Report finds Bee Network boosts bus travel for passengers across Greater Manchester

A new report, ‘Delivering Better Bus Services for Greater Manchester’, sets out the positive impacts for passengers and communities of the bus franchising since its launch in 2023.

By bring buses back under local control as part of the Bee Network, services are now more punctual than those they replaced and, with affordable and integrated ticketing.

Transport for Greater Manchester has given a list of changes since franchising began:

• Increasing patronage: the number of bus journeys has increased by 14% year on year in the first franchising areas.
• Improved punctuality: regularly exceeding our target of 80%, compared to c.66% pre-franchising, in the first franchising area. In March 2025, on-time punctuality across the whole network was 75.8% compared to 71.6% in March 2024 (when only around 20% of the network was franchised).
• Better connected communities: around 84% of residents are now within a five-minute walk of a half hourly service (Daytime, weekday bus or tram services, up from 78% in November 2022)
• More affordable fares: single fares have been held at £2, and day tickets at £5 since September 2022. Value weekly, monthly and annual ticket products have reduced the cost travel further still, with passengers able to spread cost with a credit union loan at no extra cost.
• Convenient and integrated ticketing: customers can tap and go across both bus and tram services, unlocking seamless travel under a single, simple and affordable fare structure.
• Increased focus on safety: 113 TravelSafe Support & Enforcement Officers introduced, collectively providing a presence on board Bee Network services and at bus interchanges and Metrolink stops
• Cleaner and greener buses: 75% of the Bee Network bus fleet is less than four years old and 17% of the fleet is zero emission, compared to below 2% pre-franchising.
• Improved capacity: More buses with 20 additional buses added in Wigan and Bolton with a further 20 in Oldham and North Manchester at peak times to increase capacity on selected routes
• Service improvements: Changes have already been made to around 75 routes to provide earlier, later, more frequent and better-connected services, while a new Bee Network service – the 615 connecting Wigan and Bolton and serving Middlebrook shopping centre – has also been established
• Night bus: Pilot of 24/7 bus services launched, reinstating nighttime connectivity to the north-west of Greater Manchester for the first time in a decade

Vernon Everitt, Transport Commissioner for Greater Manchester, said: “Greater Manchester is a growth success story with an £80 billion economy, a growing population and world-leading businesses. Enabling this is the Bee Network, Greater Manchester's integrated public transport and active travel network.”

He said: “While it is still early days, since buses were brought back under local control - on time and on budget - there has been a 14% year-on-year increase in passenger numbers, buses are more punctual, fares are more affordable and we have introduced hugely popular 'tap and go' payment with millions of journeys being made using it.”

Adding: “This is a network being run in a way which puts people first and I want to thank the staff of our operators and TfGM for everything they are doing to make it a success. We know that we are still at the beginning of our journey and we are committed to continuous improvement to support the people, communities and businesses of Greater Manchester in growing our economy."