda, Sainsbury's, Mersey Square and the bus and train stations.
One point to add, Metroshuttle is the successor to the Centreline service (although you paid a lower flat fare to use that service) - Bolton had a Centreline service back in the 1970s/1980s, the 503, that operated from the bus station to the rail station, up Bradshawgate, along Deansgate, around the back of M&S (Hotel Street), onto Bow Street, across the front of the Market, back onto Deansgate and back to the bus station. Perhaps a similar route would be taken (bearing in mind some areas are now pedestrianised!)
Ken, Wigan (30/06/2008 at 17:31)
I am putting two and two together here and probably got five but never mind as I will stand corrected
Phil L, Denton (30/06/2008 at 21:28)
I have only caught a MetroShuttle once - it was enough. I waited 14 minutes for it, and then had to stand for another 14 minutes whilst it crawled round to Deansgate. In total it took well over half an hour to get from Piccadilly to Blackfriars Bridge - and it wasn't even rush hour!
Similar services in other towns means only one thing - real buses will be kicked out to the periphery, just like in the city centre.
I notice the news item went on to say that the new PTA were looking at putting police on buses and cracking down on blocking bus lanes (& what about bus STOPS?); Why now? Pleas to do just this have been ignored for 10, even 20 years, so I for one won't be holding my breath.