Andy burnham issues statement on future of bee network £2 bus fare cap

THE MAYOR SAID INVESTMENT ANNOUNCED THIS WEEK WOULD ENSURE AND 'EXPANDED BUT STILL LOW FARE SYSTEM' 16:53, 05 Jun 2025 Greater Manchester’s mayor has said the £2 fare cap on the

region’s buses will stay as part of his vision for an ‘affordable low fare’ network. Yesterday, plans for new tram stops, 1,000 more electric buses, tram-trains, new interchanges and a cash

commitment to a long-awaited Metrolink extension to Stockport were announced for the region by the Government. The bumper transport deal is worth £2.5bn over the next seven years. Andy

Burnham was challenged yesterday as to whether the expansion would lead to higher fares. Speaking on BBC Radio Manchester’s ‘In The Hotseat’ phone-in, he told listeners: “I really hope not,

the whole point of the Bee Network is taking public control of the system to build a system that works for the public. “That means affordable low fares. Article continues below “I want to

keep the £2 capped fare for as long as we possibly can. “The more people use the Bee Network the more I can keep that fare in place. “The money now comes back to us. “In the old de-regulated

system if loads of people used the buses the private operators just got bigger profits. “Now if the buses are used more that upside comes back to us to keep the fares low.” Late last year,

the bus fare cap for areas outside Greater Manchester and London was raised to a maximum of £3 per journey. Mr Burnham was challenged on whether the network would continue to be subsidised

by taxpayers. He said: “Every single public transport system everywhere in the world has a degree of subsidy. “London has had a major subsidy for decades and we’ve had scraps. “We’re trying

our best to make it add up as a low fare system and we will be able to make it add up. “But I don’t want to start shrinking it. “I want to expand the system and get more people using it and

then that keeps the fares low. “That’s the model I’m trying to build.” Speaking about yesterday’s transport infrastructure announcement, Mr Burnham, said: “The Bee Network has done well.

“The investment allows it to become everything I’ve wanted it to be, all electric, expanded and still a low fare system, fully integrated. “Greater Manchester is going to be light years

ahead of everyone in terms of the quality of our public transport. “That means our economy will keep building on the back of it. Article continues below “We’re set up for another decade of

growth.”