On Sunday 24 September, Greater Manchester’s new Bee Network bus services started operation after months of planning, with an official launch held at Bolton Interchange on Monday 25 to mark ‘a coming of age moment for English devolution.’
Operating initially in Bolton, Wigan and parts of Salford and Bury, passengers are promised better, more frequent and more integrated services and a new AnyBus + tram ticket which reduces fares by up to 20%. Operators across the city region have been preparing for the switch for many months, with drivers and depots moving between companies and vehicle fleets needing to be in place ready for the start of the new contracts.
Go-Ahead, which took over depots in Bolton and Wigan, will operate a fleet of 320 buses on 50 routes in the first piece of the Bee Network jigsaw. The mobilisation marked a culmination of months of preparation by a team of 600 people at its Go North West division, which won the first two contracts to operate Bee Network buses. Bus drivers from other Go-Ahead companies across the UK were drafted in to help with the launch.
Managing Director Nigel Featham said: “It’s been a real pleasure to welcome the first customers on board our Bee Network buses – the response we’ve had from the public today has been terrific.
“We’ve been preparing for today’s launch for many months and it’s fantastic to see the buses out on the road. This is, of course, only the start of the Bee Network and there is a lot of work still to come. But our goal is to work with the Mayor to deliver world class transport for a world class city, Manchester.”
However, according to some users’ experiences recounted on social media, there was some confusion and difficulty experienced on the ground on the first day, despite the preparation; look out for more on the launch in a future issue.
