Say yellow to the Bee Network

Don’t worry, we’re not making too many changes. Most services in Greater Manchester will stay the same for now.

Bus services in Bolton, Wigan and parts of Bury, Salford and Manchester have now joined the Bee Network and are under local control. Routes and numbers are largely the same, or improved. You can see Bee Network bus timetables here.

You can also download the new Bee Network app now at the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store. Use it now to:

• Get live departure times for local bus, tram and train stops and stations.
• Buy tram tickets and Bee AnyBus and Bee AnyBus + Tram tickets. 
• Rate your journey.

We’ve made some improvements straight away to Bee Network bus services in Bolton, Wigan and parts of Bury, Salford and Manchester.

• More daytime and weekend services on some routes.
• Earlier and later buses on some routes so more people can connect to the first or last tram or train of the day.
• A range of new tickets to make bus and tram travel even more affordable across Greater Manchester.
• 50 new zero-emission electric buses.
• 30 more TravelSafe Officers to help keep you safe.

24 March 2024: Bee Network bus services launch in Oldham, Rochdale, and parts of Bury, Salford and north Manchester.

5 January 2025: Bus services on routes in Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, and the remaining parts of Manchester and Salford join the Bee Network. Every bus service in Greater Manchester is part of the Bee Network.

2025: Contactless rail trial on services from Stalybridge to Manchester Victoria; and Glossop to Manchester Piccadilly.

From 2030: Local trains join the Bee Network.

The new Bee Network app is now available to download from the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store. You can use it to: 

• Get live departure times for local bus, tram and train stops and stations.
• Buy tram tickets, Bee AnyBus tickets, and Bee AnyBus + Tram tickets.
• Rate your journey and get contact information.

In time we will roll out more features, making the Bee Network app the one-stop-shop for public transport in Greater Manchester.

Everything else you need to plan your journey, find the right ticket and passes, and get travel updates, is right here on our new look Bee Network website.

No matter how you get around, we’ve got the right ticket for you.

We’re keeping fares as low as possible. So if you travel on a bus in Greater Manchester you’ll never pay more than: 

• £2 for an adult single fare, £1 for a child. 
• £5 to travel all-day by any bus, £2.50 for a child. 
• £21 to travel by any bus for seven days, £10.50 for a child. 

We’re keeping these fares until September 2024.

You can also choose from a range of flexible tickets to travel on any bus, or any bus and tram in Greater Manchester. The AnyBus + Tram ticket is up to 20% cheaper compared to paying separately for bus and tram journeys:

• Bee AnyBus, 1, 7, 28 day – Adult, Child
• Bee AnyBus, 7 & 28 day – Young Person/Student
• Bee AnyBus + Tram, 1, 7, 28 day – Adult, Child.

Our six Customer Commitments have been developed with local people. We’re committed to delivering a Bee Network that is: 

• Safe: We will create a safe and secure network.
• Accessible: Everyone can use us.
• Affordable: We will keep the cost of travel as low as possible.
• Reliable: We will deliver a reliable network.
• Sustainable: We will take the lead in creating a greener, healthier Greater Manchester. 
• Accountable: We will use your feedback to shape the Bee Network.

You can read all about them and find out what to expect from the Bee Network here.

You’ll see our Customer Commitments across the Bee Network. There’ll be a QR code linking to the new Rate Your Journey survey so you can quickly tell us how your journey was (by bus, tram, train, walking, cycling or wheeling).

And of course, you can still comment on your journey by phone or in writing too. 

Be sure to let us know if we’re living up to our commitments and help us deliver a better Bee Network.

We’re starting to bring bus services in Greater Manchester under local control. It’s the biggest change to how buses are run for around 40 years.

Buses will be run for you, the passenger, as part of a joined up public transport network called the Bee Network. We will:

• Choose bus operators and decide where buses run, how often and at what times.
• Set targets for buses to be reliable, run on time, and meet high standards.
• Take action if bus operators don’t meet our standards.
• Offer low, flexible fares so you never pay more than you need to.

It will mean much higher standards for all Greater Manchester bus services, which will be part of the Bee Network by January 2025.

