News
Supervised trial allowing bikes on Metrolink trams launched by TfGM
Selected volunteers will take bikes on trams as part of the supervised trial
A supervised trial has been launched allowing bikes and non-standard cycles on the Metrolink.
The pilot will test whether bikes can be taken on trams, encouraging people to use public transport and other environmentally friendly modes of transport.
Under the current rules Metrolink allows folded bikes in bags on trams, but standard bikes are not permitted.
Proposals for Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) to carry out the guided pilot were approved by the Bee Network Committee in January, with the pilot being launched last Thursday, February 29th.
It will run for four-to-six weeks on off-peak services on different lines, routes and stops across the Metrolink network, at different times of the day and days of the week.
During the guided pilot there will be no change to Metrolink’s Conditions of Carriage and bikes and non-standard cycles will not be allowed to be taken onto trams by members of the public.
Only invited participants under supervision by KAM staff will be able to take their bikes on Metrolink trams. The volunteers, selected by TfGM, will travel on off-peak services, under test conditions supervised by tram operator, Keolis Amey Metrolink (KAM).
Consideration will be given to the space required to transport bikes alongside passengers, as well as the existing challenges of accommodating bikes on stops and transport interchanges.
The test will also look at the carriage of mobility aids and scooters that are not currently permitted.
The pilot has been developed to ensure all passenger groups are represented including people with disabilities and those travelling with pushchairs.
Dame Sarah Storey, Active Travel Commissioner, said: “I would like to thank Transport for Greater Manchester for progressing with the bikes on trams trial and I am looking forward to observing the study myself in the coming weeks.
“Not only will researchers carry out their study on a range of Metrolink lines and services, they will also trial different types of cycles, including non-standard ones used as mobility aids.
“A follow up report on how it’s gone will be brought to the Bee Network Committee this summer and I will be interested to read their analysis and learn more about how volunteers and tram users have found the experience.”
Danny Vaughan, Head of Metrolink at TfGM, said: “I’m pleased to confirm that the pilot to test the carriage of bikes and non-standard cycles on trams is now underway and I look forward to reviewing its findings.
“I would like to remind Metrolink customers and cyclists that only invited volunteers can take part in the pilot, and that the current conditions of carriage still stand.
“In the meantime, we welcome people’s views about bikes on trams and they can get in touch by emailing hello@beenetwork.com.”
Researchers will observe different scenarios involving bikes on trams in a controlled way and record the experiences of everyone using trams.
Feedback from other passengers will also be recorded as a part of the pilot along with feedback from the volunteer taking part and any other participants involved.
A follow-up report will be brought to the Bee Network Committee later this year with recommendations regarding the carriage of bikes on Metrolink.
News
Oasis announce huge reunion tour as Liam and Noel Gallagher ‘make peace’
The news we’ve all been waiting for!
After years of will-they-won’t-they speculation, Oasis are officially BACK together for a reunion tour.
The Gallagher brothers have put aside their differences in the name of music, making thousands of fans extremely happy in the process.
The band teased the news on their socials over the weekend, posting a video on Sunday morning with today’s date (Tuesday, August 27th) and the time 8am.
And now shows have been announced for multiple dates in the UK and Ireland, with tickets going live this Saturday, August 31st.
The legendary Mancunian rockers will take to the stage next summer, with gigs in Cardiff, London, Edinburgh, Dublin and, of course, Manchester.
15 years after splitting, the band confirmed they would be back for 14 shows, saying: “The guns have fallen silent. The stars have aligned. The great wait is over. Come see. It will not be televised”.
The gigs will be Oasis’s ‘only shows in Europe next year’, with tickets on sale this Saturday at 8am in Ireland and 9am in the UK.
The Oasis 2025 tour dates in full:
July
4th – Cardiff, Principality Stadium
5th – Cardiff, Principality Stadium
11th – Manchester, Heaton Park
12th – Manchester, Heaton Park
19th – Manchester, Heaton Park
20th – Manchester, Heaton Park
25th – London, Wembley Stadium
26th – London, Wembley Stadium
August
2nd – London, Wembley Stadium
3rd – London, Wembley Stadium
8th – Edinburgh, Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium
9th – Edinburgh, Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium
16th – Dublin, Croke Park
17th – Dublin, Croke Park
You can grab your tickets HERE.
News
Stagecoach hiring over 100 new bus drivers for Bee Network with £31k salaries
Fancy a career change?
Stagecoach Manchester is hiring over 100 new bus drivers to work from its Oldham depot, following the second phase of the Bee Network launch in March.
You can apply for a range of roles, from positions with no experience required to fully qualified bus drivers.
Successful applicants will receive full training as part of the job, and trainees will get paid to train. Then after only 12 months’ service at Stagecoach, drivers can expect to earn up to £16 per hour, which equates to £31.6K per year, before overtime.
As well as that, drivers that already hold a PCV licence may be eligible to receive a £1,200 joining bonus.
Stagecoach
There’s also a host of other benefits available to all Stagecoach employees, like 28 days paid holiday, generous pension and free Stagecoach bus travel for successful applicants and a companion.
Rob Jones, Managing Director at Stagecoach Manchester said: “Expanding our offering in Oldham means we’ll be investing more in the economy and supporting our local community, as well as strengthening our workforce.
“Whether you’re looking for a career change or you’re a fully qualified, experienced bus driver, there’s a role for everyone here in Oldham.
“We’re looking for personable and dedicated drivers who are ready to help us build on the success of the Bee Network and connect the people of Oldham and Greater Manchester with the places and people that are important to them.”
Stagecoach
Phil Cornwall, bus driver at Stagecoach Manchester, said: “I’ve been a driver at Stagecoach for 25 years and I couldn’t recommend it more.
“From the perks to the people to the passengers, it really is a great place to work.”
To apply, head to the Stagecoach website HERE.
Two men have now been charged with murder, following the discovery of a human torso in Kersal Dale.
As well as that, more suspected human remains were also discovered this morning, Monday April 29th, in an alleyway close to the railway lines off Worsley Road, Eccles.
This follows earlier discoveries of human remains over the past three weeks, at Kersal Dale, Blackleach Reservoir and Colliery Wood, all in Salford.
Greater Manchester Police
Michal Jaroslaw Polchowski (25/04/1956) and Marcin Majerkiewicz (10/04/1982) both of Worsley Road, Eccles, have been charged with murder.
They are set to appear at Tameside Magistrates Court this afternoon.
While formal identification is still ongoing, the remains found at Kersal Dale are believed to be of a local man in his 60s. The remains found at the other three locations are still to be tested, but police are confident they belong to the same victim.
ACC Sarah Jackson said: “We have had large numbers of officers, staff and specialists working diligently on this investigation over the last three weeks. It has been very much a large, collective effort, with the victim and family at the heart of it from the outset.
“We have specially trained officers deployed to support the family as they come to terms with this tragic news. They are aware of this morning’s further discovery and will continue to be kept up to date with how we are progressing.
“Despite the charges brought today, our work is far from over.
“The scenes we already have established in Bury and Salford will remain in place for much of this week whilst our searches and enquiries continue. Local officers will continue to patrol the impacted areas to provide reassurance.
“We will continue following every line of enquiry to recover and reunite the victim with his family, bringing a dignified end to this terrible scenario.
“I’d like to thank the communities of Salford and beyond for their cooperation throughout this investigation. I know this incident has come as a shock, and the support we’ve had from those in the area is very much appreciated.”
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