(29 Nov 2016, 3:47 pm)Tamesider wrote They do on the sections of route mentioned, but even when competition was at its highest in the 1990s, very few services in GM saw fare reductions. Towards Manchester, there is competition from heavy rail, but bus fares are still significantly higher than off-peak rail, especially for passengers crossing the city centre. Rail frequency is lower though, and punctuality can be appalling.
Bearing in mind though Manchester has 3 separate shuttle buses running regular which are free of charge to all customers serving a vast area of the City Centre I am sure the likes of the customers in Newcastle Sunderland and a few more major cities would give their right arm for unlimited free travel across the city centres.