Most bus routes and numbers are the same. We’ve made some improvements straight away to Bee Network bus services in Bolton, Wigan and parts of Bury, Salford and Manchester:

• More daytime and weekend services on some routes.
• Earlier and later buses on some routes so more people can connect to the first or last tram or train of the day.
• 50 new zero-emission electric buses.
• 30 more TravelSafe Officers to help keep you safe.
• A range of new tickets to make bus and tram travel even more affordable across Greater Manchester.

Go North West is running most Bee Network bus services in Wigan and Bolton. Diamond is running Bee Network bus services in Salford and parts of Bolton and Wigan.

We’re going as fast as we can to improve bus services.

But Greater Manchester has a huge bus network. And bringing it under local control is a massive change to the ways things are run.

It takes time to prepare the contracts. To invite bus operators to bid for routes. To choose the best operators, appoint them, and give them time to prepare.

So we’re doing it in three stages to get it right. All buses in Greater Manchester will be part of the Bee Network by January 2025.

• From 24 September 2023: The first bus services came under local control in Bolton and Wigan, as well of parts of Bury, Salford and Manchester. See a full list of Bee Network bus routes.
• From 24 March 2024: Bus services in Oldham, Rochdale and parts of Bury, Salford and north Manchester.
• From 5 January 2025: Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, and the remaining parts of Manchester and Salford.

Most school services across Greater Manchester will be very similar to the last school year.

You can find timetables and plan your child's journey on our 'Travelling to school' webpage.

All school services in Bolton, Wigan and Salford – and in parts of Bury – have now joined the Bee Network. Your child will be able to use them as normal:

• Your school service will still have the same number.
• Timetables may be slightly different to meet new school start and finish times.
• Your bus service may have a new operator and some buses will be yellow and have Bee Network logos.

Wherever you live, your child can pay with cash or contactless on the bus or buy a ticket in advance.

You can find the right ticket for your child here.

Better buses will be introduced gradually to the Bee Network.

We’ve already ordered 270 new, electric vehicles in Bee Network colours. 50 of these are running now, alongside other modern vehicles.

The new buses have been designed with help from passengers and representative groups like our Disability Design Reference Group, and we’ll keep listening to your feedback.

Buses already running in Greater Manchester will be upgraded over the next two years. Eventually, we want all Bee Network buses to be:

• Yellow, featuring the Bee Network and bus operator logos.
• Modern and electric or low-emission, with USB-charging ports.
• Fully accessible, with ramps, wheelchair bays, hearing induction loops, anti-slip flooring and audio and visual announcement systems – including announcements of next stop and final destination, plus other features.
• Cleaned regularly to high standards.
• Under local control and run to high reliability and customer standards.

By 2025 all local buses will be best-in-class and part of the Bee Network.

Most Bee Network buses will be easy to spot. They’re yellow! And you’ll see the Bee Network logo.

There will always be logos and signs onboard so you know it’s a Bee Network bus, and drivers will be in a Bee Network uniform. Ask the driver if you’re not sure.

Some Bee Network buses might not have had a splash of yellow just yet. But no matter the colour, all services will meet high standards.

We want your journey to be safe and enjoyable.

Thirty new TravelSafe Support and Enforcement Officers have now joined the Bee Network to:

• patrol Bee Network bus services, interchanges and bus stations
• support passengers and staff
• offer reassurance and help to address antisocial behaviour
• offer customer support and carry out ticket inspections

The team will expand their operations as the Bee Network rolls out and will be patrolling all bus services, stations and interchanges by 2025.

Through the Greater Manchester TravelSafe Partnership, we’re already having real success in tackling crime and antisocial behaviour on the public transport network. You can help.

It’s easy to report incidents quickly and discreetly to a live GMP call handler from your smartphone on the Live Chat service. They can help advise you and despatch the right response for the situation. Visit gmp.police.uk/livechat and start a chat using the message icon on the bottom left of screen. Or call 101 – or 999 in an emergency.

The 50 new electric buses all have a QR code linking to GMP LiveChat on the back of all seats.

We can decide where and when Bee Network buses run. So we can make sure it’s easier and cheaper to get to where you want to go.

We’ll make sure buses link up with other transport systems like Metrolink, our accessibility-award-winning tram network. It has step-free access across all 99 stops and audio/visual announcements on all platforms and trams.

50 fully inclusive electric buses are running on the Bee Network alongside other modern vehicles. A further 50 are expected to come onboard in March 2024.

