Bee Network buses below target – but better than before

In May, The Bolton News analysed data for tranche 1 of Bee Network services which showed a daily average punctuality of 74.6 per cent – with the system only hitting its punctuality target on 32 of 105 days.

The Bee Network aims for 80 per cent of buses to arrive between one minute early and five minutes’ late to be considered "on time".

Now, fresh analysis of all Bee Network services – including those in Bury, Rochdale, and Oldham – has shown that the buses are still not hitting their targets, though things are much improved from before the network began.

Between May 5 and September 7, the Bee Network hit its target of 80 per cent punctuality on 51 out of 126 days – meaning the target was missed on 75 days.

People can be left waiting at bus stops - with the 80 per cent punctuality target missed on 75 out of 126 days (Image: Jack Fifield, Newsquest)

However, looking at data from before the Bee Network was put in place, this is a massive increase – with buses reaching 80 per cent punctuality on no days at all in the 126 same consecutive days last year.

The same goes for non-Bee Network bus services in the parts of Greater Manchester yet to join the network this year, with the target not reached on any days between May 5 and September 7.

The data also appears to show a clear "school holiday" effect – average daily punctuality of Bee Network services during the May half term and the summer holidays reached 82 per cent – compared to just 77 per cent on non-school holiday days.

Overall, average daily punctuality for the entire period was 79 per cent.

Transport for Greater Manchester also pointed out that many days where the target was reached were close to the target – with the network above 75 per cent punctuality on 108 of 126 days.

The worst day for the network was Thursday, May 9, where just 69 per cent of buses were on time. Conversely, the best day was Sunday, August 25, with an average daily punctuality of 89.6 per cent.

Across the entire time period, the target was reached on 13 out of 18 Mondays and 12 out of 18 Saturdays, compared to just two out of 18 Fridays and three out of 18 Sundays.

Transport for Greater Manchester said it would continue to make changes to try to improve punctuality, with further changes set to come in to the network’s "Tranche 2", in Rochdale, Bury, and Oldham, in October, January, and March.

Additionally, other schemes such as "red routes" – which ban stopping at any time – are also being considered by the transport agency, as well as improved routes for active travel.

Transport for Greater Manchester’s director of bus, Stephen Rhodes, said: “We are undertaking the biggest reform to buses in nearly 40 years, and since launch Bee Network buses are proving consistently more reliable than before franchising or compared with non-franchised services and record numbers of people using them.

“Our latest figures, released every week, show services in Bolton, Wigan and parts of Salford and Bury are well above punctuality targets and we are working hard to deliver the kind of improvements we have seen here in other parts of the Bee Network and ensure services are at the level customers expect.”