LIVE: Historic day for bus travel in Greater Manchester as 'game changing' Bee Network goes live - latest updates

A new bus regime which will revolutionise the way we travel has gone live in Greater Manchester.

All buses in the city-region will be brought under public control by 2025 as part of the Bee Network, but the first franchised buses here since 1986 rolled out across Wigan and Bolton, and some parts of Salford and Bury from today.

Their introduction marks the first time in almost 40 years that buses outside of London are under the control of local leaders.

Franchising - or re-regulation - will allow them to set fares, pick routes and control timetables, rather than a private operator, and the public will have the power to pass comment and rate journeys, affecting their contracts financially.

The distinctive yellow buses have been spotted on the city-region's roads over recent months as operators start to change the look of their existing fleet.

Bus franchising symbolises the real start of the Bee Network, Greater Manchester plan for a London-style integrated bus, tram and train network, also connected to cycling and walking routes.

A total of 175 services are due to go live.

They include a fleet of 50 new zero-emissions buses.

A second stage is due to go live in March next year, covering Oldham, Rochdale and parts of Bury, Salford and north Manchester, with a third and final stage pencilled in for January 2025, when franchised buses will serve Stockport, Tameside, Trafford and the remaining areas of Manchester and Salford.

The Manchester Evening News will be out and about speaking to passengers during this new dawn for travel across the region.

Follow updates in our LIVE blog below:

Top deck, front seat obviouslyyyy. Here’s me on the 512 heading through a stalwart of my patch - the Royal Bolton Hospital ⁦@boltonnhsft⁩ -