AROUND 7,000 people have used the new 24/7 night buses since their launch in September.

The existing late-night buses have also seen a boost, with more than 53,000 passengers making journeys over a month.

The weekly average number of passengers using buses between the hours of 10pm and 7am has grown by 4 per cent on the V1 and 6 per cent on the 36.

'Proving popular'

Bee Network night buses are proving popular with those working in or enjoying Greater Manchester’s night-time economy, with thousands of people getting on board in the first month.

Running on a trial basis, the services on the V1 and 36 routes connecting Manchester with Leigh and Bolton via Salford run at least every hour both ways, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Between September 1 and September 28, around 7,000 trips were made across the new, additional hourly services which run between midnight and 6.30am on the V1, and 11.45pm and 6.55am on the 36.

These journeys account for 14 per cent of overnight trips on both routes, with Friday and Saturday nights proving the most popular among passengers.

Pilot scheme

The scheme is also having a positive impact on the number of people using later-running services, with a total of 53,413 travelling on both new and existing night buses between 10pm and 7am.

The 24/7 transport pilot scheme is providing 24-hour connectivity for around 135,000 people living within a five-minute walk of the two routes, including students and people working in the hospitality, healthcare and logistics sectors.

Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said: "Before we launched this pilot, we knew that people had been crying out for better public transport at night and into the early mornings, so I am really encouraged to see so many people are making use of our night buses."

The final phase of bus franchising launches in the south of Greater Manchester on January 5, 2025, making the region the first outside of London to regain full control of its bus network.

The safety of passengers and staff onboard the night buses remains of paramount importance, and since the launch TravelSafe Support and Enforcement Officers (TSEOs) have been deployed to provide extra reassurance and visibility.