Bus routes in parts of Greater Manchester will be taken over by new operators earlier than planned as details of a £2.5m deal to save services are announced. Go North West will take over routes in Bolton, Bury and Rochdale in April – five months before its contract to run the first publicly-controlled buses begins.
Diamond, which lost its bid to carry on running the services from September, will also take on a route currently operated by Vision Bus earlier than planned. However, some routes will be run on a reduced timetable, including the 8, 36 and 37 from Bolton to Manchester which will remain under Diamond for now.
It follows Diamond's decision to cut bus services after missing out on the first major franchise in Greater Manchester's new publicly-controlled bus network. The operator will still run some of the first buses to be brought under public control later this year, but Go North West will run most of the franchised bus services in Bolton and Wigan as well as parts of Salford, Bury and Rochdale.
