Vernon Everett, Transport Commissioner for Greater Manchester, answers our questions about the city’s Bee Network
With over 40 years’ experience, Vernon advises the Mayor of Greater Manchester on developing an integrated public transport network alongside more active travel facilities
What enticed you to take on this role?
Greater Manchester is an exciting and growing region and the Mayor and 10 district Leaders have a very clear vision for how better transport can improve life here. It was very easy to say yes to being part of leading delivery of that vision through the integrated Bee Network, drawing on my experience in London and Wales.
What can the Bee Network achieve for Greater Manchester?
The Bee Network enables a thriving city region where everyone can live a good life. It’s the engine of greater productivity and economic growth, better health and access to homes, jobs, education and opportunity. It powers everything the Combined Authority is seeking to deliver through a joined-up, affordable and accessible public transport and active travel system, connecting people and businesses with opportunity like never before.
It is also central to sustainability too. Our new zero emission buses are cleaning up Greater Manchester’s air, avoiding the need for a charging Clean Air Zone. The Active Travel mission led by Dame Sarah Storey will improve the region’s health by encouraging more walking, wheeling and cycling.
We are starting to make real progress in offering options that encourage fewer journeys by car.
Franchising of buses is just one aspect of the Bee Network vision – why is this so important to the project?
For nearly 40 years bus routes, fares and services have been under the control of commercial bus operators focused on profitable routes. Local authorities had to step in with significant subsidies to save less profitable – yet vital – services from being cut. In Greater Manchester that has historically been equivalent to around 20% of all services.
It was very easy to say yes to being part of leading delivery of that vision through the integrated Bee Network
De-regulation resulted in decades of decline in the number of people using buses outside of London. With the first phases of franchising in place, we are now seeing a reversal of that trend in Greater Manchester. In the 12 months since the move to franchising began, nearly seven million more journeys have been made compared with the previous year – a 5% increase. Punctuality is materially improved and revenue is running ahead of forecast.
With no shareholders to have to pay, we reinvest our revenues into further improvements in the service. We have already seen that start to happen with the launch of night buses in September and the new 615 bus route between Wigan and Middlebrook retail park, restoring a link which was lost to the community four years ago.
What have been the biggest challenges and hurdles on the road to franchising?
The practical planning to successfully cut over to franchising has to be meticulous.
Everything from driver training, fares and ticketing systems, electric vehicle charging, procurement of buses and depots and customer information and support needs intense focus.
With something of this complexity there have of course been short-term teething problems as the new system has bedded in. The sheer scale of handing over hundreds of buses, staff, depots and systems overnight should not underestimated.
Accountability and punctuality are at the heart of the Bee Network and we have been transparent about performance by publishing data every week. Buses in the first areas to come under local control are consistently more reliable than before franchising – now consistently above 80% punctuality against around 69% before. Services in the second area are also performing better than under the previous system and we have a number of improvements in hand to move towards target.
We are amassing a wealth of insight and learning that we are happy to share with others thinking about franchising
As the first place outside London to go through this process, we are amassing a wealth of insight and learning that we are happy to share with others thinking about franchising.
How will you go about integrating all modes under the Bee Network to enable seamless travel?
Since we launched the Bee Network in September 2023 we have made changes to 75 different routes to provide earlier, later, and more frequent services that better join up with the first and last tram and train services of the day.
Improvements to timetables will continue as we constantly review our network and identify where changes can be made to the benefit of passengers.
It’s not just a case of better coordinated timetables and pioneering new routes, however – a simpler Bee Network ticketing system is also essential to encourage more people to use public transport.
From 23 March ‘tap-in tap-out’ contactless payments will join up Bee Network buses and trams, introducing London-style multi-modal fare capping, and we will soon publish a timeline for integrating the first eight local rail lines into the Bee Network by 2028. This will deliver major improvements to train stations and services, while enhancing the experience for passengers, including integrated ticketing across bus, tram and train.
Ultimately, we aim to bring bus, tram, active travel (our Starling Bank Bikes) and train under this multi-modal ticketing model.
What steps are being taken to ensure financial stability in the long term?
The Bee Network aims to be a low-fare, high volume system which means increasing patronage is key to its success. As mentioned earlier, the signs are promising with patronage up and revenue exceeding forecast. Greater Manchester brought in a £2 single fare cap ahead of the national scheme and we have been able to keep that in place for 2025 (subject to a mid-year review).
The more people use the Bee Network the easier it will be for us to keep fares low – creating a virtuous circle whereby profits can be pumped back into the system for the benefit of passengers.
The Bee Network aims to be a low-fare, high volume system which means increasing patronage is key to its success
We are also beginning to see financial advantages as a result of bus franchising. For example the per-kilometre cost of our new contracts is on average one third cheaper than tenders under the old deregulated system.
What mechanisms are in place to monitor performance and make sure that franchised operators are accountable?
We work in partnership with our franchised operators to deliver continuous improvement. Operators are measured against customer focused performance targets – including punctuality, reliability and levels of customer complaints – and this affects what they get paid.
The Bee Network app also features a ‘Rate Your Journey’ function, allowing passengers to directly have their say to TfGM and bus operators, bringing sharper accountability and shaping further improvements to the network.
What advice do you have for other cities that want to introduce franchising and a single, integrated network?
Franchising was an important step in Greater Manchester to create an integrated London-style transport system joining up bus, tram, train and active travel. The benefits are already starting to flow through here. But one size doesn’t fit all, and it will be for local leaders to decide whether franchising is right for their residents and businesses.
This story appears inside the latest issue of Passenger Transport.
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