Just what does the ‘biggest bus change yet’ mean for passengers?
Early on Sunday morning (5 January), "the biggest change to buses this country has seen in a long, long time" took place in Stockport and Greater Manchester.
That's because Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) took control of services in the southern half of the city-region overnight. Effectively, it means buses are publicly-run for the first time since the 1980s.
On the roads, yellow buses will become a common sight in every part of Greater Manchester now, after being first introduced in Wigan and Bolton in 2023.
Transport bosses have said 'there will be teething problems' in the next few days, as they were seen in the aforementioned boroughs 16 months ago.
"The key thing is how we manage them and avoid as much disruption as possible," added Anne Marie Purcell, the TfGM boss overseeing the programme.
So with such a huge change being made, it raises plenty of questions for passengers — here, we answer the key ones.
What happened on January 5?
In simple terms, TfGM has now completed its third and final phase of taking over previously-privately-run bus routes. It started bus 'franchising', in Wigan, Bolton, and parts of Bury and Salford in September 2023.
Six months later, Rochdale, Oldham, north Manchester, and the rest of Bury followed suit. This morning's move is the biggest 'franchising tranche' — as TfGM terms it — with half of the city's buses falling under their remit overnight.
Crucially, the switch means every Greater Manchester bus service is now under public control for the first time since 1986.
How will services change?
The most obvious immediate change is the colour of the buses. Gone are the myriad of liveries which were familiar for so long: Bee Network yellow is the only option now.
Routes will be the same — but could change in time as TfGM conducts 'network reviews', having already tinkered with some services in Bolton and Wigan — and single fares will remain at £2 per adult.
Although singles were £2 for adults last year, keeping the price the same means Greater Manchester is different to most of England, where the cap is rising to £3.
Andy Burnham kept his lower cap because it was funded from a different pot of cash to the 'English cap', which is paid for by a £151 million government fund called the National Bus Fare Cap.
Greater Manchester's cap is funded by the £640m Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) fund, which was guaranteed until the end of March. It was extended in October's budget, and Greater Manchester chiefs say they are currently speaking to the government over how long that will continue.
However, the £2 Greater Manchester cap is subject to a review in 2025.
A new operator is also moving into town, with London-based Metroline coming in to run services. They've already trained more than 100 staff to ease the transition.
Where exactly will the Bee Network cover?
All of Greater Manchester. The first bus franchising phase was implemented in Wigan, Bolton, and parts of Bury and Salford in September 2023.
The second covered Rochdale, Oldham, north Manchester, and the rest of Bury. Now the final section is done, meaning the Bee Network comes to Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, south Manchester, and the rest of Salford.
Why have they done this?
Bus franchising has been in the works for years, with the Bee Network's creation starting in earnest when Andy Burnham became mayor in 2017. He was re-elected last year on a pledge to finish the job, and won 63.4 percent of the vote.
Furthermore, taking over buses means TfGM can create a London-style transport system where passengers just tap-in and tap-out across trains, buses, and trams. That will make it easier for someone to use multiple modes of travel, and still pay the lowest fare — using similar technology to that in use on Metrolink.
When will the Bee Network be finished?
Andy Burnham regards January 5 as the end of the beginning. The next goal is to successfully roll-out the tap-in, tap-out ticket system in mid-March.
After that, his sights are set on taking over eight commuter railway lines — with the first coming next year, he believes. Like buses, they will be yellow-liveried and also subject to the same ticket system.
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