Greater Manchester's new look buses revealed
Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham today unveiled new details about his plans for a 'London style' transport system
Last updated 22nd Sep 2022
The design of new buses which will start to roll out across Greater Manchester next year has been revealed today.
The 'Bee Network' - Andy Burnham's vision for a new public transport system - is set to start taking shape next year.
The first areas to see the new buses will be Wigan and Bolton next September.
A multi-million-pound order for 50 new double-deck electric buses has been placed with manufacturer Alexander Dennis.
They'll feature electronic information boards, passenger announcements and phone charging ports and contactless payment systems.
Those will be the first to bear the branding of the new Bee Network.
Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, said: “The countdown to bringing buses back under local control for the first time in 36 years is well and truly on.
"With the order placed for our first 50 new electric buses and strong interest from operators who want to run the first franchised services a year from now, the Bee Network is gathering real momentum.
“We’ve already seen a positive response to our call for people to get back on board, helped by the successful introduction of cheaper bus fares across Greater Manchester to help residents cope with the cost-of-living crisis and I’m pleased to announce that we have commenced engagement with operators about the potential to cap weekly bus tickets from early next year.
"I am also delighted to unveil a sneak peek of what the Bee Network is going to look like. We’re building on Manchester’s symbolic bee and Metrolink colours – both of which are synonymous with our city region – to deliver something modern and iconic that reflects the first-class transport network it will become."
Today the mayor also announced plans to change the way the region's public transport network is policed.
In a bid to improve people's confidence around the safety of the network, Greater Manchester Police would start to see transport as the "11th borough" of Greater Manchester.
It would allow police resources to be dedicated more easily to tackling criminality across the region's transport system.