You First Manchester p3
19/1/17
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High-profile accolades recognise its success
View of the Vantage route from the bus. Driver Paul Foulkes is also pictured on the magazine cover.
Demand booms Guided busway is big hit with customers IRST Manchester’s unique Vantage guided busway is going from strength to strength. With public demand booming, a further five buses have been added to the premium fleet of 20 and an extra service is being launched. The V3 route has been created to provide an extension to Oxford Road in Manchester where customers can connect with the Manchester Royal Infirmary. It’s the latest chapter in the Vantage success story which has seen 1.5 million customer journeys since the service launched last April. In the first week 25,000 customers used Vantage but now 50,000 are being welcomed weekly. Passengers travel in style on purple-liveried Volvo B5LH hybrid double deckers on the four-and-a-half mile guided busway which runs from Leigh via Tyldesley to Ellenbrook. The vehicles then use bus lanes on the East Lancs Road before entering Manchester, in
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Route walk for charity
Customer Brendan Bates boards the Vantage service at Leigh. the case of the existing V1 and V2 services terminating at Stevenson Square. Comfort is ensured by e-leather seating, free WiFi, “next stop” audio and visual announcements, luxury seats, tables upstairs and USB charging points. Our main focus is
THE success of the Vantage guided busway, the first project of its kind in the North West, has been recognised with high-profile awards. First Manchester along with Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) and Wigan, Salford and Manchester City Councils, scooped the Transport Project of the Year award at the North of England Transport Awards. The accolade recognised the close working relationship between the bus operator and its partners together with the various stakeholders in the scheme. Vantage forms the flagship element of TfGM’s bus priority project, a £122 million overall investment targeted at enabling faster, more punctual and more reliable bus services across the region. The award recognised that the busway represents a significant benefit to local communities, enabling customers to reach key destinations more easily as well as alleviating congestion and reducing emissions. Vantage was also highly commended at the National Transport Awards in the Engineering and Construction Project of the Year Category and it collected the Transport Policy and Planning Award at the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport National Awards. Vantage’s positive environmental impact was recognised with an award for sustainability at the North West Construction Awards in July.
customer care and our team of 80 drivers are all smartly presented and willing to go the extra mile,” said Busway Manager Barry Slater. “The premium Vantage service provides a stress-free means of travel and a fast, comfortable journey into the city.”
A planned walk along the Vantage guided busway to raise money for the Ben’s Wish charity is being supported by First Manchester. The event is in support of the charitable fund set up by Leigh Centurions rugby player Dayne Weston to raise money to help 11-year-old leukaemia and cerebral palsy sufferer Ben Robinson, of Leigh, go on the holiday of a lifetime.
WINTER 2017 I youFirst