The buses have been designed with help from passengers and key groups like our Disability Design Reference Group, and we’ll keep listening to your feedback.

They will seat 62 passengers, have two wheelchair bays, hearing induction loops, audio and visual announcement systems (including next stop and final destination announcements) and anti-slip flooring.

Buses already running in Greater Manchester will be upgraded over the next two years. We want all Bee Network buses to be fully accessible.

No matter how you get around, we’ve got the right ticket for you.

We’re keeping fares as low as possible. So if you travel on a bus in Greater Manchester you’ll never pay more than: 

• £2 for an adult single fare, £1 for a child. 
• £5 to travel all-day by any bus, £2.50 for a child. 
• £21 to travel by any bus for seven days, £10.50 for a child. 

We’re keeping these fares until September 2024.

You can also now choose from a range of tickets to travel on any bus, or any bus and tram in Greater Manchester. It’s up to 20% cheaper compared to paying separately for bus and tram journeys:

• Bee AnyBus, 1, 7, 28 day – Adult, Child
• Bee AnyBus, 7 & 28 day – Young Person/Student
• Bee AnyBus + Tram, 1, 7, 28 day – Adult, Child.

Find the right ticket or pass for you.

No. You will either need a Bee AnyBus ticket or a Bee Bus ticket to travel on Bee Network bus services.

They’re great value. See the full range of tickets available here.

Yes. There will be no changes to travel passes for younger people, older people, disabled people and care leavers.

This includes the igo, Our Pass, ENCTS older persons, disabled and disabled plus pass.

Single bus operator tickets are not valid on Bee Network services.

Please don’t buy single operator 7-day, 28-day or monthly tickets if you plan to use them on a Bee Network service.

• Instead, please buy from the AnyBus range of 7-day and 28-day tickets, which can be used on the Bee Network and any bus in Greater Manchester.
• Don’t worry if you have already bought a 28-day or monthly ticket that is valid beyond 24 September, your ticket will be accepted on Bee Network services until 28 October 2023.

AnyBus tickets are available on the Bee Network app, on the bus, from Information and Ticket Offices at bus stations and interchanges, from Paypoint outlets and online.

In a very small number of cases, the ticket for your journey may cost more than before. If this is the case for you, please find out more on this webpage.

Single bus operator tickets are not valid on Bee Network services.

Please don’t buy a 1-day ticket if you plan to use it on a Bee Network bus service. Instead, buy a:

• 1-day Bee AnyBus ticket costing £5 (adult) or £2.50 (child)
• Bee Bus single ticket costing £2 (adult) / £1 (child)

The Bee AnyBus ticket can be used on Bee Network services or any bus in Greater Manchester. AnyBus tickets are available on the Bee Network app, on the bus, from Information and Ticket Offices at bus stations and interchanges, from Paypoint outlets and online.

The Bee Bus single ticket is only valid for your Bee Network bus journey.

Single tickets bought from other operators will continue to be valid on those services.

In a very small number of cases, the ticket for your journey may cost more than before. If this is the case for you, please find out more here.

If you purchased a term time ticket from your operator (before Sunday 24 September), that you can no longer use, you will need to contact your operator for a refund.

You can purchase a Term 1 or All Term Bee Student product through the Bee Network app or using a smart card at an Information and Ticket Office.

We know that not all journeys start or end in Greater Manchester. Where you get on or off your bus will affect the tickets you can use.

If you get on or off a Bee Network bus service at a bus stop outside Greater Manchester, you will need a Bee Bus ticket. These tickets are valid on any Bee Network bus service:

• 1-day Bee Bus: £5 for adults / £2.50 for children
• 7-day Bee Bus: be £21 for adults / £10.50 for children

You can buy Bee Bus tickets on the bus and in Information and Ticket Offices at bus stations and interchanges.

If you need to start or continue your journey outside of Greater Manchester on a non-Bee Network bus, you’ll will need to buy another ticket from that bus operator.

Most people will benefit from low bus fares, and the new flexible and affordable range of tickets for buses and trams.

In a small number of cases, the ticket for your journey may cost more than before.

If you can provide proof of purchase for a single operator ticket where there is a price difference dated within the last two months (up to 18 September 2023), you can apply for a complimentary Bee Bus ticket valid for use on Bee Network services for a limited time.

