Some bikes are now allowed on trams in Greater Manchester from this week, as a ‘supervised trail’ has now been launched.
Passengers who regularly use the Metrolink will know that folded bikes in bags have been permitted on trams in the region under the current rules for quite some time now, but standard cycle bikes and non-standard bikes are not allowed.
Officially launching last Thursday (29 February), and being supervised by the tram operator, Keolis Amey Metrolink (KAM) under test conditions, the ‘guided pilot’ is taking place with volunteers selected by TfGM.
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The pilot will run for the next four to six weeks on off-peak services on different lines, routes, and stops across the Metrolink network, and at different times of the day and days of the week.
However, it is very important to note that, during the ‘guided pilot’, there has been no change to TfGM and Metrolink’s ‘Conditions of Carriage’ policy – which means that bikes and non-standard cycles are not allowed to be taken onto trams by members of the public, and only invited participants under supervision by KAM staff will be able to take their bikes on the Metrolink network.
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Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham committed to carrying out the pilot study as part of his mayoral manifesto.
It was also recommended by the region’s Active Travel Commissioner, Dame Sarah Storey.
Bikes are now allowed on Greater Manchester trams as ‘supervised trial’ begins / Credit: TfGM
TfGM says the pilot has been developed to ensure “all passenger groups are represented” – which includes people with disabilities, and those travelling with pushchairs.
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Researchers’ aim of the pilot is to observe different scenarios involving bikes on trams in a controlled way, and record the experiences of everyone using trams.
The space required to transport bikes alongside passengers, as well as the existing challenges of accommodating bikes, both on trams and the wider network – including stops and transport interchanges – are to be the main points of consideration.
Not only that, but TfGM has also said it will be using the pilot to look at the carriage of adapted bikes used as mobility aids, scooters, and a broader range of mobility scooters that are not currently permitted too.
Only bikes approved by TfGM for the pilot are permitted on trams across the region / Credit: TfGM
Feedback from other passengers will also be recorded as a part of the pilot, along with feedback from the volunteers taking part and any other participants involved, and then, a follow-up report will be taken to the Bee Network Committee later this year with recommendations about bikes on the Metrolink network in the future.
“I’m pleased the pilot to test the carriage of bikes and non-standard cycles on trams is now underway,” commented Danny Vaughan, who is the Head of Metrolink at TfGM, “and I look forward to reviewing its findings.
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“I would like to remind Metrolink customers and cyclists that only invited volunteers can take part in the pilot, and that the current conditions of carriage still stand.
You can read the current rules around taking bikes on trams on the TfGM website here.
Featured Image – TfGM
Travel & Tourism
Thousands of elderly and disabled people to get free 24-hour bus travel across Greater Manchester
Emily Sergeant
Hundreds of thousands of elderly and disabled people in Greater Manchester are set to benefit from round-the-clock bus travel for free.
Currently, as part on an ongoing pilot scheme, people with a Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM)-issued concessionary travel pass have free unlimited travel on Bee Network buses between 9.30am and midnight during the week, and all day on weekends and public holidays.
The rule was lifted in August on a trial basis for a month, meaning older and disabled residents in Greater Manchester had access to unlimited free bus travel any time between the allocated hours.
During the August trial, more than 100,000 journeys were made by older and disabled people – with up to 6,000 people a day making use of the pilot.
But now, after proving to be a huge success, the pilot is being extended even further, so that 400,000 eligible residents will now get free bus travel 24-hours a day, seven days a week, starting from 1 November.
If you travel with a TfGM-issued concessionary travel pass, from 1 November you’ll be able to use it on #BeeNetwork buses before 9.30am as part of a second month-long trial.
As well as free early-morning bus travel, during the trial starting in November, eligible residents will be able to board the Bee Network’s night buses for free too.
TfGM says allowing concessionary pass holders to travel at any time will ‘better connect’ them to healthcare, leisure, and retail opportunities.
“The last trial in August was a brilliant success, which saw more than 100,000 journeys made by our older and disabled people before 9.30am,” commented Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham.
“We are now carrying out this second trial, at a busier time of year, to see whether we can safely remove the restriction permanently and help our older and disabled people to get to work, go shopping, and get to medical appointments.
“We want the Bee Network to be the best public transport system possible and this means it needs to support all of our residents and communities to make the journeys they need to make and use the bus more.”
Featured Image – TfGM
Travel & Tourism
Dunham Massey – The corner of Greater Manchester with unbeatable autumn landscapes and one of nature’s great spectacles
Daisy Jackson
Dunham Massey is one of the North West’s proudest gems, a National Trust site that’s home to both a magnificent Georgian manor house and a beautiful deer park.
But there’s something to be said for the way it comes into its own as autumn rolls around, when the grounds are blanketed in red and orange leaves and a mist lies low over the lawns.
This is a perfect spot to escape into autumn properly, with a perfect mix of heritage, fresh air and scenery (as well as a pumpkin spice latte in the cafe afterwards).
As we creep further into the autumn months, autumnal bulbs will begin to bloom in the Winter Garden, leaves will rustle underfoot, and bright colours will transform the landscape.
When we hear ‘Dunham Massey’, most of us will think of the resident herd of fallow deer who still graze on the grounds of the former medieval deer park.
Those who explore the park on foot this autumn may catch a glimpse of breeding or ‘rutting’ season, one of nature’s great spectacles, where the bucks fight for their pick of the does.
Expect these amazing beasts to be roaring and bellowing at each other and showing off their fully grown antlers, with the bucks parallel walking and sizing each other up – and potentially clashing over the nearby females.
The best time to see the deer rutting at Dumham Massey is early in the mornings, when the park is quiet.
Also honouring the deer is the Stags in Bradgate Park sculpture, a silver masterpiece dating back to 1855, which was previously believed to have been lost forever and melted down.
Deer resting on the lawn at Dunham Massey. Credit: Arnhel de Serra
Now back on display at Dunham Massey and reunited with the silver collection, it portrays two rutting red deer stags and was commissioned by George Harry Grey, 7th Earl of Stamford in an act of love and rebellion.
It was a symbol of locking horns with the Cheshire society that shunned him over his marriage to Catherine Cox – a woman who was considered beneath him by Victorian high society.
The silver centrepiece was crafted by royal goldsmiths and was seen as a masterpiece at the time, going on to be exhibited at the London International Exhibition of 1862 and the Paris Exposition Universelle of 1867.
Elsewhere at Dunham Massey this autumn you’ll find the unique ORIGIN deep listening art installation, which connects visitors to the mansion and gardens through sonic landscapes and visual artistry.
Designed to soothe and rejuvenate, ORIGIN explores the powerful themes of life’s cycle and the human connection to nature.
Dunham Massey is accessible by public transport, with regular buses running from Altrincham and Warrington.
And you can claim 10% off in the ice cream parlour, cafe and restaurant when you show a valid bus ticket.
Find out more about Dunham Massey and what’s on offer this winter HERE.