Passengers have been promised that services will continue after a bus company ceased trading.
Hyde-based Speedwell ran 10 bus routes in Hyde, Glossop, Oldham and Ashton-under- Lyne before it suddenly pulled its vehicles from the road.
Bosses at Transport for Greater Manchester have now found other bus firms to take over the affected routes.
They include the 341 Hyde, Mottram and Glossop service and the 343 Oldham, Mossley and Hyde service.
Michael Renshaw, TfGM’s bus and rail director, said: “Our main priority in this instance is to ensure that all affected bus services continue to operate as normal for passengers, and that no further disruption is caused.
“As such, I can assure passengers that we have acted swiftly in finding replacement operators to run these services on a temporary basis within a short space of time, and we will now take steps to ensure that appropriate longer-term contracts are awarded to replace Speedwell.”
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Speedwell was established in 2002, but its owners had been operating services in Glossop and Tameside for about 20 years.
It is unclear why Speedwell has ceased operating. No one from the firm was available for comment.
The company’s website says it had invested heavily in new buses.
It says: “Speedwell are keen to build on this success and over the next few years have some exciting plans to expand the company.
“Growing by over 50 per cent and offering more state-of-the-art low-floor buses than ever before means that Speedwell will cement its position as one of the area’s best and most-respected travel companies.”
Christopher Bowles, chairman of Greater Manchester Bus Operators Association, said: “It is always sad when a local business providing a service to the public finds that they can no longer continue.
“However, GMBOA is pleased that other bus operators have been able to support Speedwell customers by continuing to provide services with minimal disruption.”
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Drivers smoking inside the buses didn't help.
Precisely why de-regulating buses (outside London, of course) was the most stupid, irresponsible act going!
It has been on the cards for sometime, and its why TfGM extended local link into Broadbottom - but it appeared speedwell began its regular service again ... only it's now actually folded and I doubt there is a way back.
The problem is, other routes are being scrapped around the area and so i don't see the route wanting to be taken up by any bus company in the short term. In the long term i suspect there will be another bus company who does a "around the houses" route for the area but that won't come for at least 6 months ... until then we are left at the whim of TfGM trying to help the area.
The loss of speedwell if they are not replaced will mean more people on the train, which is great for the green economy but not for the hyde or local economy which relies on these services to get people to and from them.
Speedwell was never the best service in the world, but any service is better than none. Especially for areas with a large elderly population.
Bus firms are not funded by tax payers they are funded by shareholders and banks and so have to make money. if a local shop closes who comes in to rescue? TFGM can only ask for other firms to step in but unless they can make money they will have to ask TFGM to fund them and doing this takes money out of the pot for other Service if people don`t use the buses to a point they pay for themselves we are getting to the point we cant ask for tax payers to fund them. in some parts of the UK there no buses on Sunday or after 7pm due to there better uses for the tax payers money.