Chaos as bus wars break out

September 04, 2006

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POLICE stepped in to clear streets as warring bus companies brought Manchester centre to a standstill.

Buses, cars, lorries, and trams are being caught in hours of gridlock as drivers from the giant Stagecoach company and its Gorton-based rival UK North battle to get to the same stop in Piccadilly Gardens, causing massive tailbacks.

At one stage yesterday Metrolink was forced to suspend rush-hour services between Victoria Station and G-Mex as EIGHT of its trams became stranded in queues.

Last night, the jams stretched back from Piccadilly Gardens, the length of Mosley Street, and down Oxford Street into Oxford Road.

Police were forced to order bus drivers to move off from the stop near the Piccadilly Hotel in a bid to free the snarl-up behind them as GMPTE supervisors and inspectors from the companies tried in vain to resolve the chaos.

Beverley Bell, the transport department's regulator - known as the traffic commissioner - has been asked to intervene. She sent monitors to observe the chaos.

Mrs Bell had no choice but to allow UK North to register services on the same 85/86 route from Chorlton as Stagecoach when they gave the required 42 days' notice.

But she does have the power to forbid companies to stop at certain stops for road safety reasons by imposing a "traffic regulation condition".

Condition

Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive and the city council have now formally applied for such a condition.

The jams happened yesterday as UK North, which also uses GM Buses livery, joined the route.

Stagecoach operates an 86 bus every five minutes and an 85 bus every 10 minutes on the popular route from West Didsbury and Chorlton via Alexandra Park and Hulme, past Manchester University, to Piccadilly.

It means that Stagecoach alone has 18 buses an hour arriving and leaving the stop. UK North's first day yesterday brought another 12 buses an hour to the stop.

Mrs Bell said: "I am absolutely determined to take whatever action is necessary to protect the public, but I must have the evidence before I can act."

Stagecoach Manchester managing director Mark Threapleton said: "UK North have pushed 12 extra buses an hour on to the stop despite there being a voluntary agreement between the operators, the PTE and the city council to limit the numbers."

No-one was available at UK North's Gorton headquarters to talk about the crisis.

PTE director Mike Renshaw said: "As Piccadilly Gardens is not classified as a bus station we do not own it and, therefore, have no power over which services use its stops."

Bus services outside London were deregulated by Margaret Thatcher's Conservative government in 1986.

Only a few weeks ago, Blackley MP Graham Stringer, a member of the House of Commons Transport Select Committee, called for an end to deregulation of bus services. In a letter to the M.E.N. he said: "We would get better services for the same amount of money if they were regulated."

Were you affected by the chaos? Have your say.

Articles

Furious commuters have their say

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Showing comments 1 to 25 and replies | View All

Ace Riley, manchester (04/09/2006 at 15:50)

It amazes me that anything that the government does "deregulation" always ends up with chaos.

David, Withington (04/09/2006 at 15:57)

We need some form of regulation to stop these ridiculous rivalries. Only central government won't allow regulation at the moment.

UK North is such a shody irresponsible organisation, who do not provide any sort of "public" service as they wait and wait at bus stops for their dirty rickety buses to fill up in order to make maximum profit.

And who suffers the most? the people who can't afford to drive, who's bus journy takes twice as long as it should due to bus rivalry. Only one operator should be allowed on each route, and they should be made to provide a clean effecient service, like in London!

Ace Riley, manchester (04/09/2006 at 16:09)

Dave from withington i couldnt agree with you more ive been behind some of these buses that throw out terrible black/blue smoke and nothing seems to be done about the terrible condition of these buses At least stagecoach are updating their buses with new clean buses .

Danny, Manchester (04/09/2006 at 16:55)

It took me 2.5 hours to get to work in Sale from Droylsden, the whole of Piccadilly is blocked up because UK north are now trying to muscle in on the 85/86 Chorlton bus routes , both Stagecoach and UK North were refusing to move their buses blocking Piccadilly Gardens causing tailbacks and gridlock along Mosley St and Portland St and as far down Oxford Road as the RNCM.

I was speaking to a GMPTE inspector who told me what was going on but she said she was powerless to do anything as they dont have any legal say on who runs the buses. Seeing I was going to be very late as there was no chance of my 263 leaving soon I went to get the tram only for metro control to say that due to congestion it was suspended in the city centre between GMEX and Victoria... Eventually the police came and told the buses to move but it is still pretty backed up.

The people that were really pissing me off were the scally UK north inspectors who kept laughing at the whole thing when people complained. When confronted with the fact they were putting people livelihoods at risk their reposte was "just doing my job mate, we got evey right to operate here".... I am soooo fuming, Manchester needs London style regulated buses now, 100000x more than we need the tram expansion. Without it the big bang will be useless anyway as no trams will be able to get down Mosley St!

