Public transport is a "postcode lottery" of unreliability, but Greater Manchester is working for change

Public transport has been a ‘postcode lottery of unreliability’ for many and Greater Manchester has paved the way for change, a minister has declared.

Local Transport minister Simon Lightwood was in Manchester this week (8 October) celebrating women’s achievements in the bus, coach and community transport industry. 

He stated that Greater Manchester is a shining example for others to follow, in bringing all buses under public control, with south Manchester joining the fold in the final phase in January 2025

The decision to bring city-region buses back in-house in 2023 was something that hasn’t been seen outside London for 40 years. GM mayor Andy Burnham has hailed the success of this move in recent months, claiming the changes have brought more reliability and increased passenger numbers.

Now, the government wants to see this success repeated elsewhere, and hiring more women into the transport industry one factor as to how they plan to revolutionise it.

Local Transport Minister Simon Lightwood said:  “We all accept that buses are vital to all communities, in fact they are the most popular forms of public transport. That is why as a government we’re delivering the biggest overhaul on buses in a generation, calling time on the postcode lottery of unreliability.

“In Greater Manchester under the Bee Network they’ve come on leaps and bounds in terms of taking back control and we’ve seen some fantastic results in passenger numbers and timeliness of buses. I want to make sure that all areas of the country are able to enjoy those same benefits.

“Around 10 per cent of people who work in transport are women. That doesn’t reflect the users of the network which is predominantly women.

“Too often in the past public transport has been designed by men for men, and actually if we’re to make sure public transport is safe and reliable for everyone it’s safe to have that representation.”

The minister went on to explain that it took Andy Burnham six years to get the bus franchising network going, he believed this time could be ‘reduced substantially’ for other authorities. He added that those running authorities in their areas are ‘better placed to make decisions on public transport than those in Whitehall’.

Speaking at the event in the Midland Hotel in the city centre, mayor for Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said: “In Greater Manchester we’re bringing buses back into local control, with cheaper fares, better buses and, crucially, more reliable services all attracting more people on-board.

“Our success is down to the hard work and dedication of Bee Network staff, including the many brilliant women working tirelessly to deliver a great service to the people of Greater Manchester, whether that’s driving buses, working at our bus stations, interchanges or Travelshops, or leading our franchising programme.

“It was fantastic to see that recognised today, and as we grow the Bee Network and take forward our plans to transform technical education in Greater Manchester through the MBacc, we want to encourage even more women into the industry."

George Lythgoe, Local Democracy Reporter