Duffers’ Guide to Bus Operations #14: Lowbridge Buses

The even longer awaited fourteenth part of our informal look at bus operations For beginners.

Once upon a time, quite some time ago, a certain Robert Stephenson created the world’s first true inter-city railway line. By September 1830, it carried its first passengers and goods between Liverpool and Manchester city centres. Today, Liverpool Lime Street is the world’s oldest railway terminus in continuous use. Liverpool Road station, in Manchester, is part of the Science Museum Group as Manchester’s Science and Industry Museum.

On reading the previous paragraph, you may be asking yourself, “What has this got to be do with buses?” Quite a bit, because not all railway bridges are sixteen feet or higher above our roads, bridleways, canals, footpaths and rivers. Our earlier road bridges were designed for horses and carts, never mind state-of-the-art electric cars. Or double decker buses.

North Manchester Bus Fare Changes: Why Three is a Tragic Number

First/Diamond/Go North West ticketing agreement ends in New Year

For Greater Mancunian bus, train, and tram passengers, there is nothing peculiar about the 02 January 2020. As it is the first working day of 2020, it is at that point of the year when our bus, train and tram fares go up.

Duffers’ Guide to Bus Operations #13: Bus Fares

The long awaited thirteenth part of our informal look at bus operations. For beginners.

A First Greater Manchester bus, loading at Ashton-under-Lyne bus station in July 2017.

In a previous Duffers’ Guide (Part Six), we looked at how concessionary fares work on bus routes. At this moment in time, fare increases have dominated the news agenda after Brexit, Trump and, in Greater Manchester at least, Andy Burnham’s death knell to bus deregulation. In his speech he has cited the cost and complexity of bus fares.

Summer Bussing, Ever So Far: Summertime Fare Offers in Greater Manchester

Good clean bus fun for all the family, ages 5 and up

From Carrbrook to Carrington, or Radcliffe to Ringway… the bus can be a great way of exploring Greater Manchester. Seen in this October 2012 shot is one of First Greater Manchester’s Volvo B9TLs on the 348 service to Carrbrook. Today, this service uses ‘A’ stand at Ashton-under-Lyne Bus Station and is more likely to have Wright StreetLite single deckers on its route.

The summer holidays are in full swing. Yes, four to six weeks of “Mum, I’m bored”, or trying to find suitable childcare options. Or trying to budget for six weeks of lunches without breaking the bank. On some occasions you may wish to leave the house. A bus trip could be a good excuse for visiting Greater Manchester’s finest attractions, or somewhere further afield. Or for notching up your Pokémon Go score.

One Hour Hopper Fares: How Greater Manchester Could Benefit

How East of the M60 thinks a Transport for London style One Hour Hopper could work in the Greater Manchester City Region

Could a One Hour Hopper ticket make for an easy ride, one smoother than this gentleman’s in the 1969 movie?

Travelling in and around Greater Manchester by bus can be a patchy experience, with new buses on trunk routes, and pensionable buses away from key routes. As well as commercially-funded projects and the Vantage services along the Leigh Guided Busway, there is little sense of continuity. Apart from multi-operator tickets, the network is fragmented with, for example, First Greater Manchester having a fiefdom in Oldham. Likewise with Stagecoach Manchester dominating South Manchester and Stockport.