Hale Independent Issue 171

Nopartof thispublicationmaybeusedor reproducedwithout theexpresspermission of thepublisher.Everyeffort ismade to ensure that thearticlesandadvertisements thatarecarriedareauthentic,however thepublisheracceptsno responsibility for claimsmade. © Investors inPublishingLtd2024. Thisnewspaper ispublishedmonthlyby Investors inPublishing,PublishingHouse, 3Bridgebank IndustrialEstate,TaylorStreet, Horwich,BoltonBL67PD.01204478812 EDITOR GedHenderson ged@hendersonnewsandmedia.com CONTACT JayneMeadowcroft 01204478812 07703045189 jayne@independentnewspapers.co.uk ADVERTISING RobinAtkins07767840274 robin@cheshireindependent.co.uk CONTACTUS AROLLINGprogrammeof Bee Network reviews will explore how public trans- portcanbestbe improved across every part of Greater Manchester. The reviews will see Transport for Greater Man- chester (TfGM) working with local authorities to gather the thoughts of com- munities, elected members and businesses. Elected representatives sitting on local transport committees and forums will influence any changes made, with priority given to ideas that deliver the biggest ben- efits for the most people in Greater Manchester, tak- ing funding and resources into account. TfGM say this has been made possible as a result of GreaterManchesterbecoming the firstarea in thecountry to bring buses back under local control in almost 40 years – with accountability forming a key element of the region’s flagship Bee Network. It says franchising has alreadyushered in laterbuses onsomeroutes,better joining them up with the last trains and trams of the day. Extra buses have also been rolled out in the first franchised areas, helping to improvepunctualityandreli- ability on services, as well as providing extra capacity. All areas of Greater Man- chester will be reviewed within three years, with the ordermirroring theroll-outof bus franchising. A programme of thematic reviews – for example, oppor- tunities for night buses, orbital services, or priority routes – will also get under- way in January, when all of Greater Manchester’s buses will be under local control. StrategicNetworkReviews are among a range of options for making changes to public transport services. Some changes can be implemented relatively quickly, while others will take longer because of cur- rent bus service legislation. Some changes could require formal consultation. Smaller operational inter- ventions, such as timetable, minor route or fleet changes, can be introduced in around one to threemonths,address- ingperformance issuesaround punctuality and reliability. Changes that ‘grow’ the existing Bee Network – such as additional frequencies, trips,capacityorminorroute made. A student at High- fieldsCollege inBrinnington will play £306 for an annual standardchild ticketbetween Rose Hill Marple and Brin- nington. The price of an under-16seasonticket is£153. Mark Powles, commercial and customer director at Northern, said: “As well as providingasignificantsaving on the cost of the school com- mute, U16 Education Season Tickets can be used at week- ends and bank holidays too –not just the195daysayear thatschoolsareopen.Wehave a long-running campaign to encourage people to convert from road to rail – and if we can get young people in the habit while they’re at school, wehope theywillstickwith it when they move into further education or the workplace.” Northern is thesecond larg- est train operator in the UK, with nearly 2,500 services a day tomore than500stations across the North of England. Review:Busserviceswillbeputunder themicroscope changes – fall under a fast- track process, meaning they can be put in place within around six months. The24-hour transportpilot getting under way from Sep- tember with new night bus services in parts of Greater Manchester isakeyexample. StrategicNetworkReviews Pupils urged to take the train MOREthan3,000runners turned out to take on the Altrincham 10K course this year. The race started on Stam- ford New Road with the build-up beginning earlier in the day with entertainment in the event village on Cross Street and Shaw’s Road and many of the town’s cafes and coffee shops opening early. The circular 10-kilometre route took ina lotof the town centre as well as some areas of the villages of Hale and Hale Barns. It finished on Moss Lane. Speaking before the event, Mandy White, director of Altrincham BID, empha- sised the importance of communitysupport inmaking it a success. She said: “The Altrincham 10K is not just a race; it’s a celebrationofourvibrantcom- munity’s spirit. “Wewouldencourageevery- one tocome into the towncen- tre,cheeron therunners,and enjoy the incredible atmos- phere in Altrincham on this day. Whether you’re support- inga friendor familymember, or