The Department for Transport have announced an extraordinary funding settlement for Transport in Greater Manchester with an additional £18 million being awarded to the region to go towards protecting vital services. The funding has been awarded after lobbying from leaders in Greater Manchester along the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, has bemoaned the fact that it is a lower percentage in funding than that awarded to London.
In making the announcement of the extra funding Mark Harper, Transport Secretary, said: “Since the start of the pandemic, the government has repeatedly stepped up to support Greater Manchester and the Bee Network, providing over £400 million to protect and improve services. We’re determined to see a thriving local transport network in this great city and, while our support package must be fair to taxpayers, I am confident this additional extraordinary settlement will help operators to recover from the pandemic while Transport for Greater Manchester follows through on its promise to reach financial sustainability.”
In response Andy Burnham was happy that some funding was provided to the region but, as you would expect, made a plea for further funding on top of this. Mr Burnham said: “Any extra support for our public transport system as it recovers from the pandemic is of course welcome and we appreciate the Secretary of State’s efforts in securing this. This said, the total funding offered, which includes the extra £18m, represents less than half of the shortfall we face and is far less generous in percentage terms than the settlement offered to London.
“If the Government is to deliver on its commitment of London-style public transport outside of London, it has to put funding behind it and ensure all parts of the country receive fair and equal treatment. We will continue to press ahead with our plans to introduce the Bee Network in September but have asked the Secretary of State for more funding flexibility to deal with the challenges we face.”
This funding is being reported as being extra money on top of that already promised to Greater Manchester under the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement, active travel funds and Levelling Up Funds for transport.
There is no specific project that the funding will be assigned to but it is there to support the continued operation of Greater Manchester’s transport network. Its hoped that it will enable TfGM to operate and recover from the impact of the pandemic whilst also providing value for money for taxpayers.
The funding is due to last until 2024 and is conditional on TfGM reaching financial sustainability (similar to the settlement for Transport for London previously announced). Its stated that TfGM faces a very distinct set of circumstances which are principally driven by the way Metrolink funding is structured and the unique local funding commitment to the Greater Manchester Transport Fund.