The latest round of Bee Network contracts has been awarded for school services in Wigan, Bolton and parts of Salford and Bury.
The areas will be the first to have locally controlled bus services for almost 40 years when franchising starts from September.
Stagecoach has been awarded 17 contracts and Vision six, covering a total of 31 schools, with services beginning at the start of the new school year.
There will be no changes to the schools served or the numbers of buses used under the new contracts. As with other Bee Network services, ensuring a reliable service is a key part of these contracts, and operators will be subject to financial penalties for poor performance.
Anne Marie Purcell, TfGM’s Bus Franchising Director, said: “We’re pleased to have once again received such high-levels of interest from operators to run the first school services.
“We have made performance and reliability a key part of these contracts to ensure a positive experience for all those young people who will be relying on them to get to and from school.
“We look forward to working with Stagecoach and Vision over the coming months as we gear-up for the first Bee Network school bus services starting in September.”
