Public in Greater Manchester must wear face coverings on public transport from 15 June

Bus, tram and rail passengers in Greater Manchester will be required to wear a face covering for the duration of their journey from 15 June.

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) is advising passengers across all modes on the latest government guidance, which is based on the latest scientific advice.

The advice suggests that, although face coverings are unlikely to prevent an individual from catching the coronavirus, they can help prevent someone who is infected from infecting others and therefore help control the virus.

The only exceptions are young children, people with breathing difficulties and people whose disabilities makes it difficult for them to wear a face covering.

The latest figures show that, since the start of May, between seven and 12 per cent of passengers on Metrolink have been observed wearing a face mask.

To help encourage greater uptake across public transport, TfGM has been running a communications campaign to remind passengers of their collective responsibility to follow the Government’s travel guidance during the coronavirus outbreak in England. The campaign has included posters displayed at stops, interchanges and on-board vehicles to offer the latest safety advice to passengers, as well as digital advertising, social media and announcements on board trams and on platforms and in bus stations and interchanges.

As part of this, passengers who must use transport for essential journeys have been encouraged to wear a face covering to help maintain a safer environment and prevent the spread of the virus.

Face coverings can be a simple cloth that covers the nose and mouth. They can be made using many items found in the home or in many shops currently open. There is government guidance available on how to wear and make a cloth face covering. Alternatively, face coverings can be purchased at a number of local shops or online.

The introduction of the new requirement on face coverings does not alter the existing guidance from the Government that people in Greater Manchester should continue to work from home where possible and to only use public transport for essential journeys that cannot be made by other means such as walking and cycling.

Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said: “The mandating of face coverings on public transport is something we’ve been pushing for in Greater Manchester and I’m pleased the Government has moved to make it compulsory from 15 June.

“We’ve seen a gradual increase in the numbers of people using public transport since lockdown measures were eased, but the numbers of those wearing face coverings has remained relatively low.

“While we continue to discourage public transport use for anything other than essential journeys, we know more people will start needing to use our region’s buses, trains and trams over the coming days and weeks.

“We’ve got a collective responsibility to do what we can to help stop the spread of this virus, and wearing a face covering is not only a practical step we can take, it is something we know the public want to see* and will help to assure them that it is safe to use our public transport system.

“Over the next few days, we’ll be working with Transport for Greater Manchester, operators and the police to understand how this can be implemented in a safe and effective way.”

TfGM Customer Director Stephen Rhodes said: “We understand that people will have more questions about this and I’d like to reassure everyone that we are working with the Government as well as our partners and transport operators to ensure the policy is as clear as possible before 15 June.

“It’s important to add that wearing a face covering doesn’t replace existing social distancing measures. You should still keep a distance of 2m apart from other passengers while waiting for your service and on-board where possible.

“You should also wash your hands before and after your journey, use a tissue if you need to cough or sneeze, and using contactless payment if you can. If possible, carry a hand sanitiser with you.”

TfGM and is doing everything possible to provide a safe transport network for those people who need to use it. Measures to help enable social distancing wherever possible are being put in place. These include public announcements, new signage and platform stickers, as well as operating interchanges and stations differently through spacing, seating and queuing arrangements.

Metrolink operator, KeolisAmey Metrolink, has also put a rigorous cleaning regime in place for trams, stops and rest facilities. This includes use of an anti-viral cleaning product in driver cabs and across all common on-tram and on-stop touch points, such as door buttons, hand straps, handrails, poles, ticket machines, card validators, seats, handrails and lift buttons.

Measures have also been taken across Greater Manchester to encourage people to consider cycling and walking their journeys where possible. The recently launched #SafeStreetsSaveLivescampaign saw £5m of emergency funding made available for the Greater Manchester councils to introduce pop up, temporary measures to enable more space for those choosing to walk or cycle during the coronavirus pandemic. And the amount of people cycling has risen by 42% since the coronavirus epidemic started.

For information on public transport across Greater Manchester visit www.tfgm.com, call 0161 244 1000 (7am-8pm, Monday to Friday, and 8am-8pm at weekends and bank holidays) or follow @OfficialTfGM on Twitter.

Coronavirus Transport Update

Thank you for following government guidance to stay at home protecting the NHS and saving lives. We’re now advising all Greater Manchester residents to drive, cycle or walk for any essential journeys. Avoid public transport and only use it as a last resort.

