The road to the Bee Network
The journey to bus franchising in Greater Manchester. Andrew Garnett reports Franchising allowed Transport for Greater Manchester to ensure better coordination with other transport modes The decision to franchise buses in Greater Manchester was not isolated but developed over decades of policy debate and legislative change. It emerged as a powerful tool for...
‘The benefits are starting to flow’
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...
A partnership in innovation
Ticketer has been small but critical cog in a complex change process, and is ready to help others Jason Mann, Ticketer director of product, and Tom Wilsher, Ticketer head of product management, overseeing the tranche one rollout Establishing a successful bus franchising solution involves multiple components, but the cornerstone of its success undoubtedly...
A vision for a greener future
Wrightbus is helping places like Greater Manchester on their transition to sustainable transport Wrightbus delivered an average of 22 buses a week to operators throughout 2024 With more than 160 new Wrightbus vehicles going into service across the Bee Network at the start of this year, we understand the importance of keeping...
A legacy that helped to shape the city
Rob Jones, managing director of Stagecoach Manchester, reflects on a 25-year record of connecting communities Stagecoach hosted a special lineup of heritage livery buses ahead of the changeover to the Bee Network For over 25 years, Stagecoach Manchester has been at the heart of the city’s transport network, playing an essential role...
UK Bus Awards 2024 ‘Big Book of Big Winners’
The UK Bus Awards 2024 presentation ceremony took place in London in November, and you can read all about the Gold, Silver and Bronze winners in this official Souvenir Brochure. Click on the image below to view The Big Book of Big Winners 2024. If you are viewing the site on a tablet or...
Welsh SMEs will have post-franchising role
Transport for Wales has been instructed to develop an approach that attracts a range of bus operators and retains a role for smaller operators Skates: ‘We’ll offer various types of franchising contracts’ Small and medium-sized bus operators will continue to play a role in providing local bus services in Wales once franchising has...
New bus fund replaces Scotland’s £500m BPF
The Scottish Government’s draft budget includes a new Bus Infrastructure Fund, but the value of this fund is unquantified The launch of the £500m Bus Partnership Fund in 2019. Only £26.9m was spent BY Rhodri Clark The Scottish Government’s draft budget for 2025/26 restores capital funding for Strathclyde Partnership for Transport and heralds...
Let’s put railways before rhetoric
Louise Haigh targeted ‘hobbyists who really, really love trains’ when our main problem is politicians who are addicted to bluster Louise Haigh’s ‘can do’ mentality felt like the dose the rail industry needed to emancipate it from its seemingly interminable stupor Well, the moral of the story of the past fortnight is...
A year of transport in transition
As the end of the year approaches, let’s celebrate and champion the progress being made in some key policy areas of transport Louise Haigh was photographed with seven English metro mayors at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool in September On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me…...
It’s time to change the narrative on rail
NSAR’s 2024 Workforce Survey reveals the urgency of addressing the skills shortage in UK rail – and the sector’s image problem Women now represent 17.4% of the UK rail workforce UK rail plays a central role in holding the country’s social fabric together. Not only is it of critical importance economically –...
Budgeting for Britain’s buses