What I want to guarantee is that the Bee Network will go everywhere

MAYOR'S PLEDGE TO TRAVELLING PUBLIC AS TRANSPORT REVOLUTION GETS INTO GEAR

- HELENA VESTY

THE roads were near-silent as I hauled myself out of bed at 3.30am. But the calm belied a Herculean overnight effort by transport staff across Greater Manchester.

As late Saturday night, private bus services were running their usual routes. In the small hours of this morning, transport workers assumed a military operation to quickly change over the IT, radios and a myriad of other gadgets within the region's buses.

And at 4.30am sharp, the result of their moonlit work - and years of behind the scenes conversations, political machinations, and immensely detailed practical planning - rolled into Farnworth bus station. The 521 from Farnworth to Westhoughton became the first franchised bus in Greater Manchester in 36 years.

The launch of the Greater Manchester Bee Network promises to revolutionise the public transport system in the region. It begins the process of bringing all buses in the city-region under public control by 2025, with the first franchised buses here since 1986 rolled out across Wigan and Bolton, and some parts of Salford and Bury.

Not only is it almost four decades since Greater Manchester had control of its buses, the formal introduction of the Bee Network marks the first time in as many years that buses outside of London are under the control of local leaders.

Af course, that means a new colour scheme with the Bee Network sporting Manchester's characteristic black and yellow theme.

Hopping on a pristine bus in Farnworth, its clear the transport system has had a much-needed shot in the arm. The lemony bus was immaculate, naturally, for its first outing. Aesthetically, the uniformity of the Bee Network buses and cleanliness of the first bus on show is obviously pleasing.