REPORT FOR APPROVAL Date: 03 April 2020 Subject: Emergency Changes to the Bus Network Report of: Alison Chew, Interim Head of Bus Services, TfGM PURPOSE OF REPORT To seek approval from the Chief Executive Officer, GMCA & TfGM for emergency changes to the subsidised bus network in response to the changing demands on the network during the Covid-19 pandemic. RECOMMENDATIONS: The Chief Executive Officer is asked to i. Approve the changes to subsidised services in response to the changing demands on the network during the Covid-19 pandemic, set out in Annex A. CONTACT OFFICERS: Nick Roberts 0161 244 1173 [email protected] 1. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND 1.1 To respond to the impact of the on-going Covid-19 pandemic on the bus network TfGM has undertaken to review supported services across Greater Manchester with a view to identifying opportunities for rationalising these to reflect the pronounced and continuing reductions in patronage. 1.2 This piece of work is being undertaken in the context of large and continuing drops in passenger numbers of as much of 90% in some cases alongside shortages of operating staff. 1.3 While each service is subject to local variations in demand, characteristics, and the nature of the areas served, the following overarching principles have been adopted to ensure access to hospitals and food retailers (usually in the district centres) is maintained in particular, as well as a more general level of coverage for other essential travel: Where a hospital or other healthcare facility is served, maintain a minimum two hourly frequency (although frequencies may vary depending on operational circumstances), with first and last journey times remaining unchanged; Where a daytime service provides links to food retail, consider reduced operating period or lower frequency; and As a reasonable level of patronage data becomes available, reducing or removing services which have not demonstrated demand. 1.4 This report contains details of the first stage of work undertaken and it is emphasised that this will be an iterative process. It is anticipated that further adjustments and revisions will be needed over the coming days, weeks and months in response to changing circumstances. Each individual measure will be kept under continual review due to the dynamic situation and in response to commercial service changes which are likely to be occurring on a regular basis. 2. RECOMMENDATIONS 2.1 Recommendations are set out at the front of this report. Alison Chew Interim Head of Bus Services 2 EMERGENCY CHANGES TO THE SUBSIDISED NETWORK ANNEX A Members are requested to note the following changes to subsidised services, in response to the changing demands on the network during the Covid-19 pandemic: Service Days of Journey Current Effective Operator Action No. Operation Description Frequency District Date Altrincham - Four Hourly Revised in line with operator commercial 05.04.20 5A Warrington's Mon - Sat Partington - 0640, 1040, MR/TD service - 5A withdrawn, CAT5 reduced to CAT5 Own Buses daytime Lymm - 1440 three journeys Warrington 05.04.20 R.S. Tyrer & Mon - Sat Prestwich - 40 minutes BY Reduce to operate every 90 minutes (half 90 Sons daytime Simister current frequency) with Saturday operating hours Transdev Mon - Sat Bury - Hourly BY 05.04.20 91 Reduce to 2 hourly service B&P daytime Radcliffe Manchester - 05.04.20 Carr Clough - Pilsworth - Hourly BY/MR Go North Daily Bury Evenings adjusted in line with daytime 92 93 West evenings Manchester - service (reduced to hourly) Agecroft - Prestwich - Bury Transdev Mon - Sat Nangreaves - Hourly BY 05.04.20 B2 Reduce to 2 hourly service B&P daytime Bury Transdev Mon - Sat Fern Grove - Hourly BY 05.04.20 B3 Reduce to 2 hourly service B&P daytime Bury Service Days of Journey Current Effective Operator Action No. Operation Description Frequency District Date Transdev Mon - Sat Heywood - Hourly BY/RE 05.04.20 B4 Curtail to operate Bury - Heywood only B&P daytime Bury Transdev Mon - Sat Syke - 90 minutes RD 05.04.20 R1 Reduce to 2 hourly service B&P daytime Rochdale Bury – Hourly BY/RE 05.04.20 Transdev Mon - Sat R2 Norden - Reduce to every 90 minutes B&P daytime Rochdale Transdev Mon - Sat Castleton - Hourly RE 05.04.20 R7 Reduce to 2 hourly service Rosso daytime Rochdale Buckstones - Hourly OM/RE 05.04.20 Transdev Mon - Sat 435 Turf Hill - Reduce to 2 hourly service Rosso daytime Rochdale Hourly/Two RE Revised in line with operator commercial 05.04.20 Transdev Rochdale - 456/45 Mon - Sat Hourly service – 456 first bus ex Rochdale 0945, Rosso Littleborough 8 last bus 1650 – reduce to 2 hourly. Transdev Sunday/Ba Littleborough Hourly RE Revised in line with operator commercial 05.04.20 458 B&P nk Holiday - Rochdale service - Reduce to 2 hourly Rochdale - Hourly BY/RE 05.04.20 Revised in line with operator commercial Transdev Mon - Daniel Fold - 467 service - 467 first bus ex Bury 0815 then Rosso Sat/Sun Bamford - every two hours, last bus ex Bury 2215. Bury Rochdale - Hourly BY/RE Revised in line with operator commercial 05.04.20 Transdev 468 Mon - Sat Bamford - service - 468 first bus ex Bury 0605 then Rosso Bury every two hours, last bus ex Bury 2345. 4 Service Days of Journey Current Effective Operator Action No. Operation Description Frequency District Date Bury - Hourly BN/BY 05.04.20 Revised in line with operator commercial Transdev Tottington - 480 Mon - Sat service – first bus ex Bury 0909 last bus ex Rosso Tonge Moor - Bury 1709. Two hourly frequency. Bolton Monday 15 Minutes BN Revised to operate with 1 bus from 09:00- 05.04.20 Bolton 500 Vision Bus Ltd to 15:00 to accommodate supermarket Metrohuttle Saturday shoppers Hourly Hospital access retained but combined 05.04.20 Bury - both routes as service 512 and reduced to Farnworth - operate two hourly with Saturday Royal Bolton BN/BY operating hours Hospital Operate as normal to Radcliffe then via 512 R.S. Tyrer & Mon - Sat and 513 route through Whitefield to Ringley, and Sons daytime Bury - call down both Fold Road and Hulme Road 513 Whitefield- then via 512 route to the Hospital. Only Ringley - road not directly served is Outwood Road Farnworth but service 513 passes along the bottom Bus Station of it and other services into Radcliffe town centre pass along the top of it. 5 Service Days of Journey Current Effective Operator Action No. Operation Description Frequency District Date Bolton - Hourly 05.04.20 Halliwell - Hall I'th BN Reduce to a 2 hourly service as follows: 525 Wood Daily 525: 18:30/20:30/22:30 527 Vision Bus Ltd Circular evenings 534: 19:10/21:10/23:10 534 Oldhams 527: 19:52/21:52 Estate - Astley Bridge - Bolton Barrow Hourly BN Reduced to a 2 hour service for the 05.04.20 Mon - Sat Bridge - following trips 526 Vision Bus Ltd daytime Halliwell - 08:00/10:20/12:20/14:20/16:20/17:20 – Bolton last trip Egerton - Hourly 05.04.20 Bromley BN Reduced to a 2 hour service as follows Mon - Sat 533 Vision Bus Ltd Cross - Tonge 06:20/09:50/1150/1350/16:03/17:10 – daytime Moor - last trip Bolton Belmont - Two Hourly BN 05.04.20 Mon - Sat 535 Vision Bus Ltd Astley Bridge Minor timetable amendments daytime - Bolton Mon - Sat Bolton - Bank Hourly BN Reduced to a 2 hour service as follows 05.04.20 537 Vision Bus Ltd daytime Top circular 10:08/12:08/14:08/16:08 – last trip Bolton - Hourly BN 05.04.20 Reduced to a 2 hour service starting at Mon - Sat Darcy Lever - 544 Vision Bus Ltd Coronation Square at 09:25 then daytime Little Lever 11:10/13:10/15:10/17:10 – last trip Circular 6 Service Days of Journey Current Effective Operator Action No. Operation Description Frequency District Date Leigh - Hourly BN/SD/ 05.04.20 Mon - Sat Boothstown - WN 551 Vision Bus Ltd Revised with service 553 below evenings Walkden - Bolton Hourly BN/SD/ 553 and 551: proposed 2 hour service as 05.04.20 Higher Green WN follows: 07:25/09:25/11:25/15:25/17:25 R.S. Tyrer & Mon - Sat - Boothstown 553 551 tendered service to be reduced to a 2 Sons daytime - Walkden - hour service starting at the normal time Bolton 18:43/20:43/22:43 finishing in Leigh Ashton - Hourly BN Reduced 2 hourly service as follows 06:08 05.04.20 Mon - Sat Hindley - (Bird in Hand) 559 Vision Bus Ltd daytime Westhoughto 06:40/08:50/10:56/12:56/14:56/17:15 – n - Bolton Last trip Sutton Estate Hourly BN Reduced 2 hour service: 05.04.20 Mon - Sat 570 Vision Bus Ltd - Lever Edge - 07:53/09:03/11:03/13:03/15:03 – Last daytime Bolton trip. Half Hourly Daytime revised to 571/572 – reduced to a 05.04.20 Bolton - BN Sunday service with the added trips in the 571 Great Lever - Vision Bus Ltd Mon - Sat morning. Evening service brought into line 572 Lever Edge and running every half hour from 07:00 up Circular to 21:30 – Last trip Blackrod - Two Hourly 05.04.20 Horwich - BN Mon - Sat Run as normal with the removal of the 577 Vision Bus Ltd Brazley - daytime following trips 13:57/16:19/17:08 Middlebrook - Bolton 7 Service Days of Journey Current Effective Operator Action No. Operation Description Frequency District Date Leigh - New Hourly 05.04.20 R.S. Tyrer & Mon - Sat Hall Farm - WN 694 Sons daytime Tyldesley Reduce to two hourly (half current circular frequency) with Saturday operating hours 8 Current Effective Service Days of Journey Operator frequency District Action Date No.