Travel disruption is likely for many who travel by bus in Manchester on Monday and Tuesday as hundreds of drivers go on strike in a dispute over pay and conditions.
Roughly 300 drivers for First buses walked out this morning and will remain on strike on Tuesday, as part of a union dispute taking place at First’s Oldham depot.
As a result, 28 school services across Manchester, Rochdale, Oldham and Tameside have been cancelled over the next two days. A further 18. commercial services have also been cancelled due to the strike action.
The drivers’ union, Unite, says that the bus company has not been ‘reasonable’ in responding to requests around improving pay. According to reports byITV, the company’s refusal to backdate a pay rise to August has been a key sticking point.
“Our members have been hailed as heroes for working throughout pandemic but that praise feels decidedly hollow when First Manchester is refusing to make our members a reasonable pay offer,” said Sharon Graham, General Secretary of Unite.
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According to the union, 300 drivers recorded a 99 per cent vote in favour of striking after last-minute talks on January 7 failed to make any headway.
Transport for Greater Manchester (TFGM) is attempting to cover some services, but staff shortages due to Covid mean that a number of services will not run on Monday or Tuesday.
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First Manchester commercial services not operating
6 – Rochdale – Kirkholt
57 – Oldham – Rushcroft via Shaw
59 – Manchester – Oldham
81 – Manchester – Derker
82 – Oldham – Sholver
83 – Manchester – Sholver
84 – Manchester – Uppermill
X84 – Manchester – Carrcote
180 – Oldham – Greenfield
181 – Rochdale – Manchester
182 – Rochdale – Manchester
184 – Oldham – Huddersfield
348 – Ashton – Carrbrook
350 – Oldham – Ashton
408 – Oldham – Rochdale
409 – Rochdale – Ashton
425 – Oldham – Holts
426 – Oldham – Fitton Hill
First school bus routes not operating
708 morning service from New Moston (7.41am) to Co-op Academy Manchester
775 morning service from Fitton Hill (8am) to St Damian’s
793 morning service from Littlemoss (7.20am) to Audenshaw
793 afternoon service from Audenshaw (2.50pm) to Littlemoss
803 afternoon service from Mossley Hollins (3.10pm) to Oldham
820 morning service from Darnton Rd (8.05am) to Copley Academy
823 afternoon service from Bluecoat (3.35pm) to Dobcross
825 morning service from Waterhead (8.09am) to Saddleworth
829 morning service from Werneth (7am) to Oasis Leesbrook
829 morning service from Werneth (7.30am) to Oasis Leesbrook and Saddleworth
829 afternoon service from Oasis Leesbrook (3.50pm) to Werneth
835 morning service from Sholver (7.50am) to Newman College
835 afternoon service from Newman College (3.30pm) to Sholver
836 morning service from Derker (7.58am) to Newman College
837 morning service from Hyde (7.40am) to Longdendale High School
837 afternoon service from Longdendale High School (3pm) to Hyde
849 afternoon service from Oasis Academy (2.50pm) to Higher Blackley
851 morning service from Guide Bridge (7.40am) to Gt. Academy Ashton
865 morning service from Glodwick (7.38am) to Waterhead Academy
865 afternoon service from Waterhead Academy (3.05pm) to Glodwick
870 afternoon service from Mossley Hollins (3.09pm) to Carrbrook
875 afternoon service from Radclyffe School (3.10pm) to Moston
879 afternoon service from Royton & Crompton (3.20pm) to Sholver
879 morning service from Moston (7.35am) to Radclyffe School
879 morning service from Sholver (7.30am) to Royton & Crompton
882 morning service from Shaw (8.13am) to Newman College
884 morning service from Calderbrook (7.28am) to Kingsway Park
884 afternoon service from Kingsway Park (2.50pm) to Calderbrook
First has apologised to customers for the disruption to services being caused by the strike action.
Ian Humphreys, Managing Director, First Manchester told the Manchester Evening News:” “We have been holding extensive talks with union representatives over the last few days and made every attempt to avoid industrial action, especially given the short notice this creates for our customers to make alternative travel arrangements.”
Unite has further strike action planned for January 18, 20, 24 and 26.
Full list of road closures set to be in place for Manchester Day 2024
Emily Sergeant
Manchester Day is back for 2024 this weekend, and the full list of road closures set to be in place has been confirmed.
Now that schools are officially out across Greater Manchester, and the summer holidays are well and truly here, the hugely-popular Manchester Day is making a return once again this Saturday 27 July, and as always, it’s set to be “the day summer officially starts” in the city centre – with a massive celebration of “all things Mancunian” on the cards.
The theme of this year’s annual event is ‘Let The Games Begin’, and it’s inspired by the international summer of sport, just 2024 Olympics kicks off over in Paris.
