Greater Manchester bus route 192
Encyclopedia
Greater Manchester bus route 192 is a frequent and popular bus route running between Manchester city centre
and Stockport
, operated by Stagecoach Manchester. It carries over nine million passengers each year, and is often considered to be the busiest bus route in the country. Running every 10 minutes for the full length of the route, and every 10 minutes between Stepping Hill Hospital, Stockport town centre, Levenshulme and Manchester. The route mainly follows the length of the A6, serving Manchester, Ardwick
, Longsight
, Levenshulme
, Heaton Chapel
, Stockport town centre, Heaviley, Great Moor, Stepping Hill and Hazel Grove. The service is busy for a number of reasons. It is the fastest bus route between Stockport and Manchester, Stockport being one of the largest settlements in Greater Manchester
. The A6 road, consisting of Stockport Road, Wellington Road North and South, Buxton Road and London Road, is home to hundreds of businesses, public services, and homes. The service also serves poorer areas such as Arwick, Longsight and Levenshulme, which have low levels of car ownership giving the service its popularity.
The route dates from 1889, as a tram service eventually numbered 35. Renumbered to 92 in 1948 when it became a bus route, it was operated by Manchester and Stockport Corporations. In 1969, it was renumbered 192 following government reorganisation and the establishment of SELNEC (later GMPTE). With bus deregulation in 1986, the service was operated by a variety of companies, the most prominent being GM Buses. This later became GM Buses South, and soon after was bought by the Stagecoach Group
, becoming Stagecoach Manchester who have operated services since.
. By 1905, the Council had purchased the line, and electirfied it. By 1911 the line was completed to Hazel Grove, though still not a through service to Manchester. When the full route to Manchester commenced, it was initially numbered 35, with the Manchester terminus at Exchange. It actually received the number 92 on 10 January 1949, when tramway service was withdrawn, and the Manchester terminus moved to Piccadilly. It was owned and operated jointly by Manchester and Stockport Corporations. On 1 November 1969, following the Transport Act 1968
, both municipal operations, along with others, merged to form SELNEC. Within a short space of time, the route number was changed to 192. Over the next 17 years, the operator's title changed form from SELNEC, to Greater Manchester Transport, to Greater Manchester Buses.
Following bus deregulation in Great Britain on 26 October 1986, the route was taken over by GM Buses
, and other operators such as Finglands and Wall's Coaches introduced rival 192 services. On 31 December 1993, GM Buses was split into two, GM Buses North and GM South Buses, the latter of which became the main operator of the 192 route.
In February 1996, GM South Buses was bought by the Stagecoach Group
and was renamed to Stagecoach Manchester, who have operated buses on the 192 route since then.
on the road towards Manchester Piccadilly station
; on the return to Manchester, it terminates in Piccadilly Gardens itself. From here, it runs south-east towards the A6. It passes first through Ardwick
, then Longsight
, Levenshulme
, Heaton Chapel
and Stockport
. Finally it passes through Heaviley, Great Moor, Stepping Hill and Hazel Grove
,
terminating at a bus terminus near to the Rising Sun pub.
grounds also runs every 10 minutes all day. These part routes mean that the busiest part of the route is between Levenshulme and Manchester, with a bus coming on average every 2.5 minutes.
, but this has since been taken over by other services.
The 192 bus is the subject of a musical album by singer Dave Hulston, who was born in Longsight. The album is named "Willow and the 192" and according to the Manchester Evening News
was set to be released in the summer of 2007.
Manchester City Centre
Manchester city centre is the central business district of Manchester, England. It lies within the Manchester Inner Ring Road, next to the River Irwell...
and Stockport
Stockport
Stockport is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on elevated ground southeast of Manchester city centre, at the point where the rivers Goyt and Tame join and create the River Mersey. Stockport is the largest settlement in the metropolitan borough of the same name...
, operated by Stagecoach Manchester. It carries over nine million passengers each year, and is often considered to be the busiest bus route in the country. Running every 10 minutes for the full length of the route, and every 10 minutes between Stepping Hill Hospital, Stockport town centre, Levenshulme and Manchester. The route mainly follows the length of the A6, serving Manchester, Ardwick
Ardwick
Ardwick is a district of the City of Manchester, in North West England, about one mile east of Manchester City Centre.By the mid-19th century Ardwick had grown from being a village into a pleasant and wealthy suburb of Manchester, but by the end of that century it had become heavily industrialised...
, Longsight
Longsight
Longsight is an area of Manchester, England, about south of the city centre. Its population is about 16,000.-History:Longsight has been known over the past for its gang related violence, similar to that of nearby Moss Side. Most of the violence came from tensions between 2 gangs; The Longsight...
