Tameside and Glossop Bus Service Changes, 25 July 2021

Summer times, and the changes are minimal (and somewhat predictable)

• Summer times on Stagecoach Manchester;
• Diggle link ditched from 356 route;
• Peak hour duplicates nixed after scrapping of social distancing requirement on buses.

Within a week of HM Government’s Freedom Day®, some degree of normality is restored on our bus routes. Firstly, with it being summertime (and the schools breaking up for the five-week or six-week holidays), we shall be seeing the faster summer times on many of Stagecoach’s routes. Secondly, with the requirements for social distancing scrapped, our peak hour duplicates on trunk routes have gone the same way.

TfGM’s Paperless Bus Timetable Trials

Better Bus Rides on Paperless Bus Guides in Oldham and Stockport

The days of the dead tree bus timetable could be numbered in years to come as smartphones and tablets become the norm for today’s passengers. Instead of rows and rows of bus timetables, passengers could scan a QR code for their desired service.

Greater Manchester’s Yellow Buses Through The Ages

From Bee Line Buzz Company to the Rochdale Runners

As we know that Greater Manchester’s franchised buses will be in yellow and black, it is worth noting that yellow buses are far from novel in our City Region. Historically, they have orange and white, white, orange and brown, and several other colours before then. None of them being in yellow till The Bee Line Buzz Company came on to the scene.

The Future’s Yellow: 2024 Start for Greater Manchester’s Publicly Controlled Buses

Bus Franchising Scheme to begin a year earlier than expected

Greater Manchester’s Bus Franchising Scheme is set to start a year earlier than anticipated. With the pandemic, it was envisaged that franchised operations would begin in Sub-Area A in 2023, with Sub-Areas B and C following suit in 2024 and 2025. This morning [10 May 2021], it was announced that a fully franchised bus network will be in operation by 2024.

Stagecoach Manchester Celebrates Silver Jubilee With Special Livery

Special livery features long serving staff

Stagecoach Manchester is celebrating 25 years of serving communities and connecting people across Greater Manchester, with a special livery bus featuring 30 of its longest serving members of staff. The recently launched bus will be seen on routes mainly in the South Manchester area throughout 2021.

Transdev Takes Over Yorkshire Tiger

Arriva UK bus sells West Yorkshire operator to Transdev Blazefield

This Summer, there will be a change of ownership for Yorkshire Tiger. It was announced today [Thursday 15 April 2021] that Arriva UK Bus have decided to sell their Yorkshire Tiger operation to Transdev Blazefield. The sale includes its two depots in Elland and Waterloo and 61 buses.

All but two routes, the 231 and 232, will be transferred to Alex Hornby’s company. These routes between Huddersfield and Wakefield (via Emley Moor) will be part of Arriva Yorkshire. The move will also affect 163 drivers, engineers, cleaners and support staff.

Fun With Bus Route Branding

A fun little article on How to brand or rebrand our bus routes

One of the key parts of the Department for Transport’s National Bus Strategy is local branding based on community focus instead of operational needs. At present, there are some examples of best practice with Transdev and The Go-Ahead Group marketing its bus routes under memorable names. So much so that passengers are able to remember their bus routes by name instead of number.

Tameside and Glossop Bus Service Changes, 11 April 2021

As one hospital link closes, another one opens

• Renumbered 397 extended to North Manchester General Hospital;
• Little Gem (Mark II) increases Tameside presence on TfGM tendered routes;
• 217 reverts to being Ashton-under-Lyne to Manchester route;
• Timetable changes for Stagecoach routes with cuts to 336, 337 and 389 services.

The Spring 2021 changes are a bit of a mixed bag for Tameside’s bus passengers. A day before non-essential retail reopens, there has been some tinkering around the edges of Stagecoach’s routes, particularly with subtle changes to trunk routes. For some not-so-trunk routes, some not-so-subtle changes, like operator revisions and service cuts.

What Colour for Greater Manchester’s Buses

Is the future orange and white or pink with yellow spots?

Unless we know different by the end of May, we shall be bracing ourselves for a new era of franchised bus operations by 2025. There will be endless chat on social media and blogs as to what bus routes will change, the fares, the cost of running the whole thing, and fun things like the livery.

Franchised Buses Get The Green Light

Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham goes for Bus Franchising Scheme

Nearly four years after he was elected as Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham stuck to his pledge to reform Greater Manchester’s buses. Following a second consultation, he made his announcement at 1440 beside Stand E of Ashton-under-Lyne Interchange. The Free Trade Experiment with Greater Manchester’s buses will be consigned to history in four years time.