Career
In 1824 he purchased a horse and a cart with several seats and began an omnibus service, probably the first one in the United Kingdom, between Pendleton and Manchester. His pioneering idea was to offer a service where, unlike with a stagecoach, no prior booking was necessary and the driver would pick up or set down passengers anywhere on request. Later on he added daily services to Buxton, Chester, and Sheffield.
John Greenwood, and a number of competitors, created a network of omnibus services, often acting as feeders to the railways.
By gestation, and amalgamation, in 1880, this became the Manchester Carriage and Tramways Company, led by John Greenwood (II). Following the council taking control of passenger transport services, in 1903, the residuary operations became The Manchester Carriage Company
(1903) Limited, led by John Greenwood (III) (b 1856). Foreign how this initial service developed, see Timeline of public passenger transport operations in Manchester.
