Manchester’s Bee Network buses to extend coverage into Warrington

Greater Manchester will see its ambitious plans continue with the rollout of phase two of the network on Sunday, March 24.

Bee Network is the county’s vision for an integrated, ‘London-style’ transport system, with phase one representing approximately 20 per cent of Greater Manchester’s bus network since it’s September launch.

Phase two is scheduled to commence next month, consisting of 136 routes including the 100 route from Warrington to Manchester via the Trafford Centre, taking coverage up to 50 per cent.

According to Transport for Greater Manchester, latest data shows Bee Network bus services are more reliable than before, with the percentage of on time buses up almost 10 per cent compared to the previous year.

Manchester metro mayor Andy Burnham said: “This next phase of bus franchising in Greater Manchester will not only mark another big step forwards towards the full delivery of the Bee Network, but also clearly demonstrate our commitment to improving public transport in the region.

“When services become part of the Bee Network on March 24, half of all the bus services in Greater Manchester will be back under local control and accountable to passengers.

“People will see some immediate improvements including more frequent buses, later and earlier services and better connections to trams and trains on some key routes.

“We will also be reversing some of the service reductions implemented before we took control of the system.

Manchester metro mayor Andy Burnham

“We are taking on a network which has not been working for customers at times, and making the changes we need to get performance to where it needs to be will not happen overnight.

“We now have control over services and the ability to make changes – that is a big difference, and customers can help too by giving us feedback so we can continue working to improve the system.”

Vernon Everitt, Greater Manchester’s transport commissioner, added: “Safe, reliable and affordable public transport and active travel facilities are central to improving life for people and businesses.

“This next phase of the Bee Network is a further significant step towards making an integrated London-style system a practical reality here.

“Passengers will see some immediate service, safety and customer information improvements from March 24.

“There is much still to be done to get the service to where we want it to be, especially when it comes to improving the frequency and reliability of buses.

“Next month is the beginning of a journey of continuous improvement, and that will be the core focus for Transport for Greater Manchester and our new bus operators over the coming months.

“Overnight changes of this magnitude involving the handover of numerous routes, vehicles and depots between operators is a complex process, so we also ask passengers to bear with us in the early days while the new arrangements bed down.”