Bus priority schemes delivering significant boosts for passengers in Wigan

Developed and delivered between 2007 and 2017 by TfGM in partnership with Wigan, Manchester, Salford and Rochdale councils, the programme focused on three key routes connecting to Manchester city centre: the Leigh Guided Busway, Rochdale Road and Oxford Road.

The scheme has delivered significant reliability and journey time benefits for bus passengers in the Wigan, Salford and Manchester with average morning journey times between Leigh and Manchester reduced by over a quarter – from 65 minutes in 2013, to less than 50 minutes.

There has also been growth in bus patronage and people choosing to switch from driving to travelling by bus.

Survey evidence indicates that patronage more than doubled, and up to 25 per cent of passengers switched from car to bus travel, removing more than 600,000 trips per year from our roads since 2017.

This high rate of ‘modal shift’ is attributed to the delivery of a package of improvements including new infrastructure, high quality waiting facilities, high specification vehicles and the introduction of a new frequent service.

The Vantage service from Leigh to Manchester is also one of two routes currently running a night bus pilot introduced as part of the integration of all Greater Manchester services under the Bee Network.

This approach is now serving as a template for improvements in other areas of Greater Manchester.

There has also been a significant increase in the number of people using the dedicated walking, wheeling and cycling route alongside the busway, with 58 per cent of users surveyed saying it had led to them living a more active lifestyle.

A recent survey estimated that over a third of a million trips were made on the path in 2023.

Another notable benefit has been a drop in the number of serious or fatal collisions on the Leigh to Manchester city centre bus route, including the A580 East Lancs Road (which the busway joins after Ellenbrook), and Oxford Road, in Manchester.

The number of serious or fatal casualties on the A580 ‘corridor’ fell faster than across Greater Manchester as a whole during the analysis period – with a reduction of 63 per cent compared to 15 per cent for the city region.

Vernon Everitt, Greater Manchester’s Transport Commissioner, said: “This evaluation report demonstrates the positive impact for residents of investment in high quality public transport to deliver safe, frequent and reliable services.

“These schemes have enabled better access to homes, jobs, healthcare, education and to leisure destinations and further improvements have recently been delivered with the creation of the Bee Network, including the introduction of night buses to support workers and the night time economy.

“Affordability of public transport has also been transformed.

"As a result of bringing buses under local control, fares have been reduced and held at £2 for an adult Hopper - enabling customers to change buses within an hour of their first tap without having to pay more - and delivering more convenient ‘Tap and Go’ contactless payment which guarantees the lowest fare."