Bus 143 in Manchester links Piccadilly Gardens and Central Road. The route is 0.0 km long with 30 stops, and the official schedule from Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) puts the full trip at about 30 minutes. On a weekday it runs 102 trips in one direction, and 62 on a weekend day.
Route at a glance
| Mode | Bus |
|---|---|
| Route number | 143 |
| City | Manchester |
| Operator | Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) |
| Start → end | Piccadilly Gardens → Central Road |
| End → start | Central Road → Piccadilly Gardens |
| Route length | 0.0 km / 0.0 km in the opposite direction |
| Number of stops | 30 / 33 in the opposite direction |
| Travel time | about 30 minutes |
| Trips per day | 102 on weekdays, 62 on weekends one way |
| Frequency | peak 5–15 · midday 10 · weekend 5–23 |
| First / last trip from «Piccadilly Gardens» | 00:10 / 23:53 |
| First / last trip from «Central Road» | 06:27 / 23:26 |
| Fare | 2.00 £ (fare in effect since 5 January 2025) |
| Updated | August 22, 2026 |
Route of Bus 143
Outbound: Piccadilly Gardens → Central Road
This direction has 30 stops. The route passes Charlotte Street, University of Manchester, Birchfields Road, Friendship Inn. The full list of stops in order is below.
| No. | Stop | From start | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Piccadilly Gardens | 0.0 km | Terminus |
| 2 | Charlotte Street | 0.0 km | |
| 3 | Major Street | 0.0 km | |
| 4 | Palace Theatre | 0.0 km | |
| 5 | Oxford Road Station | 0.0 km | |
| 6 | Mancunian Way | 0.0 km | |
| 7 | Aquatics Centre | 0.0 km | |
| 8 | University Shopping Centre | 0.0 km | |
| 9 | University of Manchester | 0.0 km | |
| 10 | Manchester Royal Infirmary | 0.0 km | |
| 11 | St Mary’s | 0.0 km | |
| 12 | Hathersage Road | 0.0 km | |
| 13 | Daisy Bank Road | 0.0 km | |
| 14 | Denison Road | 0.0 km | |
| 15 | Upper Kent Road | 0.0 km | |
| 16 | Birchfields Road | 0.0 km | |
| 17 | Birch Polygon | 0.0 km | |
| 18 | Wilmslow Road | 0.0 km | |
| 19 | Platt Fields Park | 0.0 km | |
| 20 | Grangethorpe Road | 0.0 km | |
| 21 | Old Hall Lane | 0.0 km | |
| 22 | Furness Road | 0.0 km | |
| 23 | Friendship Inn | 0.0 km | |
| 24 | Granville Road | 0.0 km | |
| 25 | Derby Road | 0.0 km | |
| 26 | Withington Library | 0.0 km | |
| 27 | Wilmslow Road | 0.0 km | |
| 28 | The Christie | 0.0 km | |
| 29 | Circular Road | 0.0 km | |
| 30 | Central Road | 0.0 km | Terminus |
Inbound: Central Road → Piccadilly Gardens
This direction has 33 stops. The route passes The Christie, Cawdor Road, Hart Road, Whitworth Park. The full list of stops in order is below.
| No. | Stop | From start | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Central Road | 0.0 km | Terminus |
| 2 | The Christie | 0.0 km | |
| 3 | Everett Road | 0.0 km | |
| 4 | Wilmslow Road | 0.0 km | |
| 5 | Withington Library | 0.0 km | |
| 6 | Derby Road | 0.0 km | |
| 7 | Granville Road | 0.0 km | |
| 8 | Friendship Inn | 0.0 km | |
| 9 | Cawdor Road | 0.0 km | |
| 10 | Langley Road | 0.0 km | |
| 11 | Grangethorpe Road | 0.0 km | |
| 12 | Platt Lane | 0.0 km | |
| 13 | Heald Place | 0.0 km | |
| 14 | Holford Avenue | 0.0 km | |
| 15 | Copper Place | 0.0 km | |
| 16 | Hart Road | 0.0 km | |
| 17 | Parkside Road | 0.0 km | |
| 18 | Beveridge Street | 0.0 km | |
| 19 | Claremont Road | 0.0 km | |
| 20 | Great Western Street | 0.0 km | |
| 21 | Lloyd Street North | 0.0 km | |
| 22 | Playfair Street | 0.0 km | |
| 23 | Whitworth Park | 0.0 km | |
| 24 | St Mary’s | 0.0 km | |
| 25 | Manchester Royal Infirmary | 0.0 km | |
| 26 | University of Manchester | 0.0 km | |
| 27 | University Shopping Centre | 0.0 km | |
| 28 | Manchester Metropolitan University | 0.0 km | |
| 29 | Chester Street | 0.0 km | |
| 30 | Dickinson Street | 0.0 km | |
| 31 | Dickinson Street | 0.0 km | |
| 32 | Charlotte Street | 0.0 km | |
| 33 | Piccadilly Gardens | 0.0 km | Terminus |
Schedule and frequency
According to the official schedule from Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), the route runs 102 trips in one direction on a weekday, and 62 on a weekend day.
| Direction | Weekdays | Weekends and holidays |
|---|---|---|
| From «Piccadilly Gardens» | 00:10 — 23:53 | 09:45 — 20:20 |
| From «Central Road» | 06:27 — 23:26 | 09:19 — 19:54 |
Frequency calculated from the departure table: in the morning peak buses run every 5–15 minutes, most often every 10; midday every 10 minutes; in the afternoon peak every 10; on weekends every 5–23 minutes.
Fare and payment
A single ride costs 2.00 £ — fare in effect since 5 January 2025. The same fare applies to buses in Greater Manchester.
A single bus journey costs £2.00. It is a hopper fare: unlimited bus journeys across the Bee Network within one hour of the first tap cost nothing extra. A day ticket is £5.00. Transfers within 60 minutes are free. Transfers within the hopper hour are free across all Bee Network buses.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a ride on bus 143 cost?
2.00 £ for a single ride — fare in effect since 5 January 2025.
When do the first and last trips run?
From Piccadilly Gardens the first is at 00:10 and the last at 23:53. From Central Road they are 06:27 and 23:26.
How long does the trip from Piccadilly Gardens to Central Road take?
About 30 minutes end to end — the median of full trips in the official schedule.
How many stops does the route have?
30 outbound and 33 inbound according to the official GTFS feed. The two lists do not match exactly.
Does bus 143 run on weekends?
Yes. On weekends and holidays there are 62 trips in one direction, running from Piccadilly Gardens between 09:45 and 20:20.
Every route number with its termini, operating hours and travel time is collected in the Manchester buses overview.
Data current as of August 22, 2026. Schedule and termini — Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM). Fares — Transport for Greater Manchester. Stop list, schedule and route geometry come from the official GTFS feed (Bus Open Data Service (BODS)).