Greater Manchester has secured a further £2.4m in funding to continue running additional school bus services until the Christmas holidays.

At the start of the Autumn term, 300 duplicate servies were introduced as capacity was limited on public transport due to social distancing measures.

The duplicate buses run exclusively for school and college students and the usual route number starts with an 'S' to show they are school services.

In the past five weeks to October 9, over 7,258 trips have been taken using them, providing a service for around 137,844 children.

Now thanks to the funding the additional services will continue to run.

Chair of the Greater Manchester Transport Committee, Councillor Mark Aldred, said: “Approximately 90per cent of schoolchildren who use the bus to get to and from school travel on the commercial network, so this funding is vital to helping us get children to school safely and on time, without adding further pressure to an already limited bus network.

“For those that depend on public transport for their journeys, hopefully these extra services will provide peace of mind that services are available and safe to use as we head into the winter months.

"However, I must remind people that everyone has a role to play in following safety rules and how and when they travel, following the guidance will make a big impact.”