simply enjoying a day out, the energy in the town will be infectious.” The Altrincham race attracts a wide range of run- ners, from seasoned athletes aiming for a personal best to those takingon the10Kchal- lenge for the first time. On the run again DRIVERS are being warned to be on the look- outafterscammersposted fakeQRcodesonpay-and- displayparkingmachines in Sale. Parking wardens working for Trafford Council discov- ered four of the bogus bar- codes at the Oakland’s Drive car park. Further inspectionsrevealed more codes on machines at Warrener Street and Hamp- son Street, Sale Moor. TheQRcodeswerequickly removed and officers will be checking all machines across the borough on a regular basis to protect drivers from the fraudsters. Council car parks in Traf- forddonotuseQRcodes.Rose Thompson, thecouncil’sexec- utive member for communi- ties and safety, said: “These scammerswillstopatnothing to defraud innocent people of their money. “It’s happened in other parts of the UK and people have lost thousandsofpounds after inputting their details into the fake website. “Weurgepeople tobecare- ful. When it comes to pay- ing at a council-owned car park, please use your card or download the RingGo app to your Smartphone.” The RingGo app is avail- able for council car parks in Trafford.The freeappallows drivers tocheckhow long they have left before they must return to their car – or they can topup theirparkingpay- ment on the app if they need more time. If anyone sees fake QR codesatcarparksoranything suspicious, they are urged to report i t t0parking@trafford. gov.uk The alert followsawarning from police in Greater Man- chester urging people across theregiontobeontheirguard against the rising threat of QR code fraud. GMP’s economic crime team is out in communities across the city-region daily giving out fraud preven- tion advice. QR (quick response) codes workwhenauserscans them on a digital device, this is mostcommonlysmartphones and the QR codes are used to directpeople towebsites, log- ging into devices or ordering foodanddrinks.QRcodesare aquickandeasyway toget to a website quickly. After the pandemic, there has been a steep rise in the use of QR codes. However, GMP say cyber criminals also use this technology as a newway todefraudpeopleout of money. A force spokesperson said: “QR code fraud is more likely tohappen inopenspaces,such ascarparksorparkingmeters. “With this type of scam, fraudsters will put a fake QR codestickeroverarealQRcode on a parking meter and the fakeQRcodewilltakeusersto agenuine lookingpaymentsite to steal personal information and in some instances finan- cial information.” When scanning QR codes in public spaces, check for tampered QR code stickers. If something doesn’t look right and the sticker looks out of place, type in the URL manually to ensure you are getting to thecorrectwebsite. When you are scanning a QR code, make sure that you areusing theQRscanner that comeswithyourphone,rather than using an app that’s downloaded on an app store. Preview the URL, on some latest updates on mobile phones, as you start to scan theQRcode,aURLwillcome up – if this URL code doesn’t look right, stop scanning. If you feel as though you or someone you know has been a victim of fraud, report to Action fraud by calling 0300 123 2040. Alert over parking scams NORTHERN Rail is offer- ing students in Cheshire and Greater Manchester half-priceschoolrun tick- ets for the entire 2024-25 academic year. The train operator hopes the discount will convince children under-16 and their parents or guardians to con- vert their school run from road to rail. The discount is availa- ble until Friday, Septem- ber 20 through Northern’s Under 16 Education Season Ticket scheme. It has also revealed some of the savings that could be will deal with more substan- tial, in-depth changes with a view to improving the Bee Networkover the longer term. Under current legislation, thesewill likely takebetween 12 and 18 months and could require consultation. Vernon Everitt, transport commissioner for Greater Manchester, said: “Striving forcontinuous improvement is at the heart of delivering the Bee Network and achieving the high standards of service ourcustomersrightlyexpect. “Through these Network Reviews we will work with district authorities and local communities to ensure that busservicesmeet theirneeds. “The finalstageofbus fran- chising covering the south of Greater Manchester will be completed inJanuaryadding to the new buses, additional services and improved punc- tuality delivered in the ear- lier phases. “That will also enable us to introduce theoptionof ‘tap andgo’ ticketingshortlyafter- wards linking up Metrolink and bus journeys and ensur- ingcustomersalwayspay the lowest fare for their travel.”