UK North have been operating dodgily for years on the 42 route, chavs driving who smoke, have their mates sitting up-front, make up fares and have even been found uninsured, added to that their cheap nasty old buses, then they did the same with the 192 route causing chaos, but this is 100x worse. This is going to cause misery for 1000's who's journey to work will double (including me), and do they give a toss, do the ****.... so much for being a public service. I have never been a fan of stagecoach and their owners political views but I sincerely hope they win this war as at least they invest in their buses and treat their customers with respect.

We need London style bus regulation now!

MVC, manchester (04/09/2006 at 17:06)

I walked away from the bus industry when it was deregulated. Workshops became "low cost units" as semi-skilled staff were introduced. From what I have seen UK North's fleet is actually a MOBILE MUSEUM - The traffic regulator needs a kick up the jacksi to get the companies in order. At least if the buses are gridlocked there's less chance of them speeding through the bus station or mowing us down as we dodge the silent trams! Whilst we're on the subject of buses any chance we can get rid of the silly "token" bus lanes on Ashton Old Road - the traffic ran muich better when they were suspended during the Commonwealth Games!

Mike, Bury (04/09/2006 at 17:11)

Fantastic...Stagecoach! Remember when they put local bus companies and bus routes out of operation...well I say if they block a tram route...drive on Metrolink...its a tram track..stay off..They rode roughshod over our bus network...so keep off our tram network...!

Andy, Wythenshawe (04/09/2006 at 17:12)

What an absolute disgrace, get rid of the private companys and get the council run buses back on the road. In fact, i understand Manc council has applied to run the inner city buses the same as London does ... maybe this situation is of Manc council's making ... to prove that something needs to be done !! food for thought.

john, whitefied (04/09/2006 at 17:24)

what a joke our publis transport sytem is,no wonder there are so many cars on the road

Charles Ashbury, Derbyshire Dales (04/09/2006 at 17:55)

Bring back GM Buses!! Some of the buses on display at Heaton Park on Sunday were in better condition.

Re-regulation is sort of the answer. Local government is unpopular and ineffective, they would be no better than Farce/Slowcoach/etc.

Give employees (ie the actual bus drivers) ownership of the company. They know the job and what needs to be done. If you want a good example of a workers' co-operative, look at the success of John Lewis, Waitrose, Mott MacDonald, etc. Profits would be reinvested back into the business or given to staff, instead of the "City" or shareholders.

A Tao, Manchester (04/09/2006 at 18:16)

Just quit your moaning right there. Plain and simple its no ones fault but the bus users of Manchester. If, instead of jumping on the cheap and no where near cheerfull option, you invested in a bit of quality the rewards would be threefold. first the dangerous shoddy operators would be out of business and off the road, second the time wasting, fuel wasting downright dangerous squabbles at bus stops would be over (no more the rare service you want not getting to the stop because of the popular route that shares it, no more trams backed up from Piccadilly to Victoria) and third the price of quality public transport would fall. But hey, free market forces and plain greed cive us what we obviously want: flith busses on gridlocked roads (three cheers for capitalism)

nigel, manchester (04/09/2006 at 18:18)

I blame GMPTE for allowing more buses into piccadilly gardens, it was already used to capacity, and yet they allow more to use it, meanwhile a brand new bus station at shudehill operates at half capacty, stop using piccadilly before the city center grinds to a halt, a lot of people get paid a lot of money on the PTE, start earning it and sort this problem quick,

Stan D, city centre (04/09/2006 at 18:52)

We're led to believe that the government wants us to stop using our cars and take the bus instead, as it's a more environmentally friendly form of transport. Like the other commenters here, I doubt that UK North's disgusting, gas-spewing buses are doing the environment any favours. Bus travel in Manchester is simply a horrible experience. Surly drivers, dirty buses, unreliable services and unregulated fares are bad enough. Now we have rival bus companies ruining everyone's day by blocking the roads. UK North should be ashamed of themselves. As a former Fallowfield resident, I know that they are the worst culprits when it comes to blocking bus stops and waiting for the bus to fill up. Sometimes, you can be waiting for 20 minutes at Owen's Park for the bus to set off, while the greedy driver crams ever more people on board. MCC - do something about it NOW.

Duncan, Salford (04/09/2006 at 18:55)

typical, you wait all day for a bus then 200 turn up all at once!

