"Sorry, I've got to catch the last tram" - it's a line that has cut short many an evening.
It's 11pm and the night is young but a stressful dash through town now awaits. You've spent the last two hours clock watching, keen to avoid an expensive taxi ride home.
The lack of Metrolink services across Greater Manchester after midnight has long been complained about. Over the years, the introduction of a 'night tram' that would assist workers, lone women and revellers has been mooted several times yet it has never materialised.
READ MORE: Disabled army veteran slams path that's 'bane of his life'
Only five years ago, Metrolink bosses claimed there was not enough demand to warrant one. However, that could soon change after councillors in Salford agreed to debate proposals for trams running until 2am on weekdays and 4am at weekends.
A motion calling for a three-month trial of night trams across on the Eccles via Media City to Ashton-under-Lyne services was submitted to Salford city council this week. It is suggestion that appears to popular among passengers when the Manchester Evening News visited Salford Quays on Friday afternoon.
"I would love it," said Laura Barrett, from Ashton-under-Lyne. "I moved here from London about a year ago and it was a bit of a surprise with 'how do I get at home at night'?
"Sometimes I want to go out but I can't afford an Uber home so I'll not bother or I leave early. My friends who live in the ciity centre stay out and I don't want to leave."
Una Carrigan, who lives at Salford Quays and regularly visits the city centre, expressed a similar sentiment. "It's a really good idea for safety," the 26-year-old said.
"In this area, it is virtually impossible to get an Uber at that time of night. It works well in London with the Tube, why not roll it out in Manchester?
"There are so many young professinals here, it'd help them get to the city centre. There should be good public transport so you're not waiting about and having to spend £20 in a taxi."
Jonathan Moore, chairman of the Salford Quays Community Forum, said the lack of public transport linking the area to the city centre was a constant source of frustration for residents.
He added: "The Quays is expanding rapidly and becoming a popular area for the younger end of the population to live.
"People want to go into the city centre, that's where the nightlife, restaurants and theatres are. They are finding that the tram service just does not meet their requirement.
"It's not realistic to expect the whole younger population to get an Uber. It's not how London operates."
He urged Greater Manchester's leaders to follow the capital's lead by extending the Metrolink timetable.
"There's no reason Manchester should not have the same as London," he said. "We're one of the biggest cities in the country and growing rapidly.
"We are trying to attract young workers into the city. We are not expecting night trams every six minutes but what we are saying is that there is definitely a demand for it to run on a regular basis with published times so people can rely on it."
Mr Moore called on the council to back the proposals and said there was "a clear desire" for it. "Let's do it from to the New Year, which is a busy time with people going into town," he suggested. "If it proves there is no demand then fair enough, but I'm sure it will demonstrate that there's an appetite.
"There is a big push to get people on public transport. You can't really have it that it is good for day time but when it gets to night time, you have to go and do something else.
"It will generate a greater economy. People will go out more if it is easy and they know they can get back whenever they want."
Unsurprisingly, the prospect of late-running trams that allow people to get home more easily and cheaply has also been well received by those in the region's hospitality industry.
Jonny Heyes, owns several restaurants bars including Common, Nell’s New York Pizza and The Beagle in Chorlton, and said night trams would help businesses like his.
He explained: “It would be great for the night time economy in general, great for people working. It would open us up to more candidates for jobs, more employees.
"We do get people applying for jobs, and they ask what time shifts finish, and it’s after the last tram, so they have to consider how they get home.
“So they have to get taxis. This can be a barrier. We pay half of our employees’ taxi fares home after midnight, and we’ve always done that. That’s an expense for us, so obviously it would be great if there were late trams.
“I would hope that it means we’d also have more customers later into the evening too. For trade, it would be beneficial. I don’t stay out as late as I once did, but after midnight, I don’t think it’s as busy out there as it used to be.”
In the motion submitted to Salford council, Liberal Democract councillors called for a service that 'suits workers, residents and tourists', citing a petition run over the last two years which has 'hundreds of signatures'.
Lib Dem leader Coun Alex Warren said: "There is an appetite for this in Greater Manchester. Many other cities have this and we are lacking in our public services.
"Having the option of a safe and regular journey home at night for workers and customers is sensible." The motion says that following the pandemic 'our city has bounced back in a big way'.
"Gigs, restaurants, clubbing and festivals have blossomed with millions flocking to Salford and Greater Manchester," it says. "If you are out working, or enjoying yourself late at night, residents face a curfew for the tram, expensive taxis, or a risky walk home in the dark."
Cross-party discussions are now to take place between the controlling Labour group, Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats, who put forward the proposal. Coun Warren and Conservative leader Robin Garrido both cited the safety of women and people returning from 'a night out' as well as shift workers as a reason for the possible introduction of such services.
If the motion is approved, councillors will ask Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) to introduce the night trams.
Vernon Everitt, Transport Commissioner for Greater Manchester, said: “The safety of women and girls is an absolute priority and we are doing more than ever to make sure people are safe and feel safe on public transport and active travel facilities as we build the integrated Bee Network.
“We completely understand that this is heavily influenced by the frequency of transport services and the approach to visible patrolling of the network, and we are constantly looking at what more we can do here.
“Building on our existing approach to safety, we have recently conducted the first exercise – Operation Avro – under a new and enhanced partnership with Greater Manchester Police.
“This treats public transport and active travel networks as Greater Manchester’s ‘11 th district’ and covers interchanges, buses, trams, trains, active travel facilities and roads. Over 1,400 police and transport staff took part across the two days, checking more than 20,000 people, with 41 arrests and more than 1,500 fines issued for people travelling without a ticket. Further operations like this will follow.
"Staff routinely dedicate more than 5,000 hours per week to patrolling our transport networks, including into the early hours at weekends, and we are also training all frontline staff in how to identify and offer help to vulnerable people.
“In addition, the transport control room operates 24/7, with access to thousands of CCTV cameras. Help points are on all trams, tram stops and interchanges and passengers can now report a crime or antisocial behaviour discreetly to police by using the Livechat function 24 hours a day.
“The night time economy is key to the overall success and growth of our city-region, and it’s important we have a public transport network that support its workforce and those who are out late. The extensive Metrolink network covers seven of our local authority areas and runs from early in the morning until late at night.
“Our plans for the Bee Network will be transformational for all those living in, working or visiting the city-region and we are working towards delivering the commitments set out in the city-region’s night time economy strategy.”
Read today's top stories here.
READ NEXT:
- Boris Johnson urged to stand for Prime Minister as race kicks off to find Liz Truss' replacement
- Disabled army veteran slams path that's 'bane of his life'
- A day of chaos: Liz Truss bows out after just 44 days in office with Boris Johnson planning remarkable return to No 10
- Woman tried to set neighbour's flat on fire after decade long dispute
- Man asks popular restaurant to write 'Will you marry me?' inside PIZZA BOX in proposal to girlfriend
