A major legal ruling has paved the way for Andy Burnham's plans to bring Greater Manchester's buses under public control for the first time in more than 30 years. The Court of Appeal today rejected Diamond Bus owner Rotala's appeal against a ruling made earlier this year which gave the mayor the green light for his sweeping reforms.
The decision could finally give passengers the London-style transport system they've been waiting for. Under the new franchised system, Greater Manchester authorities will be in the driver's seat when it comes to bus planning, with services run under contract by private operators.
It means the end of a set-up leaders have been branded 'fragmented and incoherent'; a network in which more than 830 services are run by 30 operators - using 150 ticket types. In the franchising scheme, which is set to start in Wigan and Bolton next year before serving the whole city-region by the end of 2024, bus operators would bid to run services, giving local leaders control of fares and ticketing.
