Report given to the Transportation Task Group on 19th March 2009

The Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority has been renamed as the Greater Manchester Integrated Transport Authority.  (GMITA).  This gives it, among other things, more powers over bus lanes etc.  However they will not be taking that over from the District Authorities at present.   Later in the year the full Transport Act provisions come into force and the Authority will begin to enter into “Quality Bus Contracts” with the bus operators, which hopefully will improve some services although money may well be needed to compensate the operators.

Following the Local Elections in May 2008, the political complexion of the GMPTA (as it then was) changed when the Labour Party members lost seats on the Authority and thereby control.  Since then a Coalition of Conservatives and Liberal Democrat members has been in control.

The Government have announced that no TIF Bids will be considered in future unless they include some form of Congestion Charging.   This means that they would not reconsider Greater Manchester’s bid. 

Salford City Council have been asked (March 2009) to list their priorities of passenger transport improvements so that future bids may be made for other forms of Government aid.  At the time of writing , this list has not been issued.   It will go to the GMITA when all ten districts have produced their lists.  Salford’s list probably will include several new Orbital Bus routes, the rebuilding  of Salford Crescent Rail Station and, possibly, the Leigh Guided Busway. 

The restoration of the 33 Bus to Boothstown at all usual times is under active consideration as part of a general evaluation of needs following the rejection of the TIF Bid.   However the problem of congestion of Leigh Road at peak times makes it unlikely that First Manchester (the present operators) would want to return to the previous situation.  The excellent service of the 33 from Worsley to Manchester would be endangered if delays became the norm once again.

Under the TIF improvements it was suggested that the 26 Bus would be rerouted from Leigh Road up Ellenbrook Road, along the East Lancs and down Walkden Road to rejoin the present route at St. Mark’s Roundabout.  Also the 68 would go through Roe Green instead of down Walkden Road. The 68 would also go to Hope (Royal) Hospital and the Trafford Centre instead of to Manchester.  However all these are thrown back into the melting pot with the rejection of the TIF bid, although they may reappear in the list mentioned above.

The Bus Concessionary Fare will rise at the beginning of April from 70p to 80p.  This is to recompense the operators who have increased their half fares in many areas over the last two years.  This increase was first agreed last March but delayed until now.   Obviously the fare for disabled and those over 60 will remain free, as now, after 9.30 a.m. and at weekends at all times.

The formation of a “Friends of Walkden Station” has resulted in some improvements to both the station, and to trains stopping there, being mooted. Progress is being carefully watched.   More trains through to Piccadilly and Manchester airport are hoped for in the new timetable due to come in  December.   A tannoy system is due to be installed in the next two weeks

One long term suggestion under consideration is for a Busway to go down the railway line from Hindley to Salford Crescent through Walkden and Swinton along with a connecting bus-only road to Tyldesley and Leigh from Little Hulton.  At Salford Crescent the bus would travel along The Crescent and down Chapel Street along the existing roads which would become “Bus only”.  This would be as an alternative to using the rail line as a Metrolink line between ordinary trains.  All very much in the future though, but it would replace the present suggestion of the busway going down the East Lancs Road.