Bus mileage in Greater Manchester has fallen to its lowest in almost a quarter-of-a-century as commuters flock to the trains.
Statistics released by the Greater Manchester Transportation Unit, which monitors public transport and roads, show the area’s buses were driven just 66.9M miles in 2007 – the latest figures available. That is the lowest since they travelled only 53.8M miles in 1986.
Mileage gradually climbed from 1986 to a peak of more than 92M in 1994, but has been falling ever since. Since 1991, the number of bus passengers has fallen from 269M to just 224M. At the same time, the number of passengers travelling into the city centre from stations in Greater Manchester during the morning peak period increased by 47% between 1991 and 2007.
The number of off-peak passengers more than doubled over the same period. And, in a sign of the accelerating exodus to rail, both rush-hour and off-peak patronage in Greater Manchester increased by 7% between 2006 and 2007.
Rail lines to the north of Manchester have fared best with a huge 74% increase in city-bound journeys in the two-hour morning peak since 1991 while southern lines saw a 27% increase.
Blackley MP Graham Stringer has called for re-regulation of the Greater Manchester bus market, which is dominated by Stagecoach and First. Both have seen market share dip slightly in recent years.
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