While single operator bus tickets are subject to regular price increases, low Bee Network fares have been extended until September 2024.

Find out more about the changes.

We know money can be tight when you’re a student. But we’ve got some great value tickets to help you get around.

If you’re a student aged 26 or under, you can buy the following tickets to travel on any bus in Greater Manchester:

• 7-day AnyBus Student (£17)
• 28-day AnyBus Student (£58)
• New term time and annual tickets to travel on Bee Network buses only.

Find the right ticket for you on our website.

There’s a great range of value for money tickets for young people and children right now.

Find the right ticket for your child.

Plan your child's school journey.

At the moment you can touch in and out at Metrolink stops and we will make sure you don’t pay any more than the equivalent adult single and 1-day or 7-day travelcard prices.

When all buses have joined the Bee Network in January 2025, you’ll be able to simply ‘touch and go’ across both bus and Metrolink, and never pay more than you need to. In the meantime, new AnyBus + tram ticket offer great savings.

We’re working with the rail industry to begin bringing touch and go payment to the region’s rail network in 2025, as we fully join up all public transport services and cycle hire.

The new Bee Network app is now available to download from the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store. You can use it to:

• Get live departure times for local bus, tram and train stops and stations.
• Buy tram tickets, Bee AnyBus tickets, and Bee AnyBus + Tram tickets.
• Rate your journey and get contact information.

In time we will roll out more features, making the Bee Network app the one-stop-shop for public transport in Greater Manchester.

Everything else you need to plan your journey, easily find the right ticket and passes, and get travel updates, is right here on our new look, easy to use Bee Network website.

As well as the Bee Network app and website, you can call us on 0161 244 1000, or drop in to an Information and Ticket Office at your local bus station or interchange for travel advice.

Your transport operator may also have a website and an app that provides more information about their services.

This could include fares information and live journey times.

Find contact details for our Bee Network Customer Contact team and transport operators on our website.

You can contact the Bee Network Customer Contact team by email or by phone if you lose something on the Bee Network.

That includes Bee Network bus services and bus stops, as well as Bee Network interchanges and bus stations.

For non-Bee Network services you can continue to contact the relevant transport operator.

Find out more and report lost property.

We’re on all major social media. If you want to follow us, click on the links below.

If you search for the ‘Bee Network’ on social, just make sure it’s our transport related account, not one with a similar name.

• X: Follow @beenetwork
• X: @mcrmetrolink is no longer in use. For news and travel updates please follow @beenetwork
• Facebook: Follow beenetworkgm
• Instagram: Follow @beenetworkgm
• YouTube: Subscribe to beenetworkgm
• TikTok: Follow @beenetworkgm

If you already follow us on our former TfGM social media accounts, you don’t need to do anything.

Our six Customer Commitments have been developed with local people. We’re committed to delivering a Bee Network that is: 

• Safe: We will create a safe and secure network.
• Accessible: Everyone can use us.
• Affordable: We will keep the cost of travel as low as possible.
• Reliable: We will deliver a reliable network.
• Sustainable: We will take the lead in creating a greener, healthier Greater Manchester. 
• Accountable: We will use your feedback to shape the Bee Network.

You can read all about them and find out what to expect from the Bee Network here.

You’ll see our Customer Commitments displayed across the Bee Network. There’ll be a QR code linking to the new rate your journey survey. So you can quickly tell us how your journey was (by bus, tram, train, walking, cycling, or wheeling).

And, of course, you can still comment on your journey by phone or in writing too.

Be sure to let us know if we’re living up to our commitments and help us deliver a better Bee Network.

Feel something isn’t up to scratch on your journey? Or have ideas to make it even better? We want to hear from you.

You can rate your journey quickly and easily now (by bus, tram, train, walking, cycling or wheeling). This simple survey will help us see how we are doing and help shape future Bee Network improvements.

The survey is on our website, the Bee Network app and via QR codes across the transport network.

You can also get in touch with the Bee Network Customer Contact Centre to tell us what you think about transport in Greater Manchester by phone (0161 244 1000) or through our online form.

Outside of Bee Network bus service areas, you can also contact your bus operator directly. Find your bus operator.

