Franchised bus network.

[winston]

I hope I'm proved wrong, but I already suspect that any 'public consultation' is just a formality to give some semblance to 'democracy taking place'.

Decisions have already been made, so it is now down to the public to just meekly 'agree' to them.

- Bus franchising will mean that bus fares will be lower and your buses will run on time, do you think this is a good idea?
- [  ] Yes
- [  ] No
- [  ] Not sure

Other than a load of new buses & a big bill for the taxpayer, I haven't seen any other benefits to the travelling public since Bee Network took over Manchesters Buses. 

[LD713821]

Other than a load of new buses & a big bill for the taxpayer, I haven't seen any other benefits to the travelling public since Bee Network took over Manchesters Buses.

+The £2 Hopper fare
I don't see a problem with spending taxpayers money on Public Transport, they already pay for unprofitable routes at the moment anyway

Nobody can see the future and see if it will improve transport or make it worse - Best to give it a chance 

[winston]

+The £2 Hopper fare
I don't see a problem with spending taxpayers money on Public Transport, they already pay for unprofitable routes at the moment anyway
Nobody can see the future and see if it will improve transport or make it worse - Best to give it a chance

They'll continue to pay for those unprofitable routes too + the costs of setting up the franchising scheme & subsidising any Hopper fares.
 
We've all seen how well TfWM cope at awarding tenders in a timely manner, updating bus stop flags / passenger information & notifying passengers of service changes at the last minute.... Imagine if they were responsible for managing the whole lot....
 

[Gareth]

They'll continue to pay for those unprofitable routes too + the costs of setting up the franchising scheme & subsidising any Hopper fares.
 
We've all seen how well TfWM cope at awarding tenders in a timely manner, updating bus stop flags / passenger information & notifying passengers of service changes at the last minute.... Imagine if they were responsible for managing the whole lot....
 

On the other hand, I recall one service number change where flags and timetables were all changed overnight whilst buses were running around for days, weeks and months showing the old number. One bus that must have been long time out of service was seen showing the old number over a year after it changed.

[ellspurs]

On the other hand, I recall one service number change where flags and timetables were all changed overnight whilst buses were running around for days, weeks and months showing the old number. One bus that must have been long time out of service was seen showing the old number over a year after it changed.

Half of us still refer to it as the 55 anyway.

[Jack]

Half of us still refer to it as the 55 anyway.

Will always be the 55!

[B7RLE]

As of yesterday, the whole of Greater Manchester is now under public control, with the final Tranche of Bee Network complete

[andy41]

Which was lies,his own government put it up to £3, I had a discussion with a lad on this last night and we both felt NX, Diamond whoever should be allowed to set there own fares. You just know this is going up so he can do his plan of Franchising, if Fares were lower you pay more Council Tax, who no doubt share that to TFWM, if it's left Private NX can do there accounting and reduce fares or freeze them something they did ages ago before Covid, since Covid NX, Diamond and the liked have put up prices to cope with today loss of revenue. A Good mayor sort of like Andy Street (who didn't want to Franchise the buses), he actually said he wanted to work with Bus operators to make people feel safer on them and to try and get people onto the buses to ease congestion, the entire reason Partly Parker wants them under public ownership. Street knew what he was doing and it was working. I think in his first term and part of his second fares remained consistent, since Parker took over they have gone up. Parker could have stuck with what Street was doing and then after a year or two say this isn't working consulted operators rather than bully them and think of a solution that somehow means NX say as he likes to Bully them can focus on there main core routes and the local tendered services could all run by the Public ownership firm as sort of a last resort/demand service, as they are more than likely the routes not making money for operators. 

Some people are so incredibly gullible that you have to wonder how they get through the day intact....