Mancunians are leaving the pandemic behind and re-embracing public transport, says local operator Go North West. The firm reports that its buses are as busy as they were before Covid-19, with plans in place to boost the number of vehicles on its network. The company says it is now operating 90% of buses which ran pre-pandemic, and over the last few months has seen a surge in passenger levels, with loadings per bus now equalling 2019 figures.
Go North West says it is the first in the Go-Ahead Group’s UK companies to hit this level of passenger recovery, with bus usage across the UK as a whole hovering around 85% of pre-pandemic levels. Across Go-Ahead’s 11 regional bus companies, the firm said patronage varies between 80% and 100%, depending on demographics, the length and type of journeys and the strength of local economies.
As well as Bus Recovery Grant funding, the operator said that marketing initiatives to encourage customers back, including a £1 fare promotion for passengers travelling in the evenings, have helped drive demand, and that it has stepped up efforts to recruit more bus drivers to keep pace.
Nigel Featham, Managing Director at Go North West, said: “We’re delighted to see Manchester bounce back from the Covid-19 pandemic. The combination of a young population, a thriving local economy and a lively nightlife scene have all contributed to this recovery in customer levels. We are now looking to the future with plans to add additional resource to our network to ensure we meet the demand.
“We’re grateful to the Government for Bus Recovery Grant funding which has been essential in enabling us to keep a comprehensive service running throughout Covid-19. And now the cost of living crisis has focused peoples’ minds on the price of transport – catching a bus is a far better value way of travelling than driving a car. With passengers coming back, demand is in good shape for the introduction of Transport for Greater Manchester’s franchised model.”