When you’re travelling you can report incidents quickly and discreetly to a live GMP call handler, from your smartphone. Visit gmp.police.uk/livechat or call 101 – or 999 in an emergency. The 50 new electric buses all have a QR code linking to GMP LiveChat on the back of all seats.

We're here to help. Let us know about your journey, report lost property, ask us a question or just get in touch. We'd love to hear from you.

• Call us on 0161 244 1000 (Monday to Friday: 7am to 8pm / Weekends and Bank Holidays: 8am to 8pm)
• Fill out an online contact form if you have a question, feedback or something hasn’t gone right.
• Email: hello@beenetwork.com
• Write to us at: Transport for Greater Manchester, 2 Piccadilly Place, Manchester, M1 3BG

If you get in touch by phone, you can request LanguageLine Solutions. LanguageLine offer a telephone interpreting service for customers whose first language is not English.

You can visit our Help and Contact webpage for more.

We’ll keep a very close eye on Bee Network services to make sure they are running as they should.

We also want to know what your experience is. So we’ll keep track of all customer feedback to see how you feel about the Bee Network.

And the Bee Network Committee will get regular reports on how the network is doing (see Operations and Governance FAQs.

Mayor Andy Burnham and local councillors will represent you on the Committee, help shape the Bee Network, and give any improvements the go ahead.

We’ve set high standards for Bee Network bus drivers, customer service and vehicles and to make sure services run on time and are safe, accessible and reliable. Bee Network bus operators who fall short will face fines or could lose the contract.

All buses operating in Greater Manchester meet legal accessibility standards.

The 50 new zero-emission electric buses on Bee Network routes provide enhanced accessibility features. This includes two wheelchair spaces, audio visual announcements and a hearing induction loop.

Buses already running in Greater Manchester will be upgraded over the next two years. We want all Bee Network buses to be fully accessible, to make the Bee Network as accessible as possible to everyone as quickly as we can.

If you’d like to test your wheelchair, a trial can be arranged using a bus that is not in service.

This will allow you the space you need, without any time pressure. Anyone wishing to arrange a trial should contact the Bee Network Customer Contact Centre on 0161 244 1000 Monday to Friday: 7am to 8pm and weekends: 8am to 8pm or by emailing hello@beenetwork.com.

The Ring & Ride accessible minibus service is also available for wheelchair users.

The new Bee Network app is fully compliant with accessibility standards, and its development has been supported by a robust equality impact assessment in line with TfGM’s Public Sector Equalities Duty. The app complies with the Public Sector Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 AA. In some areas the design of the app meets the stricter AAA standard.

The app includes the following accessibility features:

• The information presented in the app is simple and icons are used to help explain things.
• The app will adjust to the assistive settings of the user’s device, supporting colour contrast and the size of text and buttons.
• Users can interact with the app using solely voice control features of iOS and Android.
• Screen reader accessibility is supported throughout the app using your device’s assistive technology.

During the development of the app, engagement sessions and user experience research was carried out with groups and individuals with different disabilities and accessibility requirements.

Valuable feedback gathered from these sessions will help us to continuously improve and develop the app, with new features and functionality added over time.

TfGM has collaborated with a range of groups and individuals, to listen to different lived experiences.

This feedback helped shape the printed and digital customer information, the new Bee Network app, the design of the new zero-emission buses, the Bee Network brand and the Greater Manchester Bus Strategy.

Groups involved in this activity include:

• TfGM Disability Design Reference Group
• Autism Consortium
• RNIB
• Dementia United
• Henshaws User Voice Group
• Manchester Deaf Centre
• Salford Deaf Community
• GM Disabled People’s Panel
• Guide Dogs
• GM Youth Combined Authority
• GM Youth Network
• GM Race Equality Panel
• GM Older People’s Network.

At TfGM we understand the importance of open and ongoing conversations with these groups of people, as delivery of the Bee Network is rolled out across Greater Manchester from September 2023 to January 2025.

Our aim is to work together to make the Bee Network as accessible as possible to everyone and as quickly as we can.

With 99 stops and a network of lines across Greater Manchester, our fully accessible Metrolink tram system is a key part of the Bee Network.

We’re not making major changes to tram services for now. We have brought back the MediaCityUK to Etihad Campus peak service following engineering works, as more people are using it. We’re also partially reinstating later trams on Friday and Saturday nights. Read more about it here.

