STAGECOACH PARTNERS WITH THE TRANSPORT AUTHORITIY TO DEVELOP AMBITIOUS BUS IMPROVEMENT PLAN

• Partnered with the local authority to develop improvement plan for passengers in Greater Manchester
• Stagecoach involved in vast majority of strategies submitted to Department for Transport for funding
• Initiatives to lower fares, speed up journeys, boost connections, improve customer information

Stagecoach has worked with Transport for Greater Manchester to develop ambitious plans to improve bus services and get more passengers to swap their cars for greener public transport.

Britain’s biggest bus operator has supported the development of 60 of the 84 Bus Service Improvement Plans (BSIPs) submitted by local authorities to the government as part of its National Bus Strategy for England.

In Greater Manchester Stagecoach has worked with Transport for Greater Manchester to develop ambitious plans that reflect the needs of local communities.

The plan for Greater Manchester, which was submitted to the Department for Transport on the 31 October, included:  

• Investment in the bus network to increase service frequencies and deliver more night bus services.
• Fare capping on multi-operator tickets across bus, train and tram.
• Further investment in zero emission buses.
• Improvements to bus stops, interchanges and the management of roadworks to deliver an improved customer experience for bus users.

Stagecoach, which has been involved in the development of more plans than any other operator in the country, believes the regional bus strategies can help deliver improved services for customers, create healthier, more connected communities and support the country’s net zero ambitions.

It is urging the government to focus funding on plans that will make a practical difference to the costs and reliability of bus travel and attract people back to public transport after the damaging impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The recent Autumn Budget and Spending Review confirmed that more than £3billion of new funding will be available for buses over the current Parliament.

Lee Wasnidge, Managing Director for Stagecoach Manchester said: “We’re pleased to have worked closely with the local authority in Greater Manchester on the development of an ambitious Bus Service Improvement Plan.

“This plan has huge potential to help get the region back on board the bus by delivering lower fares, faster and more reliable journeys, better connections, and improved customer information.

“It’s important now that the increased funding for buses promised by the government is now delivered so these bold plans can be brought to life.

“Bus networks are key to Britain’s towns and cities and supporting the country’s net zero ambitions. The quickest way to help leverage the power of buses to support this is by getting motorists out of cars and onto buses which would drive huge reductions in carbon emissions.”

Figures published by the Confederation of Passenger Transport show that UK citizens switching just one journey a month from car to bus would deliver a cut of 2m tonnes in annual carbon emissions.

Stagecoach has recently proposed a package of policy interventions to kick-start the country’s town and city centres, boost health and well-being, and help deliver stretching government targets to reach net zero by 2050.

The proposals include tax incentives, discounted fares and a national bus marketing campaign to match the recently launched advertising push to attract consumers back to trains. The company has also called for reform of motoring tax and a clear government roadmap of investment to support decarbonisation of bus sector and deliver 4,000 new promised electric buses in England.