The keys to Greater Manchester's first yellow Bee Network buses have been handed over - marking a milestone in a coming public transport revolution.
The first publicly-controlled buses will be rolled out in Bolton, Wigan and parts of Bury and Salford from September, with the whole network to be franchised by 2025. It means that fares, routes and standards will be controlled by local leaders rather than bus companies who will have to bid for contracts to run services.
The Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, was in Larbert, Scotland, today to take receipt of the first five buses built by Alexander Dennis, one of the world’s leading global bus manufacturers.
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Assembled over several months, each of the electric buses is just over 10 metres long and are powered from 382kWh batteries, meaning they have no tailpipe emissions.
During the visit, the mayor also met several young apprentices studying towards electrical engineering qualifications.
The five buses will be among 50 new electric double-deckers set to enter service in Wigan, Bolton and parts of Salford and Bury when buses are brought under local control for the first time in nearly 40 years from this September.
They will be fully inclusive, with two wheelchair bays, hearing induction loops, audio and visual announcement systems and anti-slip flooring.
A further 50 will be delivered in March next year, to support the ongoing roll-out of bus franchising, with services in Bury, Rochdale and Oldham and parts of Manchester, Salford and Tameside coming under local control from March 24, 2024.
Buses across the rest of Greater Manchester are due to come under local control in January 2025.
The mayor said that under the current system there is little passengers can do if their bus is late or fails to show up.
But by bringing buses under public control, the public will have a much greater say over their services, with punctuality, reliability and complaints impacting what operators get paid. The Bee Network Customer Contact Centre is also set to be launched.
Mr Burnham said: “By bringing buses under local control and investing in new vehicles, routes, and services, we will start to transform how people get around Greater Manchester.
“Key to that is a world-class fleet of modern, accessible, and environmentally friendly buses – which is what these are.
"It was great to see the first ones off the production line and I can’t wait to see them full of passengers when the first services come under local control from September.
"The contract with ADL is a brilliant example of the far-reaching benefits the work we are doing to improve public transport in Greater Manchester has to the UK economy. Through our supply chains we are helping to secure skilled jobs and training and I was delighted to have the opportunity to Speak with the young apprentices, who look to have a great career ahead of them."
The 100 new buses will be funded from the government’s City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS), with around 250 more to be delivered from 2024 through to 2027. A further 170 electric buses – jointly funded by Stagecoach and local and national government – will run in Stockport from 2024. The move will singlehandedly reduce carbon emissions by 1.1 million tonnes
Alexander Dennis Group Commercial Director, Martin West, said: “We are proud to be manufacturing the brand-new buses that will upgrade bus services in Greater Manchester as part of the Bee Network. These proven and reliable electric buses will deliver smooth journeys for passengers while cutting out tailpipe emissions wherever they go.
“The assembly of these buses in the UK supports the jobs and apprenticeships of over 2,000 team members in our company, who are proud to be leading the transition to zero-emission mobility."
A new bus depot - capable of holding 250 buses - will be built at Central Park in Manchester, with Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) taking control of existing bus depots by buying or leasing them before refurbishing and transforming them.
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