CITY OF SALFORD CONSERVATIVE COUNCILLORS GROUP’S TRANSPORT POLICY

  1. The Salford Conservative Councillors Group would support the expansion of the Metrolink System to include, after the current expansion is completed, -

(a)the regrading to Light Rail/Metrolink of the Manchester- Wigan rail line through Walkden, Moorside, Swinton, Pendleton and Salford Crescent together with a new Light Rail/Metrolink link to Tyldesley and Leigh together with an additional station at Little Hulton and a new Light Rail/Metrolink link from Salford Crescent to Piccadilly.

(b)Park and Ride facilities at Walkden, and Swinton Stations.

This would tie in more parts of the City of Salford to the rest of the Metrolink Network including Piccadilly and Victoria Stations and Manchester Airport.

  1. The Salford Conservative Councillors Group would support any efforts to encourage more use of existing train services in the City. Operators should be encouraged to consider increased services at peak times and more trains stopping at stations such as Clifton Junction
  1. The Salford Conservative Councillors Group would support a survey into other expansions of the Metrolink service into City regeneration areas such as Broughton.
  1. The Salford Conservative Councillors Group would support a regional approach to the supervision of Heavy Rail services in the North West of England. The existing county structure of Transport Authorities is usually suitable for buses and trams but is not suitable for most train services.
  1. The Salford Conservative Councillors Group would support a pedestrian link in the form of a covered walkway and travelator connecting an additional Metrolink stop on Eccles New Road to Hope Hospital.
  1. The Salford Conservative Councillors Group note with interest the research carried out by Leeds University in 2000 that showed that in urban areas bus passengers produce twice as much pollution per head than car passengers.
  1. The Salford Conservative Councillors Group do not support the proposed Leigh Guided Busway. The extremely busy A580 (East Lancs Road) from Ellenbrook to the Manchester city centre is not a suitable conduit for special bus lanes. Severe difficulties would be encountered by all types of traffic crossing the East Lancs/Busway section. The proposed “guided” part” of the scheme from Leigh to Ellenbrook is completely unnecessary. Most of this section of the disused rail line could be used for the Metrolink spur which is mentioned above.
  1. The Salford Conservative Councillors Group do not support the proposed JETTS Quality Bus Corridor from Boothstown and Walkden to Eccles because it does not appear to offer any useful service to any local existing or potential bus users.
  1. The Salford Conservative Councillors Group do support some bus lanes, such as the one on The Crescent, which should be retained. Greater use should be made of Eccles New Road rather than Eccles Old Road as a conduit for buses.
  1. The Salford Conservative Councillors Group support the continued use of private companies to supply bus services, but recognise that increased subsidies will be required as the use of private cars continues to increase steadily by a further 20% by 2020.
  1. The Salford Conservative Councillors Group accept that straight forward subsidies and “hidden subsidies” (in the form of tax free and duty free fuel) for buses should continue. However they agree that subsidies should include some form of control by the PTA over routes and frequencies.
  1. The Salford Conservative Councillors Group support the concept of franchised bus networks as now used in Greater London.
  1. The Salford Conservative Councillors Group are concerned that Government monies for public transport are apparently given more readily to Greater London than to the regions of England.
  1. The Salford Conservative Councillors Group would support the concept of “reverse-commute fares”, whereby bus passengers who live in central areas and commute outwards at peak periods would travel at reduced prices. This could encourage people to live in central Salford and work outside the central area to greater use of buses which usually travel back empty.
  1. The Salford Conservative Councillors Group would support trial schemes on a few selected bus routes. e.g. Free fares for all at weekends, buses with conductors at slightly increased fares, subsidised taxi journeys etc., to judge the cost effectiveness of such schemes and to ascertain their effect on other road traffic on such routes.

September 2005