Credit crunch to hit the buses

BUS operators in Greater Manchester expect to lose up to one in 10 of their passengers over the coming year because of the recession.

“We are seeing some very early signs, though it does vary according to the company and the location,” said Mark Threapleton, chairman of the Greater Manchester Bus Operators Association.

Speaking to about 200 people at Greater Manchester Integrated Transport Authority’s public transport seminar on behalf of the 15 member companies —including Oldham-based First —he showed a graph of rising passenger trends — driven mainly by the free concessionary fares scheme — in the area until last year.

But he warned: “The impact of the recession is going to hit us and we are predicting a passenger loss of between 5 and 10 per cent over the next 12 months.”

He added: “We are not expecting the number of concessionary passengers to fall but employment is starting to be squeezed and that affects us. We do, though, expect that to reverse when the recession is over.”

GMBOA members carry 227m passengers a year — 85 per cent of the total public transport market.