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First Manchester operates in quite a large expanse of Manchester. From Manchester city center, you are able to catch a bus that goes to places as far as Swindon, Rochdale, Bolton and even Wigan! For those of you unfamiliar with these names, thats places as far as 24miles away from Manchester ... Read review
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Advantages: Regular, efficient, clean buses Disadvantages: Expensive tickets, sometimes late
...provides.
First Manchester operates in quite a large expanse of Manchester. From Manchester city center, you are able to catch a bus that goes to places as far as Swindon, Rochdale, Bolton and even Wigan! For those of you unfamiliar with these names, thats places as far as 24miles away from Manchester city center! To get to places further afield, the aforementioned buses terminate at conveniently large bus stations, and the helpful ... ...the bus standard for most First Manchester buses, blue and pink carpet-like material seats mounted in bright purple plastic (yay, PURPLE!) with the odd green pole with the yellow and red mounted stop button on it. There is of course the more old fashioned First Buses that are still knocking around. These are a dull orange colour and tend to be double decker. Fantastically fun rides to be gained on them, but looking out of the window always seems ... more
As a resident of the northern part of Manchester, and also as a student in the Manchester new spangled university, a journey on a bus into town is an inevitable part of my daily routine. The hot pink and blue logo buses are the thing to go for - though it chooses to use my least favourite colour in the world (EWWWW, PINK!) it still manage to stylise it so that the emphasis is not on this hidieous colour, but on what it provides.
First Manchester operates in quite a large expanse of Manchester. From Manchester city center, you are able to catch a bus that goes to places as far as Swindon, Rochdale, Bolton and even Wigan! For those of you unfamiliar with these names, thats places as far as 24miles away from Manchester city center! To get to places further afield, the aforementioned buses terminate at conveniently large bus stations, and the helpful people in the travel shop will tell you where to get buses to other areas of Greater Manchester.
The system operates in two seperate zones. Places which are nearer to Manchester, I think in a 10 mile radius are known as Zone One. Further away, this is known as Zone Two, and the whole place is known as a Network. This system means that if you live nearer, you get slightly cheaper tickets, but it comes as standard so nomatter how close you live you still have to pay the same amount. That therefore means that the standard fare paid for zone two people becomes a bargain the further away you live!
The bus route I take the most often is bus number 135. This fantastic bus spends it time on the straightest bus route I have ever seen from Manchester Piccadilly gardens to Bury town Centre. This bus is my lifeline as I live just a minute's walk away from the stop, and I live right in the middle of the bus route, thus offering me service to both of the places I go to the most! My particular bus promises to come "every 10 minutes or better". It usually sticks to this rule quite well and I don't need to wait for long before a bus comes but as with all promises, this is occasionally broken. I've spoken with several bus drivers about this (as you do when you're bored) and they get disheartened cos people complain at them for being late, and most of the time, it's the little old ladies getting on the bus that delays them the most. Not being mean to old ladies or anything, but I guess it's understandable though. And thus I'm hardly ever annoyed with the bus drivers. I just make sure I plan my journeys in advance, giving the trip plenty of time so I'm not gonna be late! :D
Ha, one of the more cool things about my bus is that it's really really long. I call it the bendy bus, cos it looks like two buses stuck together by a concertina in the middle. It's great to watch turning corners (it comes to one at either end of the journey) and it's an amusing concept to think of it reversing, but when push comes to shove it's whether it fits enough people in it, and it does! There are two doors, one at the front of the bus next to the driver, and one just after the bend in the bus to let people out. The interior of the bus standard for most First Manchester buses, blue and pink carpet-like material seats mounted in bright purple plastic (yay, PURPLE!) with the odd green pole with the yellow and red mounted stop button on it. There is of course the more old fashioned First Buses that are still knocking around. These are a dull orange colour and tend to be double decker. Fantastically fun rides to be gained on them, but looking out of the window always seems to be an issue since you can't really see out of it! Not entirely sure why cos it's not really mucky. Tried wiping it clean once to look out of, but it just doesn't do anything. Weird.
