Andy Burnham has promised to 'pull out all the stops' to save bus services under threat in Greater Manchester. It follows Diamond's decision to pull around a fifth of its bus fleet from Bolton with a dozen routes affected.
The move comes after the operator missed out on the first large contracts under the new bus franchising system set to be launched in Bolton and Wigan this year. The company won seven smaller contracts in the two boroughs and parts of Salford and Bury, but Go North West will run most services from September.
However, Diamond said that due to the 'uncertainty' created by the decision, it would have to reduce the frequency and partially withdraw some services. This includes commuter routes such from Bolton to Salford and Manchester.
