PROGRESS REPORT
As the launch of Bee Network Tranche Two approaches, TONY MILES speaks to Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham and Greater Manchester transport commissioner Vernon Everitt about how the city’s new franchise services have fared
As this issue goes to press, it has been five months since the first tranche of Bee Network services launched, on September 24, 2023. The massive change in how the city runs its bus services was spearheaded by Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, who spoke to Buses about how the network has been performing.
Burnham admits that franchising of bus services wasn’t his immediate plan when he was elected to office.
“I came in with an initial promise to deliver a free bus pass for young people and started to look at whether a partnership approach could deliver it,” he said.
“I didn't find my early engagement with the industry encouraging. Having heard lots about how partnership was a good way to go, it didn't ever seem to me to produce the required level of engagement I was looking to drive change on the bus system.
“So I did have an open mind about it, but it quickly closed. I couldn't see another way of getting the level of change we needed.”
Burnham also n…
