TRANSPORT chiefs have pledged financial support for police unit to look after Greater Manchester's Nightbus operation.

Bosses at the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority have paid £20,000 for the Manchester-based weekend 'Nightbus' network to continue to have a police presence on the services.

The dedicated four-man police unit currently patrols nightbuses on a Friday and Saturday night. Existing funding comes to an end next spring, so Manchester City Council and Greater Manchester Police agreed to fund the unit.

Chairman of the Policy Committee, Cllr Andrew Fender, said: "One of the reasons the Authority decided to kickstart nightbus services was to help cut down on anti-social behaviour in the city centre by providing a public transport alternative to take people home from pubs and clubs quickly and safely. The police presence has led to a significant improvement in passenger behaviour and boosted passenger confidence in using nightbuses, so the Authority is pleased to secure its future by providing this funding."

CCTV operates on all nightbus services and at city centre departure points, which also have secure bottle bins. The bus operator supervisory staff, police unit and licensed premises are connected by the Nitenet radio system.

Nightbus services run to outlying areas of Greater Manchester on Fridays and Saturdays, from 11.30pm to 3am, with a fixed fare of £2.50 for all journeys.

For timetable information passengers can call Greater Manchester's Public Transport Information Line on 0161 228 7811. Lines are open between 7am and 8pm Monday to Friday and 8am to 8pm on weekends. Information can also be accessed via the GMPTE website at www.gmpte.com