Conductors set to make a return on the buses

The days of Blakey, Butler, and Olive may be long gone but real life bus conductors could return to Middelton.

For one bus company boss - who started out as a conductor himself - believes they are the one thing which could bring passengers flooding back.

The conductors of the popular Seventies sitcom “On The Buses” evoke a bygone age when millions travelled by bus every day. And many of today’s passengers would like to see them back.

Mike Dunstan, who owns Bluebird in Greengate, Middleton Junction, one of Greater Manchester’s biggest independent bus operators, said: “They still had them in London until last year when the last of the old red Routemaster buses were phased out and I think they would make people feel more secure.”

And Greater Manchester’s transport chief thinks it’s a good idea, too.

Mr Dunstan, whose firm is 20 years old this year, knows what he is talking about.

He began his career on the buses as a conductor at Manchester’s Princess Road depot before becoming a driver. He started out on the tough night services.

“You certainly had more interaction with the passengers then,” he said. “Certain people were glad to see you and certain people weren’t.

“But by the time you had got round everyone, those who didn’t want to pay had got half the way home anyway so they didn’t mind being put off the bus.

“Nowadays they don’t get past the driver if they’ve got no money and can cause trouble straight away.”

Bluebird has a fleet of almost 50 buses and a staff of more than 90.

It runs services from the town centre to the hospital and to Waterhead.

Mr Dunstan (43), has suggested going 50-50 on costs of a trial of the idea with the authority on his 159 route which runs between Middleton, Failsworth, and Oldham.

PTA chairman Councillor Roger Jones said: “Wherever I go, the one thing people say to me is that we should bring back bus conductors.”