Worry over suggestion school buses could be ‘removed’ or ‘shared’, but bosses say no plans have been made

There’s worry school buses could be ‘removed’ or ‘shared’ with public services as transport chiefs lay out new plans for how Greater Manchester kids get to class.

The new ‘draft School Travel Strategy’ has now been published, and sets out Transport for Greater Manchester's (TfGM) ambitions to have more pupils travel to school without a car.

TfGM hopes seven in ten primary school students ‘walk, wheel, scoot, or cycle to school’ by 2030, up from 63 per cent. 

It wants four in five high school students to do the same, up from 74 percent, and the same proportion of college kids, an increase from two-thirds. 

But the draft strategy also outlines how the Bee Network will ‘deliver more reliable, accessible and affordable bus services’ for children and young people by ‘creating a more integrated network using Greater Manchester’s bus franchising powers and to optimise public transport connections for education’.

That has led to fears from councillors in Greater Manchester towns that services might be ‘removed’ or ‘shared’.

“The concern [of] removing school buses is the impact that has on our young people… it is a big one,” said Coun Mark Roberts, the Liberal Democrat deputy leader of Stockport council.

“Then the residents will have to share with large groups of teenagers.

"I hope that comes through with the consultation.

"I hope people know it’s being raised.” 

There are no firm plans to completely remove school buses in Greater Manchester or any one borough, and nor are there proposals on the table to share school and public services, the LDRS understands.

But the task of moving Greater Manchester’s nearly half-a-million pupils every day ‘is already a challenge’, added Coun Roberts.

Some 460,000 children make their way to the classroom to one of Greater Manchester’s 1,200 schools and colleges every weekday.

That accounts for roughly 15 per cent of all trips in the city-region, and almost half between 8am and 9am and 3pm and 4pm, according to TfGM statistics.

The volume of journeys is why Dame Sarah Storey, the decorated paralympic cyclist and Greater Manchester active travel commissioner has identified ‘school travel as one of my six priorities’.

“In order to enable young people and families to travel to school and further education on foot, bike or public transport; those choices need to feel safe, easy and accessible – and the draft school travel strategy sets out how we will be aiming to do this,” she added.

The draft strategy will be subject to a 10-week public consultation from November.

You will be able to access it via TfGM’s website.

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