🚌 Andy B's big bus gamble

On the podcast this week we're getting under the bonnet of an historic moment for public transport in Greater Manchester - which could have a massive impact on mayor Andy Burnham and the wider North. The launch of the Bee Network this Sunday will see buses in Greater Manchester come under public control for the first time since the 1980s. It's a move many hope will reverse years of decline for local services (though not everyone thinks it a good idea). But how will the new system work, what difference will passengers notice and why could it be a game-changing moment for areas like West Yorkshire and Merseyside too?  Rob Parsons talks to Joseph Timan, Local Democracy Reporter for Greater Manchester, about how we got to this point and the politics behind bus franchising.  *** The Northern Agenda is a Laudable production for Reach. It is presented by Rob Parsons, and produced by Daniel J. McLaughlin. You can subscribe to the daily Northern Agenda newsletter here: http://www.thenorthernagenda.co.uk/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices