Bus services across Greater Manchester have recorded the biggest improvement in passenger satisfaction anywhere in England, according to the latest survey from Transport Focus.

Overall satisfaction in the region has risen by seven percentage points, climbing from 79 per cent to 86 per cent—now placing Greater Manchester above the national average.

Nationally, the picture is more mixed. Following a sharp increase in satisfaction during 2024, driven largely by the £2 single fare cap, ratings for value for money have fallen back to pre-2023 levels. Among fare-paying passengers, satisfaction has dropped by ten percentage points to 63 per cent.

However, Greater Manchester has gone against the trend. The region is the only area in England to report an increase in value for money satisfaction, rising by six percentage points to 79 per cent of passengers.

Fran Wilkinson, Customer and Growth Director at Transport for Greater Manchester, said the results reflect the positive impact of the Bee Network.

“These results show the Bee Network is making a real difference to passengers. We’ve worked hard to keep the cost of travel down, capping fares and making multi-modal travel by bus and tram cheaper and more convenient and it’s great that passengers are already feeling the benefit of this.

“This report, which shows a significant improvement in passenger satisfaction, explains why more and more people are using public transport in Greater Manchester. Bringing buses under public control has allowed us to freeze fares at £2 for another year, make improvements to services, introduce new routes and increase reliability.

“It’s also meant that we were recently able to lift the 9.30am rule on concessionary passes, giving older and disabled people free round-the-clock travel every day. We are now looking at providing free travel for some children in temporary accommodation too.”