Night services will be piloted on the Bee Network in Manchester later this year as the countdown continues to phase two of bus franchising in the city on 24 March.
Buses will run throughout the night every day of the week on a phase-one route which is set to include both the V1 and 36 services.
The V1 operates between Leigh in the west of the network and Manchester Royal Infirmary in the centre, passing through Tyldesley, Mosley Common, Swinton Park, Pendleton and Salford.
The 36 goes between Bolton in the north east and Piccadilly Gardens in the centre, also covering Swinton Park, Pendleton and Salford.
Daytime fares of £2 for a single journey would apply and Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) says the night services “could run hourly” all night.
Twelve night services in Manchester are currently operated in Manchester by Stagecoach and Burnley Bus Company, although buses running throughout the night are more limited.
The bus network in Oldham, Rochdale and parts of Bury, Salford and north Manchester will fall under public control from next month. The follows the launch of bus franchising in Wigan, Bolton and parts of Bury and Salford on 24 September 2023.
It will mean that 324 bus routes – around half of the network – will be managed by TfGM. The remainder of the network will be franchised by 5 January 2025.
TfGM also announced that a further 30 new TravelSafe Support and Enforcement Officers will be introduced across the network, adding to the 30 already employed to boost passenger safety.
A new journey planner and bus tracker will also be launched next month.
Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, says: “People will see some immediate improvements including more frequent buses, later and earlier services and better connections to trams and trains on some key routes. We will also be reversing some of the service reductions implemented before we took control of the system.”
Regarding the night services, he adds: “The details are currently being developed and are subject to further engagement but it will provide us with a blueprint as to what can be achieved as a part of the Bee Network in support of people in Greater Manchester.
“But we’re taking on a network which hasn’t been working for customers at times, and making the changes we need to get performance to where it needs to be won’t happen overnight. We now have control over services and the ability to make changes – that’s a big difference, and customers can help too by giving us feedback so we can continue working to improve the system.”