Manchaman, manchester, uk (04/09/2006 at 20:28)

You wait 2 minutes for a bus then 300 show up, all at once...

mm

Patrick Sudlow, Hulme (04/09/2006 at 21:02)

This again re-inforces the message that public transport should be re-nationalised. As this farce is not doing the travelling public or the environment any good. Also once again the folly of the metro system has been high-lighted. Money on the metro would of been better invested in 'The Loop' between Piccadilly and Victoria, as well as, a better rail infrastructure serving the Greater Manchester Area.

ex mancunian, sydney australia (04/09/2006 at 22:18)

So much for the deregulation 'free for all'.
I remember when we 'Whinged'
about the buses being a bit late during rush hour & had people complaining about the buses being somewhat dirty after being in sevice all day.
That was when Manchester City Council ran the show of course, you remember surely. When one didn't need a car to go shopping, when there was a reliable all night service, when one could catch a bus to all the small towns around Manchester & even farther afield.
Surely you remember when we had a reliable, efficient bus service?

metroman, manchester (04/09/2006 at 22:20)

This has been going on for months and only now is something being done. Piccadilly Gardens interchange does not work anyone can see that 2 routes in and only 1 way out is a logistical cock up, sending busses, taxis and trams up Mosley street into the heart of the city is pure madness. Well done to the met opperators for having the sense to remove services off mosley street and trying to run a service unafected by the bus bullies. I hope that the actions of stagecoach will reflect on the decision to stop them running the met in the future, we live in hope.

John Hodgson, Bury (04/09/2006 at 22:54)

I watch the chaos in Piccadilly Gardens every evening, while waiting for a tram to Bury that has inevitably been caught up in the queues on Mosley Street. The Transport Commissioner should impound all the clapped-out, polluting buses operated by UK North and Stagecoach's cheap brand, the so-called Magic Buses. UK North drivers seem to have only a rudimentary grasp of the Highway Code. They stop wherever they feel like it, and queue at busy points like Owens Park in South Manchester until their bus is full to bursting, regardless of the jams they cause.

'arry, Arbroath (04/09/2006 at 23:47)

Perhaps our illustrious policemen or our irritating traffic wardens should step in. Go back to the old principle of keeping traffic moving rather than ambushing the public to raise cash. Order the bus drivers to move on or arrest them for obstruction and/or a breach of the peace. They could add poluting the environment by pouring out copious amounts of noxious fumes while they wait. Perhaps the idiot PM could introduce, as he is wont to do, a new crime of being stupid in charge of a bus.

A methead, Queens Road (05/09/2006 at 06:31)

Poor old Metrolink suffers again through all this.

John M, Rusholme (05/09/2006 at 06:32)

Bus deregulation was implemented by a Conservative government and has been causing chaos nationwide ever since. Funny that there are no Conservatives in Manchester as elected representatives or could there be a connection? I for one won't forget next time a ballot paper appears before me!

Chris, Manchester (05/09/2006 at 08:30)

Forget the bus - buy a car/motorcycle/scooter and get these dangerous, polluting behemoths off our roads. Roads we drivers have paid for many times over!

Commonsense, Manchester (05/09/2006 at 08:52)

I saw all the chaos in Manchester yesterday. Barmy.

As my name indicates, commonsense definetly was not being used.

Mike, Stockport (05/09/2006 at 09:29)

I've no idea if Ace is using this forum to have a pop at the Labour government, but on this occasion, if he is, his target is the wrong one. It was the Tories, who, in 1987 I think it was, deregulated the buses. I live in Heaton Mersey and travel into town every day on the 42 from Parrs Wood, as East Didsbury station is currently closed as they're rebuilding the platform (and surprise surprise, that is behind schedule!). It is a nightmare the closer you get to town. Yesterday, the buses were lined up from Cornerhouse up Oxford Street, past Central Library, and all the way along Mosley Street into Piccadilly. Wilmslow Road into town is an extremely busy route, but there are only so many passengers, and half the buses are half-empty. When the students come back in two or three weeks' time, unless something is done about this crackpot situation, it'll probably take an-hour-and-a-half in rush-hour to get into town from East Didsbury.

Jamie, Salford (05/09/2006 at 09:30)

I remember the same problems being highlighted by the Manchester Evening News back in June. It looks like Stagecoach and UK North are still putting money before the SAFETY of the passengers, the public and other road users. I would give the GMPTE the power to supervise Piccadilly Bus Station instead of saying it is a public highway. Next I would put a Police Officer to man the yellow box at the entrance of the bus station and book the so called PROFESSIONAL bus drivers who block the YELLOW BOX as they enter Piccadilly bus station off Mosley Street as it is still obvious that the bus drivers cannot read the Highway Code and maybe when they have to pay a fine it would make them think next time they block the yellow box. This would ease the congestion on Mosley Street.

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