Rochdale: Bus Network Proposals

There will be a new network of bus services for Greater Manchester which will be up and running by summer 2013. The new network will have about 10% more services than it does now, and for some services - for example, Sunday daytime services to Rochdale or Middleton town centres - the proposed increase will be up to 20%.

The new network is designed to provide bus services that start earlier in the day and run later at night, and where necessary, create new 'feeder' services to rail or new Metrolink stations. The network will have 'minimum service frequencies', so that on the main routes to the city centre, at least eight buses an hour will run through the daytime, and no fewer than three buses an hour will be available in the evenings and on Sundays.

Two high quality bus routes will be developed, giving comfortable and frequent journeys into the heart of Manchester, including the cross city route operating from Middleton to Chorlton.

The network will bring as many people as possible within a five-minute walk of a regular, all day, service to a local town centre. 90% of the population of the borough of Rochdale will be within a five-minute walk of bus services, running at least every 20 minutes during the daytime, Monday to Saturday. Services will run at least every 30 minutes for weekday early mornings and evenings, and on Sundays.

All new buses will have low floors to make it easier for people to get on and off.

By introducing vehicle location technology, services will run more efficiently and reliably. New passenger information displays will be provided at stops and stations giving up-to-the-minute information on bus services. Improving passenger information in this way is crucial to building greater confidence - and more use - of public transport.