SELNEC Mancunian at the Park Gates

Image: © David Dixon Taken: 7 Sep 2014

As a result of the Transport Act of 1968, four large operating bodies known as PTEs (Passenger Transport Executives) were set up to run bus (and local rail) transport across various regions of the county, including Merseyside, Tyneside, West Midlands, and the body set up for Manchester and the surrounding towns was named SELNEC (South East Lancashire, North East Cheshire). The SELNEC PTE was officially formed in terms of its vehicle operations on 1st November 1969, and inherited the Bus Fleets from 11 constituent City and Town Councils being Manchester, Salford, Oldham, Ashton, SHMD, Stockport, Rochdale, Bury, Bolton, Ramsbottom and Leigh. Whereas the other three PTEs took the colour of the largest constituent fleet, (Liverpool Green for Merseyside, Newcastle Yellow for Tyneside, Birmingham Blue for West Midlands), SELNEC did not take the Red of Manchester but took a political decision to have a neutral colour, thus ending up with sunglow orange/white. When the metropolitan county of Greater Manchester was created on 1 April 1974 the executive was renamed to GMPTE, with the county council replacing the joint transport authority. Here 7001 (VNB 101L), a Leyland Atlantean with Park Royal "Mancunian" bodywork, which was new to SELNEC in 1972, stands by the Middleton Road Entrance to Heaton Park. It is operating a heritage bus service between the park and the Museum of Transport at Boyle Street where the bus is normally housed. more information about the SELNEC buses and their preservation may be found at http://www.selnec.org.uk/ The SELNEC Preservation Society.

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