Bee Network bus reviews to get underway
A rolling programme of Bee Network reviews are to explore how public transport can best be improved across every part of Greater Manchester.
Starting in Bolton and Wigan, the first boroughs to get the franchised Bee Network bus services, Network Reviews will see Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) working with local authority partners to gather the thoughts of local communities, elected members and businesses.
Elected representatives sitting on local transport committees and forums will influence any changes made, with priority given to ideas that deliver the biggest benefits for the most people in Greater Manchester, taking funding and resources into account.
All areas of Greater Manchester will be reviewed within three years, with the order mirroring the roll-out of bus franchising. A programme of thematic reviews – for example, opportunities for night buses, orbital services, or priority routes – also gets under way from January 2025, when all of Greater Manchester’s buses are due to be under local control.
Changes that ‘grow’ the existing Bee Network – such as additional frequencies, trips, capacity or minor route changes – fall under a fast-track process, meaning they can be put in place within around six months. The 24-hour transport pilot getting under way from September with new night bus services in parts of Greater Manchester is a key example.
Strategic Network Reviews will deal with more substantial, in-depth changes with a view to improving the Bee Network over the longer term. Under current legislation, these will likely take between 12 and 18 months and could require consultation.
“The final stage of bus franchising covering the south of Greater Manchester will be completed in January” – Vernon Everitt, Transport Commissioner for Greater Manchester
Vernon Everitt, Transport Commissioner for Greater Manchester, said: “Striving for continuous improvement is at the heart of delivering the Bee Network and achieving the high standards of service our customers rightly expect. Through these Network Reviews we will work with district authorities and local communities to ensure that bus services meet their needs.
“The final stage of bus franchising covering the south of Greater Manchester will be completed in January adding to the new buses, additional services and improved punctuality delivered in the earlier phases. That will also enable us to introduce the option of ‘tap and go’ ticketing shortly afterwards linking up Metrolink and bus journeys and ensuring customers always pay the lowest fare for their travel.”