Buzzing or Stung?

Passengers have their ENTRY say on the first month of the Bee Network

- PAUL BRITTON

THEY'RE hard to miss. A striking yellow standing out against the grey autumnal Greater Manchester skies; a bold colour marking the start of a bold new transport vision.

Bee Network buses have been buzzing around our roads for more than a month now - the first stage in the drive for a much-needed London-style public transport network here, joining up bus travel with Metrolink trams, trains,

cycleways and walkways. A new era began in September. Under the franchised system, for the first time in almost 40 years, private operators now have no say over routes, fares, frequencies, timetables and overall standards, giving power back to the paying public.

Greater Manchester became the first area in the country to take back control of its bus services since deregulation in 1986. The move literally overnight in Bolton, Wigan and parts of Salford and Bury - saw new ticket machines and software installed on hundreds of buses, as well as the transfer of around 1,000 drivers.

The first few days, admitted transport bosses, brought 'operational challenges' mayor Andy Burnham described as 'teething problems, with reports of canceled services due to a lack of drivers and delays. Go North West, one of the largest operators involved, is now said to be undertaking one of its biggest-ever driver recruitment campaigns, with additional agency drivers also being brought in on temporary contracts.

But the newly franchised system is now said to be showing improvements in services 'day-by-day, with buses operating at a level 'at least the same or better than de-regulated services! The number of people using buses has grown steadily since the launch on September 24, now said to be up eight percent each weekday.