Transport Secretary wants Bee Network rolled out across country

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 government will fund Greater Manchester’s upcoming transport projects, the minister said: “We are not making funding announcements today (Thursday) and there will be a process of the spending review and a budget announcement in the autumn.

"But we have committed to improving northern rail connectivity, clearly that is a priority of this government.

“As a Sheffield MP I know how bad northern connectivity is and it will get the best bang for our buck. The northern economy is held back by the productivity challenge and in terms of economic growth because we don’t have the transport infrastructure we deserve. 

“We want to stop making promises to the north that are not fulfilled. The previous government made promises time and time again and kept chopping and changing – and it ended up costing the taxpayer a fortune.

“Manchester is the same size as Rome but is about 55 per cent less productive because they don’t have the same transport infrastructure as Rome to allow people to get to work.

"We are held back by transport infrastructure so that is absolutely key to addressing regional inequality.”

Oldham bus depot (Picture: LDRS)

Rome was famously not built in a day, and neither will the multi-billion-pound "transport revolution" plans announced by Andy Burnham on Wednesday, which included a major Bee Network expansion and a future underground network by 2050.

The ambition set out on July 10 also included bringing eight existing railway lines in the region under local control by 2028; expand the Metrolink; and create a London-style transport system with fully contactless tap in and tap out payments.

All this costs money, billions in fact, and Ms Haigh will be working with an annual budget of around £28bn she admitted – and it can’t all be spent in Manchester.

She repeated her pre-election promise that "northern transport is Labour’s top priority" – but gave no strong commitments to when and if the cash will be coming. 

Oldham bus depot (Picture: LDRS)

Mr Burnham said he’s been filled with hope for the future following initial chats with Ms Haigh and the support she’s given so soon in her tenure.

He said: “It sends a brilliant signal that she’s here on week one in Greater Manchester to support the Bee Network because there is further to go with the Bee Network.

"We’re going to need her help to make it everything we want it to be.

“This is a positive sign for devolution. In many ways, collaborating with other metro-mayors, that is how we’ll get growth going quicker. 

“It’s only been a week, but I’ve already had a quick word with Louise about some of the issues we face in terms of funding, particularly Golborne Station which could be a decision made more quickly. Hopefully I’ll be able to secure that after today.

“There is a lot of money in the system already so it’s not all about us constantly lobbying for more, we have a budget we’re working through and we’re in really good shape.

“Soon we’ll be knocking on the door and saying we need the next phase of our capital programme to be able to build the Metrolink to Stockport and take it north to Middleton and Heywood. There is excitement around this.

“There is no growth without transport and it’ll hit a brick wall without it.”

The idea that growth can’t happen without having key transport links was a key message delivered by the Labour minister and mayor.

It was made clear that bringing bus networks back under local authority control is central to the government’s ambition to develop a long-term, national strategy for transport.

They hope this can ensure infrastructure can be delivered efficiently and on time while allowing local people to take back control of their buses, trams and trains. 

The transport secretary pledged to create and save vital bus routes up and down the country, calling time on "the failed system of deregulation".

She added that plans will also bring an end to the "postcode lottery of bus services" by providing safeguards over local networks across the country.