Tram passengers will benefit from other Bee Network improvements like the new Bee Network app and website, and the new Bee AnyBus + Tram tickets.

The new Bee Network bus services will be planned to link up with Metrolink, local rail and the cycling and walking network to make it easier to get where you’re going.

We’ve closed the Metrolink app and the @MCRMetrolink account on X, but you can still get Metrolink updates on X by following @BeeNetwork.

And you can get all your Metrolink travel information and more at the Bee Network website, including:

• live tram stop departure times,travel alerts and updates
• ticket prices
• where to buy tickets
• the tram map
• tram schedules
• advice on the quietest time to travel

You can also download the new Bee Network app to get live tram departure times and buy tram tickets.

In future we will have journey planning and disruption information on the Bee Network app too, making it a one stop shop for all Metrolink information.

You can also get in touch with the Bee Network Customer Contact Centre or drop by an Information and Ticket Office at bus stations and interchanges if you want to talk to someone.

The new Bee AnyBus + Tram ticket range will make it easier and cheaper to travel on any bus and tram in Greater Manchester.

You can save up to 20% compared to paying separately for bus and tram journeys.

It’s priced according to the Metrolink zones you want to travel in:

• 1-day anytime
• 1-day off peak
• 7-day
• 28-day

Use our ticket finder to get the right ticket for you.

The get me there app has been replaced by the new Bee Network app, available for download now. You can use it to:

• Buy Metrolink tickets.
• Buy the new Bee AnyBus + Tram tickets.
• Get live departure times for local bus, tram and train stops and stations.
• See bus and tram stop locations on a map. 
• Rate your journey.

You can still buy a range of tickets and travelcards online and store them on a smartcard. A Bee Card account is perfect if you want to buy tickets in advance or on behalf of others.

If you had a get me there card in the past, log in with your usual account details.

Everything (including your existing card) works exactly the same.

You can now give feedback on any journey easily through the quick rate your journey survey on the Bee Network app and website.

This simple survey will help us see how we are doing and help shape future Metrolink and Bee Network improvements.

You’ll also be able to get in touch on our contact form, by email and phone (0161 244 1000: Monday to Friday: 7am to 8pm / Weekends and Bank Holidays: 8am to 8pm).

If you contact us by phone, you can request LanguageLine Solutions. LanguageLine offer a telephone interpreting service for people whose first language is not English.

There will be no changes to train services immediately.

Government has set out plans for city-regions like Greater Manchester to take more control over rail services in their areas, but this will take time to happen.

In 2025, we’ll be the first area outside London to trial contactless ‘touch-in/touch-out’ payment for some local train services in Greater Manchester.

Local rail services are expected to join the Bee Network by 2030.

In 2025, Greater Manchester will be the first area outside of London to trial contactless ‘touch-in/touch-out’ payment for some local train services.

If we get business case approval, the trial will take place on services between:

• Stalybridge and Victoria Station, Manchester
• Glossop and Piccadilly Station, Manchester

You’ll be able to touch in and out with a contactless payment card or device at the start and end of your journey.

We’ll automatically work out the best value fare for your journey, meaning you’ll never pay more than you need.

So you’ll be able to catch a train without buying a ticket in advance, make it a faster and easier way to travel.

We’ll tell you more about the 2025 contactless train travel trial nearer the time.

Government has set out plans for city-regions like Greater Manchester to take more control over rail services in their areas, but this will take time to happen.

In March 2023, Greater Manchester took a big step forward by signing a new Trailblazer Deeper Devolution Deal with the government. This sets out a roadmap to fully integrate local rail services into the Bee Network by 2030.

To help support this ambition, Greater Manchester has been working closely with the Great British Railways Transition Team. We’re developing a first-of-a-kind partnership between the rail industry and a devolved authority.

The Partnership will focus on delivering the Trailblazer Deal and integrating rail into the Bee Network by 2030. So far, this has included:

• The contactless touch-in/touch-out travel on local train services.
• A stations charter looking at land value and regeneration opportunities across central Manchester.
• Looking at wider opportunities for the integration of rail services, stations, co-branding and making fares simpler.

The Bee Network will include the UK's largest cycling and walking network.

