Buses will run 24/7 in a Greater Manchester first from this weekend - starting with Bolton Two services — the V1 and 36 — will run throughout the night from Sunday (September 1), as part of a year-long pilot. It’s the first time a publicly-operated night bus service will run in the city region since the mayor took control of buses last year. The move means some 135,000 residents are now within a five-minute walk to a night bus stop, paving the way for people living in Bolton, Leigh, and Salford to get home after-hours.
The services will follow the same route, be subject to the £2 single adult fare cap, and have ‘discreet’ QR codes so passengers can connect to GMP’s live-chat facility to report antisocial or criminal behaviour. Crucially, the move also provides a cheaper alternative for the thousands of hospitality staff who work into the early hours, who previously relied on taxis. Sacha Lord, night-time economy advisor to the mayor and founder of the Warehouse Project and Parklife Festival, said the move was ‘important’.
READ MORE: Bee Network: Bolton included in trial for night bus service “We’ve always called ourselves 24-hour party people, and I always thought that was really odd when public transport finished just before midnight,” he said at the announcement at Salford University on Friday (August 30). “We are NOW 24-hour party people.” He added: “When I was appointed [mayoral advisor] in 2018, one of the first things I did was hold a listen.