GREATER Manchester’s bus network has shrunk by almost eight million miles since 2014, it has been revealed.

New analysis shows that the annual number of miles driven by buses in the region has fallen by 7.79 million, the equivalent of 312 trips around the equator.

The news comes after First Bus announced last week that it with no longer be running the busy 575 service between Bolton and Horwich, as well as the 571/572 Bolton to Great Lever circular. Although both routes have now been rescued by other companies, these latest figures have prompted calls for transport authorities to ‘get a grip’ on bus operators.

Cllr David Chadwick, Bolton Council’s cabinet member for transport, said he ‘couldn’t get his head around’ the shock withdrawal of the 575.

He added: “Everywhere outside London has deregulated buses.

"The new Bus Bill will bring change as Andy Burnham will be issuing franchises, but that is not for another two or three years.

"I have seen operators regularly withdraw services or alter routes just because they are chasing money.

“We have got to get a grip on the bus operators. I am pleased to see smaller operators, like Diamond and Vision, taking over some routes and hopefully they can provide a good service.”

The total number of bus miles travelled in Greater Manchester was 68.46 million in 2013/14, but only 60.67 million in 2016/17.

Recent years have seen various bus services in the Bolton borough given the axe or rerouted by operators — including the 533 between Bolton and Egerton, the 519 between Bolton and Johnson Fold, and the 537 to Bromley Cross.

Cllr Andrew Fender, TfGM committee chair, said: “Buses are the backbone of our transport network, with three in every four public transport journeys made by bus. We’ve worked hard alongside the ten local councils in Greater Manchester to improve bus services in recent years, through very substantial investment in infrastructure and by working closely with operators.

“Yet in spite of these efforts, there has been a steady decline in the number of people travelling by bus.”

“It’s impossible to pinpoint one single reason why this is, rather the explanation is likely to be a combination of contributing factors, not least a reduction in the number of miles operated — across both commercial and subsidised bus services, the fact that the current bus network is not sufficiently well integrated, making multi-leg journeys sometimes quite complicated and the fact that ticketing remains confusing for many passengers."

A spokesman for the Confederation of Passenger Transport, the trade body for bus operators, said that returning to a regulated bus market will 'put further intolerable strain' on local authority budgets. They added: “Where routes become unviable, sound business decisions need to be taken and there are many examples of operators continuing to operate lightly used and uneconomic services, or developing innovative ways of meeting passengers’ needs."