Manchester’s Bee Network records notable rise in bus passenger satisfaction in first full year of local control
Bus services in Greater Manchester are better under the Bee Network, a national survey has suggested. The annual Your Bus Journey survey by Transport Focus, one of the largest of its kind in the UK, has identified a huge increase in overall passenger satisfaction across Greater Manchester in the first full year that the whole […]
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham confirms new e-bus order
Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham has announced an order for 55 new electric buses during a visit to the Northern Ireland-based manufacturer Wrightbus. As part of a commitment to buy from UK-based companies where possible, the Mayor confirmed plans to purchase a fleet of zero-emission electric vehicles to join the Bee Network, Greater Manchester’s […]
Burnham: Whitehall doesn’t understand how transport drives growth
The Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, has challenged central government to support transport as a driver for growth, as he accused Whitehall of prioritising cost-cutting over economic growth and consistently underserving northern transport. Speaking at the Interchange 2026 event in Manchester, Mr Burnham asked: “Does Whitehall understand the critical importance of transport to a […]
Upgrade plans for cleaner TfGM taxis revealed
Greater Manchester is stepping up its commitment to support locally licensed taxi drivers, with plans to launch a new £4.45m fund to help them upgrade to cleaner vehicles. The proposed Private Hire Vehicle (PHV) Support Fund would offer private hire vehicle owners, licenced with one of the Greater Manchester authorities, a choice of a £5,000 […]
Greater Manchester set for £6m tram and train expansion
Transport leaders in Greater Manchester have confirmed a pipeline of future ‘rapid transit’ schemes, with funding signed off by the Bee Network Committee and the plans discussed by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority. Launched as part of the Greater Manchester Strategy in July, the Mayor and local council leaders pledged for 90% of people in […]
Bee Network hits 10 million contactless ‘tap and go’ bus journeys in four months
Since its launch on 24 March, more than 1.1 million individual customers have used contactless tap and go on buses, with the milestone 10 millionth journey being made on a 143 service from St Mary’s Hospital, Manchester Royal Infirmary. Of all journeys made on Bee Network buses by paying adult passengers, more than half (57%) […]
TfGM: Roadwork charges would cut traffic delays
A proposal by TfGM to introduce fees for full and partial road closures in traffic hotspots could see companies responsible for roadworks on Greater Manchester’s busiest routes charged up to £2,500 per day. The idea is an attempt to cut congestion at peak times and is aimed at encouraging local authorities, utility companies and others […]
Government protects thousands of miles of bus services from being scrapped
Thousands of bus passengers who rely on vital routes to get to work, school or the doctors will be protected from sudden and uninformed cuts to services thanks to the government’s Bus Services Bill. In a move that will protect thousands of miles of vital bus routes, the Bus Services Bill will end the plight of bus […]
Bee Network hits 100m bus journeys with AI-recommended routes in the pipeline
Greater Manchester’s Bee Network has racked up 100m locally controlled bus journeys. The important milestone comes just weeks after the third and final phase of bringing buses under local control was completed at the start of the year, with a daily record of 602,000 journeys set on 30 January. As the first area to franchise […]
Active Travel Commissioner and GM Mayor write to all schools in Greater Manchester in next step of ‘School Street’ vision
Active Travel Commissioner Dame Sarah Storey has joined forces with the Mayor of Greater Manchester to urge schools to make it safer for children to walk, wheel or cycle to school. Dame Sarah and Mayor Andy Burnham will write to schools across the city-region inviting them to develop their own ‘School Street’ – to limit […]