£3bn bus and train bid to cut car travel

A fleet of 500 new buses, bigger and better trains and American-style yellow school buses, which pick-up children from outside their homes, could be heading to Bolton and other parts of the region.

Park and ride schemes and new and improved transport interchanges also form part of a blueprint being studied by transport chiefs.

The plans, which carry a £2.9 billion price tag, form part of a bid by the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive's (GMPTE) to the Government's Transport Innovation Fund.

Proposed improvements for the public transport network had previously been valued at £1 billion.

Cllr Nick Peel, GMPTE spokesman for Bolton, said: "I knew we were bidding for £1 billion, but if the plans are totalling £3 billion then we can do three times as much good work.

"If we're talking about that sum of money, then it is safe to guess that most of the schemes proposed will touch Bolton.

"That much cash will allow us to catch up with the under investment in transport that we have seen over the past few years.

"It is the only way to ease people out of cars and back onto public transport."

The executive is hoping to secure £1.2 billion from the government fund.

The rest of the improvements would be funded by private businesses or government loans, which would be borrowed against profits from the congestion charging scheme, if it goes ahead.

Proposals include buying 500 extra buses to serve the region; introducing bus rapid transit schemes which involve dedicated bus lanes, bendy buses and speedier, electronic ticketing; and yellow school buses which would offer a door-to-door service for pupils and help cut the number of car school runs.

Bigger and better trains, which would connect Greater Manchester to the rest of the North-west, could see passenger capacities double, according to bosses.

Bolton's bus and rail interchanges are also in line for improvements and the train station could be served by a park-and-ride scheme.