Andy Burnham blasts bus companies for 'putting profits before what the public voted for' following landmark court win

Andy Burnham has hit out at the bus firms who fought a legal battle to try prevent Greater Manchester's buses being brought back under public control.

Speaking on his BBC Radio Manchester phone-in on Thursday, the Mayor said Stagecoach and Rotala were trying to 'protect their own profits'

He said: "Obviously we've been a bit delayed, frustrated, because there was a big mandate for this and two bus companies, basically just protecting their own profits in my view, delaying what the people here had voted for, what parliament had given us the power to do.

"They lost on all counts yesterday and it's a very big vindication of Transport for Greater Manchester and my team at the Combined Authority, particularly my legal team."

Read more: Mayor Andy Burnham hails bus ruling as 'green light' for North of England

The two firms brought a judicial review into Burnham's bid to move to a franchising system where operators have to bid to run services under public control, claiming it was 'irrational' and 'unlawful'. But on Wednesday at the Royal Courts of Justice, Mr Justice Julian Knowles ruled that the mayor's decision and the process followed were lawful.

Speaking on the phone-in Mr Burnham said the ruling was 'the right result for Greater Manchester'.

He added: "No longer will the bus companies say we'll decide what we charge, we'll decide where we go, we'll decide what buses are on the road. No more.

"We're going to do that from next year. We'll decide the fares, we'll decide where the buses go. We'll make sure hospitals are better served, we'll make sure no estates can just be cut off. As in London I think, in time, here, everyone will use the bus. It won't just be people who can't afford a car. In London, everyone uses the