Salford council has agreed to pay £220,000 – to save a high-speed bus to the BBC’s HQ at MediaCity.
The new service will run every 10 minutes and whisk people to the site at Salford Quays from Salford Shopping City, the university and Salford Crescent train station.
It looked set to be scrapped when the government removed a £380,000 grant. Now Salford council – which is being forced to axe 800 jobs and slash £47m from its budget due to Treasury cuts – has stepped in.
Town hall chiefs will pay £220,000 of the cost. Transport chiefs and the university will foot the rest of the bill.
The council said the bus would open up access to MediaCity to people around the borough. But critics slammed the move – saying it would only benefit thousands of BBC employees moving to the area.
Steven North, secretary of Salford Against The Cuts, said: "It is disappointing. In addition to cuts at Salford council, they are now expecting the people of Salford to fork out for a service that’s going to be used to bus MediaCity employees."
John Merry, leader of the council, said: "The government’s decision to cut the funding for the bus route was a major setback. We’ve always been committed to making MediaCity accessible to local people."
The £380,000 is designed to subsidise the service, for which passengers will be charged £1 for a single or £1.60 for a day ticket.
Transport chiefs are expected to rubberstamp the contract today.
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Why does any bus route need to be subsidised? If it has enough passengers it should pay for itself, it if doesn't then it isn't a viable route so get rid. Doesn't the tram run past or nearby both those sites anyway?
And we are surprised that Salford Council are funding this when they are looking to cut costs - NOT
So what's there that we can go see?
In the interests of balance, before anyone starts moaning about this being solely for the benefit of the BBC, remember that a big chunk of the University of Salford is moving to MediaCityUK as well. It's not "the BBC's HQ".
Its about a ten minute walk from the precinct to media city. I doubt many BBC employees would be living there though.
Less work for the black cab/private hire industry then....well done Merry.
A 'high speed bus'? How so?
I am not sure which bus company is involved but why do councils use taxpayers money to fund bus routes when the owneer of Stagecoach has ammassed a £750m fortune? Typical Labour giving money to the rich.
Misinformation here MEN - Salford council PART funded the service, the University of Salford also funded as it will benefit the thousands of students who will be studying at the new University buildings at Media City. A lot of students travel either by train to Salford Crescent (from places such as Wigan and Bolton) and a lot will be at the new campus when it opens so it makes sense to have an easy transfer for them, and those who live on the Salford Uni campus who will have to travel from the Crescent area to Media City and the new Uni buildings.
It is funded by GMPTE, Salford University and part by Salford Council! The buses the service will use are funded by the Department for Transport (DFT).
Another local authority abusing council taxpayers money.
This is not an essential service, if the Govt saw fit to cut the subsidy then Salford should just accept it.
If this route was needed and finacially viable then the bus company can stump up the money.
Well what a surprise. Robin Hood in reverse gear as usual.
There will be one thing to see on this bus route ... the biggest White Elephant in the North West!
Presumably it is to help the new BBC staff to settle in, as they would be used to a subsidised bus service in London, although the money spent on this is nothing compared to the billions spent there.
I actually believe in subsidised public transport. PUBLIC transport. I don't see the benefit to the people of Salford here. We still have major concerns about the number of jobs that will be made available to local people.
Secondly, if this bus route is to be of benefit to the people of Salford I believe Peel Holdings (a company with a reported £6 billion) in assets should fund it. It is already making hugeprofits by behaving like a modent day feudal landlord, but it expects its serfs to pay for everything.
Where's Mark Armstrong when you need him?
I fully agree with this new service, but again people in Lower Kersal will lose out again, there are no bus services too Salford Quays or Salford Royal Hospital, I can understand other areas in Salford will also have the same problem, Its great to have the BBC, but its not so great for Prople of Kersal area
Another Salford council pet project prioritised before the needs of everything else. If we can subsidise this service well why not every other bus service in Salford.
But I forgot unless its a landmark project that gets your face in the media you haven't got a chance of receiving any help from SCC.
The amount of people posting comments on here who cannot see the bigger picture is absolutely astounding.