Help put Greater Manchester’s buses on the map

Susan Wildman, TfGM Communications and Customer Services Director with the new TfGM bus map

Greater Manchester’s public transport users can now have their say on a new-style bus map, aimed at making it much easier for passengers to plan their journeys.

Transport for Greater Manchester is trialling the new style of map at more than 200 bus shelters in the Salford Quays and Trafford Park areas – and online for all to see at http://www.tfgm.com/newmaps.

The new schematic design has a much greater focus on public transport than the previous geographical style map. Bus services have been colour coded by route to make them easier to track, and other modes of transport – train, tram and Local Link – are more clearly highlighted.

Key local landmarks and town centres are represented, making it easy for passengers to orientate themselves and track their bus route without the distraction of a heavily geographical background.

Susan Wildman, TfGM Communications and Customer Services Director, said: “We want to make it as simple as possible for people to plan their journey and I think the new-style map is a real improvement.

“The level of visual detail has really been stripped back, making it much easier to see where your bus service goes and where it might link up with local train and tram services.

“We know these maps are very popular and heavily used, so it’s important we get the public’s feedback. I’d encourage all bus users to take a look at the new style map on our website and give us any comments. If people prefer the new maps we hope to roll out them out across the whole of Greater Manchester.”

People can give their feedback by filling out an online survey at www.tfgm.com/newmaps.

There are more than 12,300 bus stops in Greater Manchester, over 4,000 of which have shelters with public transport information displayed.

Smarter marketing and passenger information is just part of a host of measures being taken forward in partnership with bus operators to improve the passenger experience.

Better bus priority and improved public transport interchange across Greater Manchester and supporting growth at Trafford Park and MediaCityUK in particular, are also part of Transport for Greater Manchester’s Better Bus Area Fund initiative.