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What is GMTC ?

A democratically elected, self-funded, independent organisation, run voluntarily, without remuneration, BY  passengers  FOR  passengers.

Our Main Objectives:

That Greater Manchester shall have reliable, user-friendly and affordable public transport.  To attain this goal we aim to influence all service providers (including the Passenger Transport Authority and Executive) into implementing passenger-friendly practices.

 

That through the strength of a united body, we can help other members resolve transport-related problems which they, if acting alone could find difficult and confusing.

 

That by gathering evidence of successful practices elsewhere in the country we can urge it be copied in Greater Manchester.  This will benefit not only our members, but make public transport more attractive to car users and help to free our roads from congestion and unnecessary pollution.

 

 

 

GMTC:  Origins

Greater Manchester Transport Campaign was formed in May 2004 as a result of a public meeting on 20th May at which it was resolved to set up an independent body to act and speak on behalf of passengers using public transport.  Many of the people involved had previously been members of Greater Manchester Transportation Consultative Committee (GMTCC), an organisation sponsored by Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority (GMPTA) through Greater Manchester Centre for Voluntary Organisations (GMCVO).

Its intended purpose was to give voluntary bodies a say on the operation of public transport in Greater Manchester.  However, many participants had become frustrated as the GMTCC’s recom-mendations rarely appeared to be acted upon.  The situation came to a head when the members issued a report on Greater Manchester’s bus stations, comparing them unfavourably with those of neighbouring authorities. GMCVO’s officials took exception to this, suppressed the report from appearing in most of the media and shortly afterwards disbanded GMTCC.

As a result, many members of the original GMTCC felt the need for an independent body to represent passengers which resulted in their calling a public meeting in 2004 at which it was agreed to set up the Greater Manchester Transport Campaign.  Since that time membership has continued to grow and now includes some 19 transport user groups as well as a large number of individual members.

 

  SOME ACHIEVEMENTS

Visited good examples of bus stations outside Greater Manchester and gathered photographic evidence of good and safe practice which GMPTA/E has so far refused to adopt

Tackled illegal parking at Fairfield Hospital, Bury, which was blocking the passage of buses through its grounds

Quite a number of members have become train station adoptors including five members of our executive committee

Visited Sheffield to see tram system and published findings which reveal that Metrolink is currently inferior and much more expensive

Obtained over 1,000 signed letters of protest on location in Cross Street against Manchester City Council’s plans to close the street to buses for the major part of the day

Highlighted terrible condition of a road in Oldham intensively used by buses which was quickly resurfaced and a smooth surface obtained

New bus stops erected along 2½ miles of road in Stockport replacing filthy and unreadable ones following our representations

We persuaded the authorities to put timetable information up at various bus stops where it was previously absent

Following representations to a major bus operator a great improvement was effected on a key service

20% of those attending PTA public forums were members of GMTC in a recent PTA/E report.  Subsequently the Local Transport Public Forums have been abolished.

Published a regular magazine highlighting improvements which ought to be made in Greater Manchester, 33 copies of each issue also being posted to the home addresses of all 33 members of the Passenger Transport Authority

Attended planning committee meetings at Bury and every day of a four-day public inquiry at Bolton Town Hall to try to protect the former railway alignment between the two towns.