The day will be packed full of free events and activities to get involved with.
Some city centre roads will be closed on Friday 26 and Saturday 27 July for Manchester Day.
These will include:
🛣️Deansgate 🛣️St Ann Street 🛣️St Mary’s Gate 🛣️Market Street 🛣️King Street
— Manchester City Council (@ManCityCouncil) July 21, 2024
But of course, in order for the all the fun to go ahead as safely as possible, and as tends to be the case for events like these, Manchester City Council says it will need to make some temporary road closures to facilitate it.
The full list of road closures has now been confirmed by the Council, and there’s some major city centre thoroughfares set to be out of action.
Here’s everything you need to know.
Manchester Day 2024 – Road Closures
Saturday 27 July
From 6am to 11:59pm, Manchester City Council has confirmed that the following roads will be closed:
Deansgate (Manchester Cathedral to John Dalton Street) – access will be maintained to Marks and Spencer’s car park and Number One Deansgate.
St Ann Street (Deansgate to Cross Street)
St Mary’s Gate (Exchange Street to Deansgate)
St Mary’s Street (Southbridge Street to Deansgate)
Market Street (Exchange Street to Cross Street)
Fennel Street (Corporation Street to Cathedral Street) – access will be maintained for morning deliveries only.
Cathedral Street (Fennel Street to Exchange Square) – access will be maintained for morning deliveries only.
Cateaton Street (Exchange Square to Deansgate)
Barton Square (St Ann’s Square to St Ann Street)
King Street (Cross Street to Deansgate) – no access for deliveries.
All accessible bays, bus lanes, and taxi ranks within the closed areas will also be suspended during from 6pm on Friday 26 July to 11:59pm on Saturday 27 July.
The parking suspensions set to be in place are:
Deansgate (Manchester Cathedral to John Dalton Street)
St Ann Street – including the bays outside St Ann’s Church (Deansgate to Cross Street)
St Mary’s Gate (Exchange Street to Deansgate)
St Mary’s Street (Southbridge Street to Deansgate)
Southgate (St Mary’s Street to King Street West)
Market Street (Exchange Street to Cross Street)
Fennel Street (Corporation Street to Cathedral Street) – access will be maintained for morning deliveries only.
Cathedral Street (Fennel Street to Exchange Square) – access will be maintained for morning deliveries only.
Cateaton Street (Exchange Square to Deansgate)
Victoria Street (Cathedral Approach to Deansgate)
Todd Street (Corporation Street to Station Approach)
King Street (Spring Gardens to Southgate)
South King Street (Ridgefield to Deansgate)
Barton Square (St Ann’s Square to St Ann Street)
King Street West (Deansgate to St Mary’s Parsonage)
St James’s Square (John Dalton Street to South King Street)
Cross Street (King Street to Corporation Street)
Museum Street (Peter Street to Windmill Street)
Marsden Street (Cheapside to Brown Street)
Manchester Day 2024: Let The Games Begin! will take over the city centre on Saturday 27 July from 12pm-6pm.
Check out everything you need to know ahead of the event here.
‘Complex’ Metrolink repairs to the Rochdale via Oldham line could take weeks to complete
Emily Sergeant
Work currently underway on the Rochdale via Oldham line is expected to take several weeks to complete.
Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has confirmed that land movement affecting the Metrolink network near Derker has now “slowed”, and this means that detailed ground investigations and temporary repair works have been able to get underway.
In order for trams to run again on the crucial line from the city centre to the two major Greater Manchester towns, TfGM says that a small section of track has to be moved back – also known as ‘slewed’ – into its original position.
The overhead line poles also need to be repaired too, the transport operator revealed.
Rochdale line update
Land movement affecting the Metrolink network near Derker has slowed, enabling detailed ground investigations and temporary repair works to get underway.
To get trams running again, a small section of track has to be moved back into its original position… pic.twitter.com/byERjitdi1
Unfortunately though, due to the “complex” nature of these works, and despite the fact that TfGM says it’s actively looking to “accelerate” the repairs, the project is expected to take up to five weeks to complete in full.
On top of this, the detailed ground investigations will also establish whether any further work to strengthen foundations beneath the track will be needed at a later date.
TfGM has apologised for the inconvenience caused to passengers.
‘Complex’ Metrolink repairs to the Rochdale via Oldham line could take weeks to complete / Credit: TfGM
Speaking on the scale of works currently underway, and how long he expects them to continue for, Pete Sommers, who is TfGM’s Network Director for Metrolink, said: “I’m sorry for the impact this is having, and will continue to have, on people’s journeys.
“We are working to get trams running through the area again, but this remains a complex and challenging issue and it could still be a few weeks before this happens.
“We will of course keep passengers updated, and I’d encourage people to check our social media channels and website for the latest information and advice.”