Transport bosses save bus links to hospital

Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority (GMPTA) has stepped in to save under-threat journeys on three bus services providing vital links to North Manchester General Hospital.

At its meeting today, Friday 10 August, members of the Transport Network Committee agreed to fund a replacement Saturday service on the 156 from Langley to the hospital after learning that JP Travel was to cut it.

GMPTA also agreed to pay bus operator Bluebird to keep running the 4.30pm and 5.30pm 162 Monday to Friday services from Middleton bus station to the hospital.

Vice Chairman and Rochdale spokesperson for GMPTA, Councillor Allen Brett said: “I’m glad that passengers will not lose out because of the operators’ decisions to cut these services. As the PTA has stepped in with funding, passengers will still get the same bus services they’re used to.

"We are committed to providing important bus links that are not provided by operators commercially. I encourage local people to make the most of these services over the coming months. If they are well used there will be a good case for the services to continue with less or no subsidy."

The 156 runs from Langley to Middleton, Rhodes, Heaton Park, Victoria Avenue and North Manchester General Hospital. The 162 service runs on a circular route Monday to Saturday from Middleton to Victoria Avenue, Plant Hill Road, North Manchester General Hospital, Moston and White Moss, then back to Victoria Avenue and Middleton.

GMPTA has decided to initially provide funding for the 156 service for 6 months and for the 162 service for 12 months while it monitors how many passengers are using them. The situation will be reviewed during this time to make sure that they are still offering taxpayers value for money.

Around 82 percent of the bus network in Greater Manchester is run by bus operators on a commercial basis, where the operators choose where and when to run bus services. The remaining services – which may not be profitable but are considered socially necessary – are subsidised by GMPTA through a levy on council tax.

Bus users can check their services before travelling at:

• www.gmpte.com

or by calling Traveline on 0871 200 22 33 (calls cost 10p per minute from landlines). Lines are open from 7am to 8pm Monday to Friday and 8am to 8pm at weekends.