Locally controlled buses return to Greater Manchester after 37 years

Locally controlled bus services have returned to Greater Manchester for the first time since deregulation in 1985.

The arrival of the area's Bee Network marks the first time deregulation has been reversed in England and regional mayor Andy Burnham hopes it will lead to cheaper fares and better services.

He said it was "a coming-of-age moment for English devolution".

Bus reform has been among Mr Burnham's priorities since he became the region's first elected mayor in 2017.

A representative for the Greater Manchester Combined Authority said the number of bus journeys in Greater Manchester dropped from 355,000,000 at the time of deregulation to 182,000,000 in 2019, while the number in London, where services were not deregulated, "roughly doubled" in the same period.

Mr Burnham said deregulation did not work on buses and "many other things as well".

"The mantra that the market is the answer to everything has been disproved by bus deregulation," he added.

In 2022, single bus fares in the region were capped at £2 for adults and £1 for children.

Unlimited bus travel over a day was later capped at £5, while the cost of a week's bus travel has been limited to £21.

About 50 new yellow electric buses, made by Scottish bus builders Alexander Dennis, will start operating in Bolton, Wigan and parts of Salford and Bury, with the rest of the rollout across the region due to be completed by 2025.

Local transport officials previously said commuters would have a "much greater say" with punctuality, reliability and complaints impacting what the operators get paid.

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