The mayor of Greater Manchester has announced a host of Bee Network improvements.
On buses brought under local control in September 2023, journeys are reportedly up 12% year on year, with a 14% increase on services that joined the Bee Network in March 2024.
Additionally, the Bee Network has serviced 10 million contactless bus journeys made by over one million customers on buses since March.
Building on these achievements, mayor Andy Burnham announced:
- Two new night buses and a commitment to extend existing night (or 24 hour) services into next year
- Half price bus travel for 18-21 year olds
- Our Pass, the pass that grants Greater Manchester’s 16-18 year olds access to free bus travel and reduced-price tram travel, to go digital
- New Express Mode feature in Apple Pay
- New and improved cross-boundary bus connections between Greater Manchester and Cheshire
- More frequent buses on the most popular routes in Bolton and Leigh
- A further trial of round-the-clock bus travel for older and disabled passengers
The announcement was also accompanied by the statement that transport investment will be fundamental to sustaining Greater Manchester’s rate of economic growth.
Additionally, Transport for Greater Manchester and Manchester City Council have both reiterated their commitment to facilitating transport growth.
Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said: “Our region has the fastest growing economy in the UK, and the Bee Network will continue to play a vital role as we look to build on our plans set out in the Greater Manchester Strategy to make the next 10 years the best decade for our region since the Victorian era.
“While the Bee Network is already delivering a much improved service compared to the non-franchised system it replaced, with more punctual, frequent, affordable and cleaner buses, we are always looking at how we can improve the experience for everyone travelling with us, and to encourage people to use the bus more often.”
Achievements and innovations in public transport planning will be recognised and celebrated at the fourth annual CiTTi Awards on 25 November 2025 at De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms in London. Visit www.cittiawards.co.uk to learn more about this unmissable event for the UK’s transportation sector!
