There was a real buzz (sorry!) around the Manchester Bee Network, which just celebrated its first anniversary. It’s been widely regarded as a test bed for how bus franchising could work. Our Head of Product, Dan Saunders, had the chance to tour the control room. As the photo shows, there are numerous screens monitoring the Manchester network, and with representatives from various bus companies working alongside Bee Network staff, they’re able to respond to incidents quickly. Interestingly, much of the data in the control room comes from Google Maps and bustimes.org. Currently, over 30 systems are needed to check the network’s performance, and while there’s hope of consolidating this into a single dashboard, the cost is currently prohibitive.

The Bee Network has made great strides towards reducing emissions, with over 50 new electric buses purchased and two depots now electrified. With phase 3 rolling out next year, there are plans to electrify the remaining depots and continue expanding the electric fleet.

A year on, the Bee Network’s results are really impressive. There’s been a 5% increase in passenger numbers during the first six months of 2024, costs are a third lower per kilometre, and punctuality has improved from 68.7% to 82.9%, exceeding the Mayor’s 80% target. That said, a bus being on time 4 out of 5 times is still not ideal – but it’s fantastic to see the progress. Additionally, the TravelSafe team, with its emphasis on support before enforcement, has grown by over 120 staff. They’ve already seen a reduction in reported incidents across the network, particularly at interchanges.

Unfortunately, the event clashed with the Labour Party Conference, which meant that a planned welcome from Simon Lightwood, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Local Transport, couldn’t take place, nor did we see a video from Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester. However, Stephen Fidler, Director of Local Transport at the Department for Transport, outlined the new government’s missions and highlighted how buses will be central to achieving them. It was mentioned that the new Secretary of State for Transport, the Rt Hon Louise Haigh MP, has been championing bus feedback through her own app for years (https://betterbuses.louisehaig...), and that conversations at the Department for Transport have already begun to change. It was also made clear how buses will support the five key missions the Labour government has set out:

1) Kickstart economic growth

2) Make Britain a clean energy superpower

3) Take back our streets

4) Break down barriers to opportunity

5) Build an NHS fit for the future

Only time will tell, but 12 weeks in, the government seems to be making the right noises.