The prices of tickets is the aspect that causes despair. I'm only a poor student, and I think I spend about £200 on my 24 week term at uni and it just felt like a little too much. Let me tell you some of the more general deals and prices: ~ FirstDay tickets (day saver some people call it) - unlimited use of bus ticket from when you buy it, to midnight that same day. - Price: before 9:30 - £3. After 9:30 - £2.60. ~ FirstWeek tickets - unlimited use for a week! - £8 for zone one, £10 for network. ~ FirstMonth tickets - unlimited use for a month! - £30 for Zone one, £35 for network. ~ Return ticket to Manchester is £2.60 as standard. All these tickets can be bought on the bus.
First Manchester also works with another bus system called "One" and this works together with all the different bus companies in Manchester to provide some tickets that can go on every type of bus. These tickets have to be bought in Travel Shops in the bus stations, but they are handy if you're the type that need to get from one side of Manchester to the other. Prices range from £3 a day saver to £35 a monthly pass.
Consessionary fare is very reasonable though, I have to say. The standard fare for a kid to go anywhere is still only 40p. I'm so proud of this! And if you wanted to go another step further, you can get a FirstWeek Consessionary ticket for £1.30! It's fantastic! Wish I was a kid again! Now I'll just have to wait til I'm old! :D
First buses also offer deals to students actually, but I didn't choose this cos it worked out cheaper to get weekly/monthly tickets if and when I needed them. The offers to students generally takes the form of buying a whole years worth of monthly passes, but getting about 3 months free or something crazy like that. I didn't choose this option cos I don't use the bus when it's holiday time as I have the option of driving.
Anyway, enough said about my beloved buses. I really do like them, and since the summer break, I haven't really been on them much. Back to uni though soon, and I'll be out in the cold every morning waiting for my 135 to turn up. They're good these buses, and I don't think the drivers get enough credit for the good work they do. Hopefully this review will let some people see the bus service in a new light. :)
For more info about prices and bus routes in the Manchester area, log on to: http://www.firstgroup.com/ukbus/northwest/manchester/home/index.php Or for general info on FirstGroup bus company, go to: http://www.firstgroup.com/index.php
...provided a poor service like First Manchester has in my opinion. I also have to pay more for my travel in Manchester than London but do not get the services to go with it. Also I noticed there are many stops on the routes which don't have bus shelters and timetables provided. I think these should be a must at every stop, especially if you have to wait long periods. I had to stand up at my stop this morning for 45 minutes and also an old lady was ... ...and use public transport in your old town or even if you come to visit. Be warned the services provided by First Manchester are poor.
I would save up your pennies and learn to drive if I was you. It is too much stress waiting for buses up here. ...
coolchanty 30.07.2003
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of First Manchester
Advantages: Can catch it from otside my front door Disadvantages: Cost..(Shocking)
...go up?
**First buses**
First is the UK's largest surface transportation company. They are the largest bus operator in the UK running more than 1 in 5 of all local bus services, with approximately 9,000 buses operating in 40 towns and cities across the UK and carrying 2.9 million passengers every day. So surely with all this happening there was NO need to rise the under 16's single ticket cost!!
**The cost**
Way back in 2005/2006 the bus fair ... ...was a single ticket how ever so therefore if you were wanting to go somewhere then on the way back also catch the bus...this would of cost you 80p. However, the beggining of 2006, the bus fair of a single 1 way ticket for an under 16 yr old risen to 50p. That made a journey of going somewhere and back a cost of £1. !!!HOWEVER!!!
From 27th April 2007....the same ticket that cost 40p a year ago, had risen to a shocking 80p FOR A SINGLE TICKET!!! That ...
lorna200293 10.04.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of First Manchester
I decided to write my first review on First Bus company, because i am disgusted with the state of the buses i have to get to work every morning.
On a nomal work day i get a stagecoach bus which is regular, clean, the drivers are usually quite friendly and the prices are very reasonable, then in Hyde i have to get on a dirst old, First run Bus. They look like they have dug these buses out from a scrap heap and given them a repaint. They are falling ... ...turned up, or has turned up but broken down while the driver sits at the back of the bus and has a fag and brew before he sets off.
If you have to plan a journey in Manchester, try and plan it around First Buses. They are c**p! ...
MarySmith 01.07.2005
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful Review of First Manchester
Quality of Rooms
Customer service
Frequency of bus / buses
Value for money
Reliability
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