Bus lanes prove jam busters on our roads

A £90MILLION expansion of bus lanes across Greater Manchester which infuriated drivers actually made their journeys quicker.

And the quality bus corridor programme which gives buses priority at hundreds of stretches of roads and junctions — including Lees to Manchester and Oldham to Rochdale and Ashton — has also cut road accidents by almost a fifth.

The idea was hated by motorists when first introduced five years ago but its success has surprised even the transport officials who brought it in.

Extra reliability has also tempted drivers out of their cars — resulting in an extra 8m bus journeys a year.

Despite complaints from drivers that bus lanes leave less room for their cars, the reality is that there have been fewer jams where the bus lanes have been introduced.

“They make for a more consistent flow through an area and everybody benefits,” said Greater Manchester Passenger Transport official Melanie Watson, who added that patronage over the whole network has surged by 22 per cent in the last five years.

“We can’t say that it is all due to quality bus corridors but they have definitely played a part,” she said.

The routes cover more than 170 miles in Greater Manchester including 20 miles of bus lanes.

They also include 245 junction improvements and 138 sections of cycle lane covering more than 14 miles.

The authority’s chairman, Councillor Matt Colledge, said: “QBCs are not just about bus lanes, they’re about improving entire routes and journeys with a whole range of measures — from better bus stops to enhanced traffic signals — to help make the bus a realistic alternative to the private car.

“These corridors are an essential part of the bus network in Greater Manchester and can give massive benefits to bus passengers — and other road users too.”

And Manchester councillor Keith Whitmore, vice-chairman, added: “More than 80 per cent of all public transport journeys in Greater Manchester are made by bus so it’s an important area for investment.

“We have achieved a lot in the past few years through the QBC scheme and we hope to continue to work closely with the district councils and bus operators to make further improvements.”

The news comes as the £3bn Transport Innovation Fund (TIF) bid — which would bring in congestion charges in 2013 — promises even more improvements to bus services.