Labour have set out our Plan for Better Buses, which would transform British bus services by replicating Greater Manchester’s success with the Bee Network across the UK. Under these plans, all of the UK would see better buses delivered faster, with the franchising process done in as little as 2 years, compared to the 6-year slog endured by Greater Manchester due to the unnecessary barriers imposed by central government.

Since buses were deregulated in 1985, bus services in England’s regions outside London have collapsed, with:

• 1.5 billion fewer annual bus journeys in 2019 than in 1985

• Almost 300 million fewer miles driven by buses per year since 201017

• Thousands of bus services cut since 2010

Labour’s plans will ensure better value for money for the taxpayer, deliver a better service for passengers and give local authorities a choice over the bus system that works best for them. It will require no additional central government spending.

Where bus franchising is in place, in London and Manchester, buses are thriving. Greater Manchester has improved reliability and significantly grown passenger numbers less than a year after bus franchising went live.

The work in continuing in Manchester, following recent expansion of the scheme to Oldham and Rochdale. By 2025, south Manchester will be integrated into the full Bee Network. Franchising will give passengers new and better buses, including the phased introduction of an additional 50 zero-emission vehicles, as well as more frequent, earlier, and later running services and better connections to first and last trams. Meanwhile, Labour’s Greater Manchester candidate Andy Burnham has pledged for a half-price Bee Network monthly pass for 18 to 21 year-olds if he rewins the next election.

Labour has announced we will pass new legislation to support local transport authorities to take back control of their bus services – with a plan to roll-out what Manchester has achieved nation-wide, while removing the hurdles that Greater Manchester has faced implementing its own bus system. They have set out a five-point plan to deliver better buses.

Labour will:

1. Empower local transport authorities and reform funding: by giving local leaders more control and flexibility over bus funding and allowing them to plan ahead to deliver their local transport priorities.

2. Allow every community to take back control of their buses: by removing barriers that currently limit bus franchising powers only to metropolitan mayors.

3. Accelerate the bus franchising process: by supporting local leaders to deliver better buses, faster.

4. Step in to safeguard local bus networks: by providing more accountability over bus operators and ensuring standards are raised wherever you live across the country.

5. Support public ownership: by removing the Conservatives’ ideological ban on publicly owned bus companies and building on the success of award-winning public bus services still in operation.

Jeff Smith, MP for Manchester Withington said:

“Despite hurdles set by our archaic privatised bus system and the Conservatives failure to get to grips with the UK’s declining bus services, Greater Manchester has been able to achieve its own bus network, offering better value services across the region.”

“I’m looking forward to the Bee Network coming to south Manchester in 2025, but it was never fair that only Manchester would benefit. If Labour come into power, this success will be replicated nation-wide – making sure all our communities are well-connected and that bus services are based on local need.”

“Labour will call time on the broken bus system that is holding far too many people in our community back from opportunities.”