As the cost of living, fuel prices and the damage caused by air pollution spiral upwards, public transport needs now more than ever to be accessible, affordable and efficient for passengers. Even before the pandemic, this was a refrain repeated often by leaders in Greater Manchester.
But times have changed. During Covid lockdowns, passenger numbers plummeted, decimating revenue for trams and buses in Greater Manchester.
They were kept running thanks to a £278m bailout from the Government. Metrolink, which had not previously needed regular subsidy, received a recovery grant of £124m between March 2020 and April 2022, including an extra tranche of £20.5m to bolster the service until October.
