Bidding teams for bus franchises in Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region and West Yorkshire have a busy schedule as key dates approach
Procurement of two small Bee Network franchise lots kicks off later this year
Companies chasing contracts to operate bus franchises in some of England’s biggest cities have a busy summer ahead of them.
Following the implementation of bus franchising across Greater Manchester at the start of this year, Transport for Greater Manchester is now seeking operators to provide bus services for small franchises from March 2027, consisting two lots: Bolton, Bury and Farnworth Small Franchise (with an estimated Peak Vehicle Requirement of 28); and Leigh and Atherton Small Franchise (estimated PVR 21).
Building on lessons learnt in the first round of franchising, the smaller size of these lots is intended to provide opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). These contracts will be awarded on June 11, 2026 and will begin on March 7, 2027. Expressions of interest are required next month (August 11).
Franchising activity is also gathering pace in other areas. The bid deadline for Liverpool City Region’s first round of bus franchising, covering St Helens, is September 11. The following month will see West Yorkshire Combined Authority launch its first franchising tenders.
The region will be divided into nine zones, including two in Leeds, with contracts issued over three rounds. The first round will cover Heavy Woollen, Kirklees and one of the Leeds areas. Services will launch in 2027.
Each zone will be split into tiers: large ‘Tier A’ lots centred around depots, smaller ‘Tier B’ lots, and ‘Tier C’ lots for school services.
This article appears in the latest issue of Passenger Transport.
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