Burnham and the Bee Network.

 

I am a regular user of buses, so I do have some idea about the standard of service that is being provided in Greater Manchester. 

Before the Bee Network was introduced in Greater Manchester, many buses didn't turn up and were unreliable. I have seen numerous instances of people sat in a cold bus shelters having been waiting for a bus for an hour. Many services were cut or stopped altogether. Bus deregulation did initially introduce a measure of competitiveness between bus companies, but it didn't last long. Stagecoach and First dominated bus transport in Greater Manchester. 

Things have improved since the Bee Network but many of these bus services that were cut or ended, have not been reinstated. Buses are still not that punctual and on Sundays, many bus services are operating on a one an hour basis, as they do on Bank Holidays. At Christmas you can't really get anywhere. 

With the Bee Network we are seeing more strikes. TfGM doesn't employ the drivers and there aren't that many bus operators, so this has given the trade unions more clout. If there is a strike it can be difficult in some areas to find an alternative bus service that isn't on strike and is operating. 

Many of the bus drivers don't know the area and some get lost. I once got a 330 bus that runs from Stockport to Ashton and the driver didn't know where the bus station was and we finished up at the top of Mossley Road. I had to give the bus driver directions to the bus station.

There have been a number of instances where bus drivers in Greater Manchester have tried to drive a 14'6" high bus under an 11'6" bridge. On one occasion the upstairs passengers on a bus were nearly decapitated. Some passengers were slung into the road.