Details of the first buses to be brought under public control in Greater Manchester next year have been revealed by Mayor Andy Burnham. Wigan and Bolton will have the first new fully franchised buses in the country since all services were deregulated everywhere outside of London in 1986.
All buses in Greater Manchester will be under public control by January 5, 2025 with the first two boroughs to benefit from September 24, 2023. From that date, all buses in Wigan and Bolton will be run by Go North West and Diamond, who are the first to win contracts under the new franchising system.
This includes the Leigh Guided Busway which will no longer be run by Vantage. Some services in Salford and Bury will also be run by the two operators including services which go through Little Hulton, Walkden and Swinton.