, Levenshulme
Levenshulme
Levenshulme is an urban area of the City of Manchester, in North West England. It borders Longsight, Gorton, Burnage, Heaton Chapel and Reddish, and is approximately halfway between Stockport and Manchester City Centre on the A6 road. The A6 bisects Levenshulme. The Manchester to London railway...
, Heaton Chapel
Heaton Chapel
Heaton Chapel is an area in the northern part of Stockport, Greater Manchester, England. It borders the Manchester districts of Levenshulme to the north, the Stockport districts of Heaton Moor to the west, Reddish and Heaton Norris to the east and Heaton Mersey to the west and south...
, Stockport town centre, Heaviley, Great Moor, Stepping Hill and Hazel Grove. The service is busy for a number of reasons. It is the fastest bus route between Stockport and Manchester, Stockport being one of the largest settlements in Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
. The A6 road, consisting of Stockport Road, Wellington Road North and South, Buxton Road and London Road, is home to hundreds of businesses, public services, and homes. The service also serves poorer areas such as Arwick, Longsight and Levenshulme, which have low levels of car ownership giving the service its popularity.
The route dates from 1889, as a tram service eventually numbered 35. Renumbered to 92 in 1948 when it became a bus route, it was operated by Manchester and Stockport Corporations. In 1969, it was renumbered 192 following government reorganisation and the establishment of SELNEC (later GMPTE). With bus deregulation in 1986, the service was operated by a variety of companies, the most prominent being GM Buses. This later became GM Buses South, and soon after was bought by the Stagecoach Group
Stagecoach Group
Stagecoach Group plc is an international transport group operating buses, trains, trams, express coaches and ferries. The group was founded in 1980 by the current chairman, Sir Brian Souter, his sister, Ann Gloag, and her former husband Robin...
, becoming Stagecoach Manchester who have operated services since.
History
This history of this service lies back to the days of horse trams, when a service from Torkington Road, approximately half a mile from the Rising Sun in Hazel Grove, commenced in 1889. Operated by Stockport Carriage and Tramway Co Ltd, with vehicles purchased from the Manchester Carriage and Tramways CompanyManchester Carriage and Tramways Company
The Manchester Carriage and Tramways Company was incorporated in 1880, the result of a merger of the Manchester Suburban Tramways Company and the Manchester Carriage Company, to provide horse-drawn tram services throughout Manchester and Salford, England, and surrounding districts...
. By 1905, the Council had purchased the line, and electirfied it. By 1911 the line was completed to Hazel Grove, though still not a through service to Manchester. When the full route to Manchester commenced, it was initially numbered 35, with the Manchester terminus at Exchange. It actually received the number 92 on 10 January 1949, when tramway service was withdrawn, and the Manchester terminus moved to Piccadilly. It was owned and operated jointly by Manchester and Stockport Corporations. On 1 November 1969, following the Transport Act 1968
Transport Act 1968
The Transport Act 1968 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The main provisions made changes to the structure of nationally owned bus companies, created passenger transport authorities and executives to take over public transport in large conurbations.-National Bus Company:The Act...
, both municipal operations, along with others, merged to form SELNEC. Within a short space of time, the route number was changed to 192. Over the next 17 years, the operator's title changed form from SELNEC, to Greater Manchester Transport, to Greater Manchester Buses.
Following bus deregulation in Great Britain on 26 October 1986, the route was taken over by GM Buses
GM Buses
GM Buses was the main bus company serving Greater Manchester, a metropolitan county in North West England. The company was public owned by Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive, which is a public body responsible for helping to co-ordinate public transport services in the Greater...
, and other operators such as Finglands and Wall's Coaches introduced rival 192 services. On 31 December 1993, GM Buses was split into two, GM Buses North and GM South Buses, the latter of which became the main operator of the 192 route.
In February 1996, GM South Buses was bought by the Stagecoach Group
Stagecoach Group
Stagecoach Group plc is an international transport group operating buses, trains, trams, express coaches and ferries. The group was founded in 1980 by the current chairman, Sir Brian Souter, his sister, Ann Gloag, and her former husband Robin...
and was renamed to Stagecoach Manchester, who have operated buses on the 192 route since then.
Full route
The service begins near to Piccadilly GardensPiccadilly Gardens
Piccadilly Gardens is a green space in Manchester city centre, England, situated at one end of Market Street and on the edge of the Northern Quarter...
on the road towards Manchester Piccadilly station
Manchester Piccadilly station
Manchester Piccadilly is the principal railway station in Manchester, England. It serves intercity routes to London Euston, Birmingham New Street, South Wales, the south coast of England, Edinburgh and Glasgow Central, and routes throughout northern England...
