The trial for the Bee Network night bus service has proved successful in the opening month with thousands using the scheme.
The Transport for Greater Manchester have shared that around 7,000 people have used the night bus service since it launched in September.
The trial has seen services of the V1 and 36 routes run every hour at night, seven days a week in an initiative to promote Manchester nightlife and create easier routes home for Salfordians working late.
According to the Bee Network, around 7,000 people have used the service between September 1 and September 28.
The hourly services on both bus routes run between midnight and 6:30am before normal service resumes.
Friday and Saturday nights have proved the busiest among passengers, during a time in which many will be heading or returning from a night out in Manchester.
Existing late-night buses have also seen a boost following the trial, with 53,000 passengers making journeys over a month and a weekly average growth of 4% on the V1 and 6% on the 36 route.
The V1 runs between Manchester Royal Infirmary (MRI) and Leigh, serving staff and patients at the MRI, it is also expected to provide services for employees and students at the University of Salford.
The 36 bus connects Bolton town centre to Manchester city centre through Salford, Swinton, Walkden and Little Hulton.
Night buses are here!
We’re trialling 24-hour services on the V1 and the 36, connecting Manchester with Leigh and Bolton via Salford.
Find out more: https://t.co/KkzAG7DtV9 pic.twitter.com/OVZJTj7N8L
— Bee Network (@BeeNetwork) October 18, 2024
Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, commented on the early success of the scheme: “Before we launched this pilot, we knew that people had been crying out for better public transport at night and into the early mornings.
“I am really encouraged to see so many people are making use of our night buses.
“Providing late-night bus services remains a key part of our vision for the Bee Network.
“These encouraging figures show that the demand is there for safer, reliable and more affordable public transport at these times of the evening,” Burnham added.
The V1 and 36 routes were taken over by the Bee Network in September 2023, which saw buses under local control for the first time in nearly 40 years.
Andy Burnham continued: “The far-ranging benefits of these services are already being felt, whether it’s helping people getting home from a night out and boosting our night-time economy, or creating essential new connections for the people working within this sector to get to and from their place of work.
“This pilot is crucial in allowing us to gather the insight we need to deliver on our aspirations for more Bee Network night buses, while also making the case for extra funding to provide better services for the people and businesses in Greater Manchester,” Burnham said.
The Bee Network continues to franchise the bus network in Greater Manchester and is set to expand in January 2025.
Transport Commissioner for Greater Manchester, Vernon Everitt, said: “Trialling these two night bus services is allowing us to open up more transport options for people working in our night-time economy, which in turn enables further economic growth and higher productivity for our growing region.
“With passenger numbers increasing week by week, it’s clear that these services are already providing vital support to the night-time economy and helping people get to and from work around the clock,” Everitt added.
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