Yes, Burnham’s Bee Network has transformed central Manchester. But that’s not the whole picture

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham created the Bee Network, an integrated public transport system joining buses, trams, rail, cycling and walking under one brand with coordinated fares. The policy reversed Thatcher-era deregulation, bringing buses back under local control. The Conversation highlights that in the city centre, fares are free; elsewhere, they're capped at two pounds—below the England-wide three-pound cap—with hopper ticketing allowing free transfers. The region is targeting a thirty percent increase in bus use by twenty-thirty, equivalent to nearly fifty million additional journeys each year. But success largely ends at the city limits. Outside central Manchester, service becomes patchier, and in deprived boroughs like Oldham, Rochdale and Wigan, limited transport continues making it harder for low-income communities to reach jobs, education and healthcare. It remains unclear whether the Bee Network can extend the same standards to truly solve transport exclusion across the region.

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