; on the return to Manchester, it terminates in Piccadilly Gardens itself. From here, it runs south-east towards the A6. It passes first through Ardwick
Ardwick
Ardwick is a district of the City of Manchester, in North West England, about one mile east of Manchester City Centre.By the mid-19th century Ardwick had grown from being a village into a pleasant and wealthy suburb of Manchester, but by the end of that century it had become heavily industrialised...
, then Longsight
Longsight
Longsight is an area of Manchester, England, about south of the city centre. Its population is about 16,000.-History:Longsight has been known over the past for its gang related violence, similar to that of nearby Moss Side. Most of the violence came from tensions between 2 gangs; The Longsight...
, Levenshulme
Levenshulme
Levenshulme is an urban area of the City of Manchester, in North West England. It borders Longsight, Gorton, Burnage, Heaton Chapel and Reddish, and is approximately halfway between Stockport and Manchester City Centre on the A6 road. The A6 bisects Levenshulme. The Manchester to London railway...
, Heaton Chapel
Heaton Chapel
Heaton Chapel is an area in the northern part of Stockport, Greater Manchester, England. It borders the Manchester districts of Levenshulme to the north, the Stockport districts of Heaton Moor to the west, Reddish and Heaton Norris to the east and Heaton Mersey to the west and south...
and Stockport
Stockport
Stockport is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on elevated ground southeast of Manchester city centre, at the point where the rivers Goyt and Tame join and create the River Mersey. Stockport is the largest settlement in the metropolitan borough of the same name...
. Finally it passes through Heaviley, Great Moor, Stepping Hill and Hazel Grove
Hazel Grove
-Education:Hazel Grove has a number of primary schools and Hazel Grove High School, the local high school. Some do decide to go to other local high schools, such as local Marple Hall, in neighbouring village Marple. The main primary schools in the area are, Hazel Grove Primary School, Torkington...
,
terminating at a bus terminus near to the Rising Sun pub.
Part routes
In addition to the full route, which is run every 10 minutes or more during the day, there are numerous part-routes that are run: every 10 minutes between Stockport and Manchester all day; every 10 minutes between Levenshulme and Manchester in the afternoon and early evening; and journeys in the early morning and late night between Hazel Grove and Stockport. A further hospital bus serving Stepping Hill HospitalStepping Hill Hospital
Stepping Hill Hospital in a hospital in Stockport, Greater Manchester.Stepping Hill Hospital is Stockport NHS Foundation Trust's main hospital, which looks after a population of approximately 350,000 people. Dr C. F. Burke is the Trust's Chief Executive while...
grounds also runs every 10 minutes all day. These part routes mean that the busiest part of the route is between Levenshulme and Manchester, with a bus coming on average every 2.5 minutes.
Night service
A night service is provided on the 192 route on the full route on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays every 10 minutes, until 3:40 am (in Manchester) and 2:55 am (in Hazel Grove).Former routes
The 192 used to extend to serve PoyntonPoynton
Poynton is a town within the civil parish of Poynton-with-Worth, and the unitary authority area of Cheshire East, England. For ceremonial purposes it is part of the county of Cheshire. Poynton is located at the eastern most fringe of the Cheshire Plain, north of Macclesfield, south of Stockport...
, but this has since been taken over by other services.
Bus wars
In March 2006, UK North decided to increase the amount of buses by 12 per hour running on the 192 route. The route was already well-used and busy with buses coming at least every 10 minutes. Stagecoach, the other operator, responded by increasing services too, and introducing their Magic Bus service along the route to compete with the lower-priced UK North. These actions resulted in the route becoming overly congested to the point of being dangerous, and forced buses to queue behind each other waiting for passengers. The situation ceased in December 2006 when UK North had its bus licence terminated due to concerns over the safety of its vehicles, and the standard of training given to its drivers.Fame
According to the Stagecoach Group, the route is the busiest in Britain, with around 9 million passengers carried annually, and GMPTE has designated the A6 as a quality bus corridor. The 192 is also noted by Stagecoach as being a problematic bus route with regards to anti-social behaviour, and CCTV cameras were installed on them. In October 2008, the 192 route was the first in the country to have solar-powered on-street ticket machines. The machines cost around £80,000 and were installed by Stagecoach and GMPTE for a 12-month trial, enabling tickets to be bought beforehand, saving time when boarding the bus.The 192 bus is the subject of a musical album by singer Dave Hulston, who was born in Longsight. The album is named "Willow and the 192" and according to the Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
The Manchester Evening News is a regional daily newspaper covering Greater Manchester in the United Kingdom. It is published every day except Sunday and is owned by Trinity Mirror plc following its sale by Guardian Media Group in early 2010. It has an average daily circulation of 90,973 copies...
was set to be released in the summer of 2007.