Bee Network apologises after three buses in a row cancelled on morning of GCSE English Literature exam
A transport boss in Greater Manchester has apologised after three consecutive early morning Bee Network services on a key Tameside bus route were cancelled as children were traveling into school for a GCSE exam.
The 347 ferries passengers between Ashton-under-Lyne and Haughton Green - but on Tuesday morning passengers, among them pupils heading to schools for an English Literature GCSE, arrived at bus stops in Ashton to find out that three consecutive services, all due to depart before 8am, had been cancelled at late notice.
The service is supposed to operate every 12 minutes but regular users report that buses are frequently cancelled at the last minute, so-called 'ghost buses'.
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Among those regular users is former industrial chemist Jackie Birch, 60, a teaching assistant at Thomas More secondary school in Denton. She said she managed to get a service before the three cancelled buses, but others weren't so lucky.
She told the Manchester Evening News: "It's a problem and it's getting worse. It's not acceptable. There are people trying to get to work and children trying to to get into school for lessons and exams. There are at least four secondary schools and lots of primary schools.
"They can't keep doing this because there will be a point when somebody misses their exam. Since it got changed to Bee Network, it's definitely got worse. It's gone down the pan. They haven't got enough drivers. They keep telling us how wonderful the Bee Network is but you can ask anybody who uses it. They all slag it off.
"It's getting worse and worse. You can ask anybody's who gets on. It's a standing joke!"
All buses outside London were deregulated in 1986, and they only returned to public control after Greater Manchester struck a deal with the government to allow the mayor to re-franchise them decades later. In 2021, Mayor Andy Burnham announced he would kick-start a process to take on vehicles and depots, then establish a franchising system so private operators run routes on behalf of Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM).
The distinctive yellow Bee Network buses were introduced in phases, with Wigan, Bolton, and Salford the first in September 2023. By March 2024, Rochdale, Oldham, north Manchester, and Bury joined, and the remaining areas followed on January 5 this year.
But there have been problems with so-called 'ghost buses' simply not turning up as scheduled. However TfGM data suggests Bee Network buses are more frequently on-time than privately-run services, more people are catching them, and passenger satisfaction has also improved.
Jackie sent emails to Mr Burnham and local MPs, including Ashton-under-Lyne MP and deputy prime minister Angela Rayner to alert them that the cancellations risked children arriving late for a GCSE English Literature exam. With a nod to a famous soliloquy by Shakespeare's tragic hero Hamlet, she wrote: "To BEE or not to BEE, that is the question - well the answer is simple - Not to BEE!"
Following the cancellation of three consecutive buses on the 347 service, TfGM issued an apology.
Chief Network Officer Danny Vaughan said: "We are very sorry for the issues with the 347 bus service (on Tuesday) morning and understand the concerns raised. While the service was impacted by several factors, including driver availability and traffic congestion, three consecutive services should not have been cancelled.
"We know how important it is for children to get to school on time, especially those sitting exams. We take this very seriously and are working with the operator, Metroline, to address issues affecting reliability and punctuality.
"We have been reassured that changes due to start next week should resolve this - and in the meantime have reiterated the importance of prioritising routes that serve schools.'
The Manchester Evening News has approached Metroline bus company for comment.
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