A new “Bee Network” branded yellow bus made its debut in Salford this week, as part of a new transport initiative for Greater Manchester.
The bus drove Diamond’s route 8 on Friday (24 March) giving Salfordians a first glimpse of the future of bus travel.
The “Bee Network” is Greater Manchester’s take on a London-style bus system where the local authority manages bus operations and awards contracts for routes. All buses will eventually wear a unified yellow livery rather than the colours of individual operators.
This is similar to the system between the 1960s and 1980s, where all bus services were provided by Greater Manchester Transport and buses were painted in an orange livery.
This bus’s debut on route 8 marks six months before the franchising model is set to take place.
By the end of September, Bolton, Wigan as well as parts of Bury and Salford will enter the franchising model, with the entirety of Greater Manchester’s network to be fully franchised by 2025.
Under the new model, buses, trams, some rail services and bikes in Greater Manchester will fall under a unified system and passengers can transition seamlessly between them for a fixed daily price.
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