Manchester's yellow buses go to top of the class

09 January 2008

Greater Manchester’s Yellow School Bus services are reducing congestion, improving pupil behaviour, and boosting school attendance, according to a report to transport bosses.

Councillors heard that Yellow School Buses had taken more than 265,000 car miles off the road this school year, with 36% of new users saying they used to get to and from school by car. Only 8% of new users previously travelled by local bus.

The report also found that anti-social behaviour on school buses had fallen by 75% at schools which had the yellow buses. Schools had also credited the services for improving attendance records.

Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority now funds the services to 22 schools, serving more than 2,000 pupils. Two more vehicles are due to be introduced in Wigan early this year, taking the number of Yellow School Buses in Greater Manchester to 36. The report showed an average take-up per bus of 58 seats out of a total capacity of 67, with nine vehicles fully subscribed.

Chairman of GMPTA’s transport network committee, Councillor Alan Whitehead, said: ‘Yellow School Buses are a safe and reliable way of getting pupils to and from school. ‘We already know, from anecdotal evidence, that they are popular, but this report highlights the benefits of the service.

‘The services are really helping tackle local congestion caused by the school run, as well as offering a safe travelling environment for pupils. ‘We have bid for government funding to buy more Yellow School Buses, and reports like this illustrate what a strong case there is for expanding the service.’

Pupils using Yellow School Bus services have to sign up to a code of conduct, use the same seatbelt-equipped seats every day, and have regular drivers to help build a good working relationship.

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