Greater Manchester Franchising

[Mayneway]

RE: Greater Manchester Franchising

(30/03/2021 22:00)dounowhoiam Wrote:  Whilst this is still all speculation, bus usage during lockdown has still been busy especially during peak times due to keyworkers (education, construction and health staff) and pupils depending on bus services where there are no other viable options (no Metrolink / Rail or access to personal car).

One thing I do hope from post-pandemic is that general car usage drops (especially during peak) so that traffic decreases. This would help to have faster services that would both be more appealing and cost less.

From a financial perspective (despite the main goal of franchising to provide a better service for the general public) if the profits made from busier routes are used to help subsidise quieter routes then it is achieving it's goal of being better value than what is already offered. Companies are happily able to run frequent and high demand in the daytime and make substantial profit, but are much more reluctant to use that to run it in the evening expecting TfGM to pay them through the tendering process.

As a bus driver in Manchester in Manchester I’d disagree completely with your comments above. Bus usage levels have varied but they haven’t been anything like what they were pre covid. During the initial lockdown it was actually quite scary how quiet evening peak journeys were. Yes numbers have increased slightly but I’d say they are no where near what they were before the pandemic and I honestly think they will take a long time to get any where near what they once were.

Private used car sales are up. The value of second hand cars is up because of demand and car dealerships despite being closed for 60% of the lockdown have also reported a surge in sales. Peoples patterns have changed. Shoppers now shop on line, keyworkers who once used public transport now drive to and from work and city centre office workers now work from home using WiFi and zoom etc.
There’s never going to be a day when we are told it’s suddenly safe to go about business as normal and people are unlikely to fall back into old ways. Yes patronage will rise again but I don’t think you can ever truly repair the damage that’s been done.