Just one week into the job and the new Transport Secretary wants to kickstart a "bus revolution" inspired by Greater Manchester’s Bee Network. Last September, bus franchises were brought back under local authority control for the first time in decades outside London. This has seen growing passenger numbers and improving the reliability of local bus services.
Transport Secretary Louise Haigh hopped off the bus at the depot in Oldham on Thursday to chat to Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham to see first hand how this has been achieved. Transport Secretary Louise Haigh meets Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham at Oldham bus depot to learn more about the Bee Network (Picture: LDRS) Despite admitting she was not a fan of the colour yellow – preferring a Labour red – Ms Haigh was an admirer the Bee Network. The MP for Sheffield Heeley wants to see this model made available for other local authorities who will be empowered to take back control of buses.
She heard how the city-region endured a six-year slog to deliver local control of bus services due to unnecessary barriers – something the new government promises to remove so better buses can be delivered faster. Ms Haigh took to the driver’s seat of one the new electric buses, emblazoned with "All Change" as the destination on the front, but there was still no movement on her stance regarding funding for transport infrastructure in Manchester. Transport Secretary Louise Haigh (Picture: LDRS) When asked whether the go.
