New rules for bus operators will set benchmark

Gary Hawthorne, Managing Director, Maytree; Ben Jarvis, Depot Manager, Manchester, Arriva; John Threlfall, Business Director, Transdev, Councillor David Sandiford, Chair of the GMITA Bus Networks and GMPTE Services Committee; Councillor Keith Whitmore, Vice Chair of GMITA, Mark Threapleton, Chair of GMBOA and Managing Director, Stagecoach; Michael Renshaw, GMPTE’s Bus and Rail Director, and Richard Soper, Managing Director, First.

A new Code of Conduct for bus operators, which sets a benchmark for the quality and standard of bus service provided to passengers in Greater Manchester, was launched on Friday (8 October 2010) by Greater Manchester Integrated Transport Authority (GMITA).

The Code of Conduct is aimed at improving bus services by securing formal agreements with bus operators across the county in relation to punctuality, reliability and vehicle standards.

It has been developed by Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive (GMPTE) in conjunction with Greater Manchester Bus Operators’ Association (GMBOA).

Councillor David Sandiford, Chairman of the GMITA Bus Networks and GMPTE Services Committee, said: “I am delighted that we are launching our Code of Conduct, which I believe has the potential to be a benchmark for the bus industry in Greater Manchester.

“The new Code sets out the minimum level of service that passengers rightly expect of their bus service. As a live document, it will also work to improve bus service performance into the future, with the support of local Highways Authorities and GMPTE.

“We have been encouraged by the engagement of operators in developing this scheme and I hope the Code will help achieve a vision we both share – to make public transport the preferred choice.”

The ambition of GMITA is to get all bus operators to join the scheme so that passengers know the minimum standard of service they can expect on every bus service wherever they are in Greater Manchester.

And, as the Code was launched on Friday, the three main bus operators in Greater Manchester, Arriva, First and Stagecoach, as well as a number of smaller operators, Rossendale, Transdev and Maytree, had already confirmed that they will become code signatories. Together, the six operators cover 84 per cent of the Greater Manchester bus network.

Mark Threapleton, Chairman of GMBOA, said: “The Code not only recognises what passengers value most in their bus service but it benchmarks the current bus network performance based on sound evidence and sets challenging but realistic improvement targets.

“The only way such commitments can be delivered is through a progressive, long term partnership between bus operators, GMPTE and the district Highways Authorities. The Code recognises this fact and sets up a framework for this partnership to be successful.

“Bus operators welcome this Code, which is a significant achievement for the bus partnership within Greater Manchester, and we look forward to the benefits it will bring for our passengers.”

The Code of Conduct will work to achieve improvements to bus services by securing agreements from operators on areas such as punctuality, reliability and regularity of bus services, passenger satisfaction and fleet renewals, including the speed at which newer and more accessible vehicles are introduced to fleets.