Transport Secretary Louise Haigh has visited Greater Manchester today to kickstart the new government’s “bus revolution”.

Image credit: Transport for Greater Manchester

The Sheffield Heeley MP, who has promised to deliver the biggest overhaul to transport in a generation, met with Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham to discuss how the area’s Bee Network can be replicated across the country to deliver better services, grow passenger numbers and drive opportunity to under-served regions.

The Transport Secretary has pledged to create and save vital bus routes up and down the country, following up on a Labour manifesto pledge to allow every community across the country to take back control of local bus services. The party says services in England’s regions outside London have collapsed since buses were deregulated in 1985.

The Government has also promised to end the ‘postcode lottery’ of bus services by providing safeguards over local networks across the country, and is pledging to remove unnecessary barriers so better buses can be delivered faster.

Haigh said: “Buses are the lifeblood of communities, but the system is broken. Too often, passengers are left waiting hours for buses that don’t turn up – and some have been cut off altogether.

“Change starts now. This new Government will give local leaders the tools they need to deliver better buses up and down the country. Our plan will create and save vital bus routes by giving every community the power to take back control of their bus services through franchising or public ownership.

“We are already seeing how the Bee Network is delivering for people across Greater Manchester – we will ensure every community can enjoy the same benefits.”

Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, added: “Properly integrated public transport is the key to unlocking growth and opportunity across our city-region, improving the lives of our residents, supporting businesses and delivering greater value for money.

“The numbers speak for themselves – our Bee Network has more passengers than ever before and is providing a better service for residents. Greater Manchester has shown that our pioneering approach works and we look forward to working with the government to put power back into the hands of local communities.”

The bus plan is part of the new Government’s ambition to develop a long-term, national strategy for transport, which it says will ensure infrastructure can be delivered efficiently and on time while allowing local people to take back control of their buses, trams and trains.