Guided busway reaches three million journeys milestone

The guided busway is celebrating another milestone after announcing three million journeys were made on the route in the past year.
The guided buswayThe guided busway
The guided busway

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) celebrated the number of residents using the service between Leigh and Ellenbrook, saying it means more cars are being left at home.

The regional transport body says commuters switching from their own vehicles to the busway to get to work regularly means around 580,000 fewer car journeys being made on the road network.

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TfGM says this will improve air quality as well as reducing congestion.

Pollution is a major issue in Greater Manchester at the moment and the launch of a congestion deal for the region last year led to extra bus services being added to the route last October.

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham said: “This significant landmark of three million passenger journeys a year is testament to just how successful the guided busway has been since its introduction in 2016.

“Patronage has grown year upon year to the point where extra services have been added to cope with the demand, proving what an attractive and viable travel option it is.

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“It is clear that, by providing a combination of segregated infrastructure, high quality vehicles and reliable services, buses can deliver a positive solution to changing the way people travel, tackling congestion and improve air quality.

“I’m committed to investing in the bus market so we can continue to improve the customer experience and encourage people to leave the car at home.”

Operated by First manchester, the busway has clocked up 7.8m journeys in its first three years and provides 32 buses arriving in Manchester city centre between 7am and 9am.