Changes to deliver improvements to Bee Network buses

Timetable changes have been made to a number of Bee Network bus services, including the 471 between Rochdale and Bolton.

Now, working closely with the operators – with a particular focus on the worst performing and complained about routes – timetable changes were introduced on 44 services from 28 January.  

The changes mean that for some services there will be a change to departure times, for others arrival or departure times will change along the route.

TfGM is also in discussions with Go North West – operator of the two largest franchises – about bringing in additional buses as part of a planned timetable change in April. This will further help to improve bus punctuality and reliability on services, as well as providing extra capacity.   

Passengers on the other locally controlled services that are run by Diamond are also benefitting from newer, better buses as part of a major investment in the bus fleet by the operator. 

With accountability a key customer commitment, new reports showing how bus services are performing started this week (Thursday 25 January).

A weekly update to show the punctuality of Bee Network services compared to before they came under local control and against non-franchised services will be shared on TfGM’s X channel every week, with a more detailed report being made publicly available every month. 

Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said: “If we are to build the Bee Network and get more people onto public transport it’s really important that buses arrive on time and when passengers expect them.  

“We inherited a system where too often this wasn’t happening, and now that they are under our control, we can do something about it.

“The changes this weekend is the latest in a series of improvements we have already made and once again highlight the benefit of a locally accountable network. We know we need to do more, but the information we have published, and will continue to make available every week, shows it is working – Bee Network buses are performing better than they did before coming under local control and better than the services we are not yet responsible for.  

“In two months, we will bring franchising to the north of Greater Manchester, with the whole network fully under our control in less than a year, all while continuing to work on a range of other measures to make journeys better for people, including improved customer information, more new buses, and better bus routes to further improve reliability.” 

TfGM has been working with local authorities to reduce disruption to bus routes caused by roadworks and have installed new technology at more than 100 traffic signals to improve bus punctuality – with plans to roll them out at hundreds more locations, and further features to the Bee Network app will be launching before the end of March, such as live bus tracking and journey planning. 

Director of Bus, Stephen Rhodes said: “We are absolutely committed to delivering a consistently good performance for passengers, and since launching the Bee Network have been listening intently to feedback from customers and working closely with operators to monitor performance. 

“The changes we are making this weekend aim to improve punctuality across the most complained about routes, where operational performance has not been good enough. This is just the start of improving bus reliability and we will continue to monitor performance across the network as we bring more services back under local control.” 

Passengers are encouraged to check any changes to their normal service by visiting a travel shop or checking the Bee Network app or website. Information will also be updated on bus stops. 

So far, Bee Network bus services operate in Bolton and Wigan and parts of Salford and Bury, equating to around 20% of the overall Greater Manchester bus network, with services overall performing better than before they came under local control. 

The next phase of franchising will see buses in Oldham, Rochdale, and parts of Bury, Salford and north Manchester come under local control on 24 March 2024, with the remainder of Greater Manchester bus services joining the Bee Network in January 2025. 

Making sure bus services work for the people of Greater Manchester is a key focus, and TfGM will undertake regular network reviews to ensure bus services continue to work efficiently.