Congestion crisis damaging Greater Manchester bus network, says OneBus

The organisation representing Manchester’s bus operators has said congestion on the city’s roads is damaging the region’s public transport network and the problem will continue to get worse unless urgent action is taken.

OneBus – a partnership made up of 18 commercial bus companies serving Greater Manchester – was set up earlier this year with a shared commitment to improve public bus transport across the region.

Recent gridlock on roads in the city centre such as Regent Road and the surrounding areas has brought the issue of congestion into sharp focus. Mayor Andy Burnham and Mayor Andy Street of Birmingham have announced that they are calling on government to deliver £40bn in extra cash to create more effective road and rail networks in each city.

Gary Nolan, chief executive of OneBus, believes no improvement will be forthcoming until more priority is given to public transport, which will attract people to seek alternative transport to cars.

Figures from the Department for Transport show that there were more than 1.14million cars licensed in Greater Manchester at the end of 2017, some 17,600 more than in 2016 and 75,400 more than in 2012. More than a third of these are diesel cars linked to the growing air quality crisis.

Mr Nolan said: “The current gridlock is harming everyone. People are spending hours every day stuck in traffic jams, damaging their home lives and businesses. It is making buses less reliable, journey times are longer, and costs to both customers and operators are higher than they should be – and that’s before we even consider the harm caused to the environment.

“I welcome the Mayor’s plea and would be delighted to assist in the development of a solution because what we need is both joined up thinking and investment from a range of sources.

“The immediate priority has to be on investing in the infrastructure and traffic management, and ensuring that road improvement works are properly planned. Most importantly, the system needs to prioritise transport that connects the most people with where they want to go in the most efficient and environmentally sustainable way – that mode is the bus.”

The Mayor and Transport for Greater Manchester are currently reviewing options for future transport strategy, including the bus network. But One Bus warned that changing how bus services are controlled would do nothing to sort congestion.

Instead, it called for a positive partnership between the Mayor, Local Authorities, businesses, the community and bus operators. This would deliver a package of early improvements which makes travel by bus more attractive, and offers good value for both passengers and public investment.

Mr Nolan added: “It’s vital that people have accessible and attractive public transport alternatives to the car. That’s why bus operators have invested hundreds of millions of pounds in improvements to bus networks, vehicle fleets, ticketing and customer information.

“Plans are also being developed for further significant transformation in services, but the current failure to tackle car congestion and the uncertainty over the future of buses in Greater Manchester does no-one any good.

“If we genuinely want to improve the current situation then we require partnership between the public and private sector, and bold political decisions. The fact is that the powers to tackle car congestion are in place right now.

“They are just not being used. And the health of our children, the health of our public transport network, and the health of our economy is suffering as a result.”

The organisation representing Manchester’s bus operators has said congestion on the city’s roads is damaging the region’s public transport network and the problem will continue to get worse unless urgent action is taken.

OneBus – a partnership made up of 18 commercial bus companies serving Greater Manchester – was set up earlier this year with a shared commitment to improve public bus transport across the region.

Recent gridlock on roads in the city centre such as Regent Road and the surrounding areas has brought the issue of congestion into sharp focus. Mayor Andy Burnham and Mayor Andy Street of Birmingham have announced that they are calling on government to deliver £40bn in extra cash to create more effective road and rail networks in each city.

Gary Nolan, chief executive of OneBus, believes no improvement will be forthcoming until more priority is given to public transport, which will attract people to seek alternative transport to cars.

Figures from the Department for Transport show that there were more than 1.14million cars licensed in Greater Manchester at the end of 2017, some 17,600 more than in 2016 and 75,400 more than in 2012. More than a third of these are diesel cars linked to the growing air quality crisis.

Mr Nolan said: “The current gridlock is harming everyone. People are spending hours every day stuck in traffic jams, damaging their home lives and businesses. It is making buses less reliable, journey times are longer, and costs to both customers and operators are higher than they should be – and that’s before we even consider the harm caused to the environment.

“I welcome the Mayor’s plea and would be delighted to assist in the development of a solution because what we need is both joined up thinking and investment from a range of sources.

“The immediate priority has to be on investing in the infrastructure and traffic management, and ensuring that road improvement works are properly planned. Most importantly, the system needs to prioritise transport that connects the most people with where they want to go in the most efficient and environmentally sustainable way – that mode is the bus.”

The Mayor and Transport for Greater Manchester are currently reviewing options for future transport strategy, including the bus network. But One Bus warned that changing how bus services are controlled would do nothing to sort congestion.

Instead, it called for a positive partnership between the Mayor, Local Authorities, businesses, the community and bus operators. This would deliver a package of early improvements which makes travel by bus more attractive, and offers good value for both passengers and public investment.

Mr Nolan added: “It’s vital that people have accessible and attractive public transport alternatives to the car. That’s why bus operators have invested hundreds of millions of pounds in improvements to bus networks, vehicle fleets, ticketing and customer information.

“Plans are also being developed for further significant transformation in services, but the current failure to tackle car congestion and the uncertainty over the future of buses in Greater Manchester does no-one any good.

“If we genuinely want to improve the current situation then we require partnership between the public and private sector, and bold political decisions. The fact is that the powers to tackle car congestion are in place right now.

“They are just not being used. And the health of our children, the health of our public transport network, and the health of our economy is suffering as a result.”