If you must make necessary journeys for work, to get supplies, to care for others or for medical reasons, you should travel by car, bike or on foot if you can. If you have to travel by car, please take extra care on the roads to reduce pressure on the NHS and emergency services. Walking or cycling for essential journeys is a safe way to travel, it can minimise the spread of the virus and also help maintain your mental and physical wellbeing.

 To help limit the spread of the disease, public transport must only be used for essential trips where there’s no other option. If you have to use public transport, wash your hands before and after, follow social distancing guidelines by keeping at least two metres from your fellow passengers, and use contactless payments if possible.

Passenger numbers on Metrolink have reduced by as much as 95%, and between about 80 and 85% on trains and buses, allowing core transport services to continue to run to help health and other critical workers to travel across the region. However, there have still been reports of people making unnecessary, non-essential journeys.

To ensure services can continue to run and to further protect frontline staff, from Monday 6 April Metrolink will reduce the frequency of its services from 12 to every 20 minutes.

Bus and rail services have also been reduced and more changes are expected in the coming weeks.

To further limit the need to travel, TfGM will automatically renew disability concessionary passes that are due to expire. The new passes will be valid for one year and the process will be reviewed on a monthly basis.

Today we’ll be joining transport operators across Greater Manchester on social media to thank transport staff for their crucial work making sure key workers and other people making essential journeys can get where they need to safely. We’re proud of them all. To get involved, follow us on social using the buttons below. 

Anyone who needs to make essential journeys should continue to check the TfGM coronavirus webpage for the latest travel information and advice. Please note future TfGM coronavirus emails will be sent to you from customer@tfgm.com. 

 Please share this message with your friends and family, colleagues, partners and members, and we’ll continue to keep you updated. 

 Yours,

 Stephen Rhodes

Customer Director

Transport for Greater Manchester

Salford Walking and Cycling Forum - Tuesday 31 March 2020 - 6:30pm

Salford's Walking and Cycling Forum will take place on Tuesday 31 March 2020. It will be held at Sacred Trinity Church, Chapel St, Salford M3 5DW.

The forum is a chance for people within Salford to hear about the schemes that Salford City Council and its partners are working on to help improve and promote walking and cycling, as well as anyone who is interested or wants to know more about walking and cycling in Salford.

The forum will start promptly at 6:30 and run for no more than 2 hours. Tea and Coffee will be available from 6:15, so come early to meet, chat to ensure a prompt start.

Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/3018236581560067/

EventBrite Event: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/salford-walking-and-cycling-forum-tickets-97315644713

On this month's agenda we have the following presentations:

• An update on the current Bee Network Schemes within Salford

• Living Streets and their work within Salford

• TfGM: Local High Street Research

• Mobility as a Service

• Walk Ride Salford

• City Centre Bee Network and Ordsall Filtered Neighbourhood schemes

Future Forums will be held every 3 months for more information please go to Salford Council's web page: www.salford.gov.uk/parking-roads-and-travel/cycling-and-walking/cycle-and-walking-forum/

Regards

Andrew Fisher

Sustainable Transport Coordinator

Salford City Council

Trafford Park Line opening date announced

Metrolink will open doors to some of the region’s most iconic visitor destinations when the new £350m Trafford Park Line launches on Sunday 22 March.

The launch date announcement comes immediately after the successful completion of the project and handover of the new line to the operator, KeolisAmey Metrolink, whose drivers are currently undertaking a rigorous training programme before welcoming the first passengers onboard.

Metrolink is already the UK’s largest tram network, running to a total of 96km and 93 stops. The new Trafford Park line will add a further 5.5km of track and six additional stops, bringing the total to 99.

The delivery of the new line supports Greater Manchester’s progress towards a London-style transport system. Launched in June 2019, ‘Our Network’ is a ten-year plan to create an integrated, modern and accessible public network – of which further Metrolink extensions and the introduction of tram-train are focal points.

Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said: “It’s great that the Trafford Park line will open for business on Sunday 22 March. It is a much-needed addition to the Metrolink network and will encourage more people to use public transport to journey around our city-region, and in doing so reduce congestion on our roads and improve the quality of our air. 

“Last June I set out Our Network - a vision for the type of world-class transport network I want us to have here in Greater Manchester. This new line is a great step towards that, and a shining example of what we can deliver with the right funding and powers.”

