Shelters mooted as mayor says Oldham buses ‘probably worst’

The mayor made the assessment after a caller asked for more bus shelters in the area on the BBC Radio Manchester Hotseat show, presented by Mike Sweeney.

Caller Eddie asked for more bus shelters along Stagecoach’s 76 route, which runs between Oldham Mumps and Piccadilly Gardens, in Manchester city centre, snaking its way through Hathershaw, Hollins, Limeside, Failsworth, Newton Heath, and Ancoats on its way to the centre.

Eddie in Failsworth asked: “Is there anything you can do to provide us with some more bus shelters in Failsworth along the 76 route, Andy? There’s around about a dozen bus stops in Failsworth, and only two, at the present time, have bus shelters.

“I know a lot of people, including myself, would use that bus route more often if we had shelters to protect us from the adverse weather conditions. Is there anything you can do to provide us with a few more?”

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The mayor responded: “Okay, I’m on it. I’m on it, Eddie. I’ll have a proper look at it – that seems to me to be a simple thing we can do to get people on the buses, and just to be clear Eddie, and for everybody else in your area, Failsworth will be coming into the Bee Network on the 24th of March this year.”

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Andy Burnham was speaking on BBC Radio Manchester (Image: BBC)

‘Probably the worst bus service in Greater Manchester’

Mr Burnham clarified that yellow buses currently running on the route were not yet formally on the Bee Network, and had just been painted to be ready in advance of the start date.

The mayor continued: “I’m going to take a look at what you said, as we learn from what we’ve just been through at the weekend – and it was a massive thing, it was a huge thing that we did. There are definitely things we can do to improve it.

“But when the Bee Network comes in in North Manchester, Failsworth on the border, Oldham and into Rochdale, I think that your area is the area that, over the years, has probably had the worst bus service in Greater Manchester.

“I really want the change and transformation to be really felt by people there, and Eddie’s given me a really practical thought there, Mike, about simple investment that could actually really make sure the Bee Network is everything I want it to be when it lands.”

Bee Network

The Bee Network officially launched on Sunday, September 24, in Bolton and Wigan, as well as parts of Salford and Bury.

The system sees local buses become part of a ‘franchising’ system, meaning aspects such as timetabling, bus routes, and more are controlled by Transport for Greater Manchester, with route operations contracted out.

Oldham’s buses will come under the system from March 2024, along with Rochdale, north Manchester, and the remaining parts of Bury and Salford. The change will see First Bus effectively exiled from the borough, with Stagecoach and Diamond set to run all local services under a franchise from Transport for Greater Manchester.

An additional 50 yellow electric buses, on top of those already in service, have been ordered ready for Oldham, Rochdale, and the remainder of Bury to become part of the system.

The remaining parts of the city region are set to join from January 2025.

After Greater Manchester buses in every borough have been brought under the system, passengers will be able to tap-in and tap-out across all buses and trams without having to decide on a ticket in advance, with fares capped at the "Bee AnyBus + Tram" price, similar to the system which has already been in place in London’s transport system for years, as well as many other major cities across the globe.

The system may even go cashless in the future, with Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham previously saying there was "an argument both ways" and that a decision had not been taken, before adding that most felt it would be safer and speed up journeys to go cashless.