• We’re connecting every area and community in Greater Manchester with 1,800 miles of safe routes and 2,400 new crossings.
• Hire bikes and e-bikes are available in areas of Manchester, Salford and Trafford.

You can visit the Bee Active website for more information, including:

• Journey planning.
• Bee Network routes and schemes near you, or coming soon.
• Free training courses.
• Getting a bike of your own, borrowing one, or hiring a bike.
• Walking in your area.
• Local Cycle and Stride groups.

Cycle hire bikes are affordable and easy to use. You can pay as you ride or buy cheaper minute bundles.

The scheme is powered by Beryl and the bikes are available to hire via this app.

See more information on how to hire the bikes, including a video and FAQs.

Commercial operators will run Bee Network services. But they will be under local control and answer to you, the passenger.

• Phase One Bus: Go North West and Diamond are now running the first Bee Network buses in Bolton and Wigan, and parts of Bury, Salford and Manchester.
• Phase Two Bus: Stagecoach, First and Diamond will run Bee Network bus services in Oldham, Rochdale, and parts of Bury, Salford and north Manchester from 24 March 2024.
• Phase Three Bus: Check back to see who will operate Bee Network buses in Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, and the remaining parts of Manchester and Salford.
• Metrolink trams: Keolis Amey Metrolink runs local tram services.
• Bike: The cycle hire scheme is powered by Beryl.
• Train: Local train services will join the Bee Network by 2030, so it’s too soon to say who will operate services.

Greater Manchester has a long history of campaigning for better bus services. Following direct pressure from Greater Manchester, the Bus Services Act 2017 was introduced.

This gave Mayors of city-regions the power to introduce a bus franchising scheme in their local areas.

In March 2021, Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham decided to introduce a franchised network as the best way to improve local bus services in Greater Manchester.

This followed a major assessment of the existing bus network – and a 20-week long public consultation showing a high level of public support for the proposals.

Find all the reports summarising and setting out the response to the consultation on the GMCA website.

Under franchising, local bus services within Greater Manchester will be provided under three categories:

• Large contracts – ten contracts, each five years long (with the option to extend for two more years).
• Small contracts – approximately 25 contracts, each three years long.
• School service contracts – each three years long.

Increased local decision-making power and accountability will be at the heart of Greater Manchester’s Bee Network.

The Greater Manchester Bee Network Committee will watch over and make decisions about the Bee Network.

The Committee is chaired by Mayor Andy Burnham and has one councillor from each of the 10 Greater Manchester local authorities. The Mayor has also chosen four more councillors to sit on the committee for political balance.

So your local authority councillors will be able to represent you – and have a say on services in your area.

The Bee Network Committee will look at quarterly bus performance data for the network. This will allow them to hold TfGM and operators to account for how well they are running the network. Looking at things like services turning up on time, safety and drivers and buses meeting high standards.

The Committee also monitors the rest of the transport and active travel network.

The Committee will be involved in regular Bee Network reviews, engagement and consultations.

Full details of meetings and reports are available, where you can also watch the Committee meetings live.

The Bee Network will transform the way we travel.

It’ll mean low fares, joined up services and cleaner transport. This means it will be much easier for many people to switch from the car to sustainable transport for some journeys.

By 2030 we aim to see a 30% increase in bus use, with 200 million Bee Network bus journeys a year. That’s potentially millions of car journeys off the road, reduced congestion and harmful emissions.

The 270 zero-emission buses on order for the Bee Network are battery-powered, so they produce no emissions.

50 of these buses will be on the network from 24 September. We’re expecting a further 50 to be delivered for the next phase of the Bee Network in March 2024, running in Oldham, Rochdale, and parts of Bury, Salford and north Manchester.

As the Bee Network is fully rolled out, and more zero-emission buses are introduced, people and communities will benefit from improved air quality with cleaner, greener buses running on more routes and roads across Greater Manchester. We have plans for a zero-emission bus fleet by 2032.

The Greater Manchester Bus Strategy includes many more measures to reduce congestion. These range from better management of road works, to traffic signal improvements.

As well as local control over buses, we’re delivering the largest cycling and walking network in the country, to encourage active travel for shorter journeys.

Sub Area Map

Decision Notice

S123I Notice
S123I Notice(.pdf)

Ward franchise maps

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