The project was the first to benefit from the region’s Devolution Deal – signed by Greater Manchester leaders and central government in November 2014, with a £20 million contribution from Trafford Council – and has been delivered approximately seven months earlier than originally planned.

The Trafford Park line runs through Europe’s largest industrial estate, providing access to thousands of jobs, including global brands such as Kellogg’s, Unilever, Missguided, L’Oreal and Adidas. The new stops will also provide easy access to some of the North West’s top retail and leisure destinations, including intu Trafford Centre, Old Trafford stadium and Imperial War Museum North.

Leader of Trafford Council, Councillor Andrew Western, said: “The opening of the Trafford Park Line will be hugely important for the continued development of the local and regional economy. It is fantastic news for the tens of thousands of people who come to Trafford Park and the surrounding areas for work and leisure.

“It will also help get more cars off the road as visitors will now have a real transport alternative via Metrolink to some of the country’s most famous retail and leisure destinations including Manchester United and the Imperial War Museum.”

Transport for Greater Manchester’s Chief Executive, Eamonn Boylan, added: “A project of this size and scale is a huge undertaking and we are pleased at how smoothly it’s come together, meaning we’re opening the line much sooner than we anticipated.

“We’re very pleased to be welcoming passengers on board and opening up the Trafford Park area for workers, shoppers and visitors. I have no doubt it’ll make a huge difference to the area, particularly to the many local businesses.

“One particularly exciting partnership we’ve developed has been with intu Trafford Centre, and we look forward to growing our relationship in the years ahead.”

The mutually-beneficial deal between intu Trafford Centre and TfGM offers them opportunities to promote their leisure and retail destination alongside TfGM – the commercial income generated will be reinvested back into the Metrolink network.  

Find out more about the new Trafford Park Line on the TfGM website.

The new line will have six new tram stops:

• Wharfside - next to Manchester Ship Canal and close to Manchester United Football Club.

• Imperial War Museum - located adjacent to the museum.

• Village - On Village Way, near Village Circle and Third Avenue cafes and shops.

• Parkway - At the Parkway Circle roundabout.

• Barton Dock Road – Adjacent to Barton Square and Event-City.

• intu Trafford Centre - At intu Trafford Centre outside Selfridges on Barton Dock Road.

• First and last tram times will be:

• The TPL project has been delivered by TfGM, design and construction partner MPT – a consortium of Laing O’Rourke, VolkerRail and Thales – with WSP as TfGM’s delivery partner.

• Public support for the Trafford Park line was established at a major public consultation in summer 2014, where 89% of respondents were in favour.

• Additional quote from intu Trafford Centre:

Alison Niven, Centre Director at intu Trafford Centre, added: “We were presented with an incredible opportunity by TfGM to call the new stop ‘intu Trafford Centre’ and promote our destination across the network.

“We look forward to welcoming the first tram and our very first Metrolink customers on 22 March, in what is a really exciting time for the centre with Primark opening in the newly completed Barton Square development.”

Indoor Cycle Training this Winter

Who knows what the weather holds this winter.

Don’t let the winter weather put a dampener on your New Year’s ambitions to get more active. To ease you in we’re hosting our popular Learn to Ride sessions in indoor venues across Greater Manchester. These sessions will give you the basic skills and confidence to feel comfortable on your bike, but learnt in a warm, dry environment.

Click here to view venues and book your place.

Christmas travel plans are in your pocket

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) have published details of all Christmas transport services in a handy pocket-guide, and on the TfGM website. 

The new guide gives a summary of all public transport services from Monday 23 December to Friday 3 January, including Metrolink, buses, Free bus and Metroshuttle, and local trains. It also has details of Ring & Ride and Local Link, as well as Travelshop and Customer Services opening times. 

Graham Banks, TfGM’s Travel Demand Management Manager, said:

“There are always some changes to services over the Christmas period - it’s really important to us that people can easily find out what the changes are, so they can plan their travel.

“That’s why we’ve put all the details into a pocket guide, so that it’ll be easy for customers to check what the arrangements will be, whether they're heading out for last minute shopping or off to the match!

“We’ll be giving travel advice on Twitter, too, so make sure to follow @OfficialTfGM and @MCRMetrolink if you use social media.”

The Christmas services pocket-guide is available to view online, and people can pick up a copy from TfGM Travelshops, at bus stations, and interchanges across Greater Manchester.