Stockport’s A6 bus service is set to be used as a blueprint for success in other towns in the North West.
The A6 Manchester-Stockport bus route is one of the busiest in the country, with more than 10 million passengers using the 192 service every year.
But as a result of Stockport Council, Transport for Greater Manchester and Stagecoach working together the A6 bus service has high scores for regularity, reliability and punctuality. It also scored well for high levels of customer service and passenger information.
The improvement in the service on the A6 means that Stockport’s partnership scheme is set to be copied in Salford, Rochdale and Wigan.
Our local 192 bus service calls along the A6 route every 5 minutes in the peak. Operator Stagecoach is investing £11.3m in 40 new hybrid-electric vehicles on the 192 route, buses that will be equipped with free Wi-Fi for passenger use.
The operator has also introduced more inspectors on the route to help improve the regularity of bus services. Buses are now cleaned mid-service at Manchester Piccadilly while they wait for their scheduled departure.
Councillor Iain Roberts, Executive Member for Regeneration and Economic Development at Stockport Council, said: “It’s great news that the Quality Bus Partnership in Stockport is being held up as a shining example for other routes. We’ve worked hard, alongside our partners, to maintain and improve the route along the A6 for the benefit of passengers.”
A new bus turnaround will be built south of Stockport town centre by the end of April, and Stagecoach plans to build a new passenger ‘Park and Ride’ at Hazel Grove with space for just over 400 vehicles.
