Focus of work
Better Buses in Greater Manchester, set up and backed by We Own It, is a coalition of passengers, staff, environmental groups, older people and community groups, that campaigns for a better, publicly controlled bus network in Greater Manchester. They also support other campaigns across the country to fight strategically to win better buses.
Impact
Andy Burnham announced he was bringing buses into public control in early April 2021.
They pulled together a coalition of over 19 groups to fight for this and got over 11,555 petition signatures.
Their consistent media coverage changed the public conversation on buses.
- Buses go into public control in biggest transport shake-up in 30 years in Greater Manchester, ITV, 25 March 2021 https://www.itv.com/news/granada/2021-03-25/buses-go-into-public-control-in-biggest-transport-shake-up-in-30-years-in-greater-manchester
- Greater Manchester takes control of its buses in ‘game changing’ move towards re-regulation, Independent, 25 March 2021
Burnham brings GM bus network back under public control, The Meteor, 26 March 2021 https://themeteor.org/2021/03/26/burnham-brings-gm-bus-network-back-under-public-control/ - Andy Burnham is taking back the buses – and it could be transformative, Guardian, 27 March 2021
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/mar/27/andy-burnham-buses-privatisation-austerity-britain-manchester-mayor - Thatcher’s legacy put in reverse by new plans for buses. FT, 30 March 2021
https://www.ft.com/content/40be7f5c-5e60-4c3a-abaa-31825e7de5d9