Go North West & Diamond appointed in major step towards the Bee Network

Andy Burnham Mayor of Greater Manchester has just announced that Go North West and Diamond have been appointed to run the first bus franchising services in GM. This is a major step toward the Bee Network and better public transport for all and it means:

• The first Greater Manchester-controlled services will start in Wigan, Bolton and parts of Salford and Bury in September 2023
• Local accountability, customer experience, punctuality, reliability and customer complaints will influence operator payments
• Next year will also see the launch of a Bee Network app providing access to fares and tickets and a dedicated Bee Network customer contact centre, improving the customer experience. A weekly capped bus fare will be introduced in January 2023.
• Further steps toward an integrated network will also take place, including ordering more electric buses, planned talks with the rail industry to integrate 20% of train services into the Bee Network from 2025, £7.5m toward a major cycling and walking upgrade being awarded and £3.5m being provided to upgrade road safety cameras