Transport for Greater Manchester announces pop-up park and ride stops for festive season

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has announced that four pop-up park and rides will launch this weekend, offering 1,000 free parking spaces to help people get in and out of Manchester during the busy festive period.

With millions set to head to the city centre to enjoy Christmas markets, shopping, football matches, concerts and nights out, people are being urged to beat the traffic by utilising the Bee Network public transport system.

The temporary park and rides will open from Sat 22 Nov – Sun 21 Dec, and be located at Booth Street West (opens Sun 23 Nov due to a planned event), Central Park, Belle Vue and Irwell Place. People can park for free and jump on a dedicated direct express bus into the city centre, with services at least every 20 minutes from 9am – 8pm. The buses will be £2 for a single or £4 for a return for adults and free for under 16s.

TfGM will also be running trams later into the night, operating services on friday and Saturdays until 1am. Extra double trams will also be running at busy times.

Other congestion-prevention steps being taken by Manchester City Council include temporary weekend parking restrictions on Swan Street and Liverpool Street, weekend closures inbound on Corporation Street to reduce congestion around Shudehill, and a no-right-turn from the Arndale car park to ease congestion on Withy Grove.

Yellow box junctions are also going to be repainted, cameras installed at a number of key locations, and the number of civil enforcement officers in the city centre will be increased with officers targeting the areas with the most issues. The council will also have the ability to move vehicles breaking parking rules, blocking roads or causing obstructions.

Danny Vaughan, Chief Network Officer at TfGM said: “Christmas is one of the best times to enjoy Manchester – so much is going on and there’s such a buzz to the city centre. Our message is clear … the Bee Network is the best way to get there and home again. Board the bus, jump on the tram and plan your journey in advance.

“With plenty of frequent buses and trams to and from the city centre, single bus fares from just £2 and trams from just £1.40, the Bee Network is the easiest, quickest and most affordable way to travel this Christmas.

“Our pop-up park and rides mean you don’t need to struggle for parking in the city centre, but can park for free and finish the journey on a dedicated bus for just £2 single or £4 return and completely free for under 16s.

“As well as the new pop-up park and rides, there’s also 24 park and ride sites across Greater Manchester where you can park for free and jump on the tram – with all the locations and latest tram times available in the Bee Network app.

“We know roads and the network are going to be really busy, especially at weekends. That’s why we’re working closely with Manchester City Council and GMP on a joined-up approach to keep people moving safely around the city as they experience the brilliant things it has to offer.”

 Councillor Tracey Rawlins, Executive Member for Clean Air, Environment and Transport, said: “Christmas is always a hectic period on our roads and this year we are redoubling our collective efforts to keep the transport network moving across Greater Manchester.

“With millions of people set to visit Manchester City Centre we are urging people to plan their journeys ahead of time and where possible, leave the car at home. There are a huge number of ways to get to town, be that a bus, tram or train, and these will often be a quicker and cheaper alternative.”