Greater Manchester's new transport leaders have pledged to make the region's bus services more efficient and get better value for millions of pounds they spend on subsidising routes.
Labour leaders of the Transport for Greater Manchester Committee plan to look at whether there needs to be more competition between the region's bus operators.
They will also look at ways of getting better value for vital services - including school buses - that they support with taxpayer-funded subsidies.
The transport body has drawn up a new set of policy priorities, which also includes pressing the government for extra train carriages and rail investment.
Building new Metrolink lines will also remain a top priority.
Coun Andrew Fender, the committee's chairman, said: "We have developed and approved a range of transport policies that will prove pivotal to improving the quality and availability of our region's transport networks and services.
"For example, we will look at how we can benefit passengers by securing greater value for money from bus services that we pay for, and see how we can work with the Competition Commission to deliver a more efficient, integrated and sustainable bus network."
Labour took control of the committee, previously known as GMITA, after winning seats at the expense of the Liberal Democrats in the May local elections.
The new policy priorities come three months after bus firms blamed a hike in fares on a move by the committee to save cash by increasing concessionary fares.
Firms including First said the increase meant they were losing some of the subsidy that helped kept concessions low and they therefore had to increase fares.
The Competition Commission has said that too many operators nationally face little or no competition on some bus routes.
A report prepared for the committee says: "TfGMC will identify whether further legal powers and structural change may be needed to enable greater value for money to be secured from the substantial amounts of public subsidy invested in bus services, and that will allow fuller integration of bus services, including fares and ticketing, that will benefit passengers across Greater Manchester.
"To this end, we will work with the Competition Commission to advance our priorities for the bus network."
The transport body also plans to look at smart-ticketing and data-sharing, to continue to promote cycling and walking, and to make improvements to the region's major road network.
Mr Fender said: "We will also push for firm commitments on the future of our rail system by pressing the need for more rail carriages to cope with increasing demand, as well as wider schemes such as electrification, the Northern Hub and, crucially, high speed rail."
dean.kirby@men-news.co.uk
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yeah yeah! heard it all before!
but promises never appear!
seems simple if thay realy mean it just make it free,,, there awash with money with all the spare cash to for traffic calming etc,, but as usual that old chestnut cant afford it..... wel if you cant get some one in that can
They need to be looking at ways to provide a more joined up Transport for the whole of Greater Manchester.
- Zonal transport
- Smart (Oyster) type ticketing for train, bus and metro
Increasing competiton is not always a great idea as it could push less used routes to be closed or not served as well.
A more centralised management would benefit all and should be pushed forward.
The Metrolink is not the saviour as some members seem to believe as it is not serving all areas and there are also no plans in place for it to serve all for example west of the city.
"Labour leaders of the Transport for Greater Manchester Committee plan to look at whether there needs to be more competition between the region's bus operators."
Of course there does. The point of the 1986 deregulation has been thwarted by the big players: we have simply ended up with the inefficient, centralized monopoly of GMT being replaced by the quick-buck cartel of First and Stagecoach.
We should encourage more, smaller, more local operators, such as we used to have. Nice to see Labour won over to the idea of competition!
Buses need to be reregulated as they are in London. We have two large companies acting like cartels in the fact they wont travel into each others areas. This makes it awkward when trying to cross the city, although with the new south Manchester Metro line, we have the first one company travel from Crumpsall to Chorlton since the days of the 62, 63 and 81 buses. But bus fares are also out of reach of many. I've not used the bus for years. When a single trip on a bus can cost more than a return on a tram, which system am I going to use?
We need buses to run like a public service again, not just going for the profitable routes but also for those needed by communities, that actually travel where people want to go other than city centres which are well served.
One thing that might help make a better public transport system is for members of TfGM only use public transport and never use private vehicles.
How to improve the bus network. One standard bus model except for lesser used services where mini and midi buses are needed. All buses have a standard TfGM livery with the bus operator displaying their corporate logo on the front and back of the bus. Standardise fares and use oyster type cards. Bus competition doesn't exsist in Greater Manchester. Arriva have their territory, First have the North, North West and East and Stagecoach have Central, South and South West. The only choice most people have is either you use the bus operator that happens to run the bus service commercially or contractually where you live or you walk. I begrude paying more on top of the £4.20 First Day i.e, System One Bus (not sure how much it costs now) because I happen to want to go to the south of the city centre. If I do it's cheaper to use the Met or drive. The bus service in Greater Manchester has become slow and expensive.
Again?
Even more hot air from these over paid buffoons.
We all know it'll never happen.
Got to love it!!! not!! They seem to have pulled the wool over most people,s eye,s again . How much has it cost the tax payer this time for the change of logo??? GMPTE!! TO TFGMC??? that,s uniform,s paper heading,s etc!! and yet again the tax payer foot,s the bill..
Great start to saving us money???
If this is how they start god know,s how they are gonna get us the better deal and fare price,s??
If they were committed to improving bus transport, they wouldn't allow for all of the ridiculous variations in charges for using bus services around the county
Additionally, they would have rolled out a smartcard system which even Nexus of Tyne and Wear in the North East have managed to do, rather than letting Stagecoach go it alone.
It's time for a flat fare, regulated system, since they already subsidise a good portion of the services. Is all does beg the question though; what is the point in privatising the network if they still have to subsidise it?