Greater Manchester is going to become the first area outside London to bring its buses back under public control. It marks a historic moment for public transport in the region.
Andy Burnham's plans to reform buses could have been brought to a holt by Stagecoach and Rotala - who lodged a judicial review to try and block the move to a franchising system. But a judge dismissed the claims made by the bus operators and said that the decision to approve the scheme 'was lawful'.
The Manchester Evening News spoke to people as they stepped on and off buses to get their reaction to the news - and whether they're excited to see a London-style public transport system put into place.
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Claudia, who the M.E.N. met at Shudehill Interchange, used to live in London before moving to Manchester - so she's the perfect person to ask.
"I think it would be really positive to see. I lived in London for a few years and the transport system worked really well.
"Moving here was a bit of a shock, having to work out five different bus companies, having to get two tickets from two different companies. It's a bit chaotic," she said.
There are currently more than 830 services, run by 30 different operators, with 150 different ticket types, across buses, trams and trains in Greater Manchester. The new integrated system will bring an end to this set-up - which has been branded as 'fragmented and incoherent' by leaders.
Dawn Morris said that the new system 'sounds like a much better idea'. She said that travelling would be easier if everything was put on one timetable - and that having one operator would make it easier to report any issues.
She said it can be like 'two different worlds' when you're getting a bus from one side of Manchester compared to another - when the companies are completely different. She hopes that a new system will see all the buses to be of the same standard.
"Some of them are rank, they're horrible. Some are really old and some are brand new with USB charging points. Some buses you can use card on but some of them only take cash. It would be better if they're all working to the same set of rules," she said.
However, not everyone who the M.E.N spoke to was happy about the news of buses going back into public control. Howard, who described himself as 'an old cynic', said he's 'dreading' the new system coming into place.
He used to work in London and said that it was a 'f***ing nightmare' and 'chaotic'. He also fears that not enough focus will be put on public transport in North Manchester.
By 2025, all buses are set to have been franchised, and rail services will then be integrated to ‘complete the network vision by the end of the decade’. "I will probably be gone by then, please," Howard said.
One man, who was waiting to get a bus to Salford from Victoria Railway Station, said that he thought the buses in Greater Manchester were 'pretty good'. "Some years ago all of the services were under public ownership, and then there was a big fight to get them under private ownership, now we're fighting for it to go back the other way," he said.
But many of the bus users the M.E.N. spoke to were not happy with the quality of the service. "They're rubbish, absolute rubbish," Jackie and Geoffrey Poole both said.
"We don't pay fairs, but we'd like to see the buses run by the same company," Geoffrey said. The couple said that sometimes buses just 'don't turn up' and that some services 'you really can't rely on'.
Ilona Dlugosz, who was waiting for a bus outside Victoria station, said that an integrated system would benefit those coming to Manchester for the first time.
"I think it's a great idea because it would make it easier and people wouldn't get confused, especially for newcomers," she said. Ilona said that she's figured out the buses in Manchester but that it's 'difficult' for people who have just come to the city.
Alicia Darling, a student, says she's 'glad' the changes are happening and hopes fares will become cheaper as she's going to be moving to Rochdale soon.
She said that 'all the buses are different' getting there and that it's 'really annoying' that they can charge different amounts for tickets - and that sometimes she needs multiple.
Jamie Cassidy thinks the buses are a nightmare, and would love to see them brought back under public control. "It's an absolute shambles," he said. "I have to leave so much earlier than I need to be somewhere because the buses just don't run regularly enough.
"Today I had to get a bus two hours before I needed to be in town even though it's only a 30 minute trip because the next one didn't arrive until after my appointment. It's just ridiculous, but what can you do? I'd love to see proper routes that work for people."
But Tracey Stickney doesn't ever have any trouble getting into Middleton, using the number 18 bus between Langley and Manchester.
She said: "They're quite regular here, they seem alright. I don't really have a need to use other buses or public transport, sometimes I use the tram when I go and see my daughter, but I have a bus pass anyway so needing separate tickets doesn't bother me."
Jane Widdup, who also uses the number 18, finds them to be quite unreliable at times, but knows waiting for the next bus is the only option she has. She said: "Sometimes you just have to wait, and then two or three turn up at once but you have to wait because taxis are too dear now.
"The bus fares have gone up too, and there's often not a sign telling you they've gone up until you get on and get asked for more money. Sometimes you can get on and be told the bus isn't going the way you need to go, they don't know what they're doing, they don't get told themselves."
Kristine Piper heard about the news and hopes the new system will make buses 'a bit more reliable and a bit cleaner'. She said that 'Stagecoach seems to be cheaper and more frequent' - but she wants that to be the case across the board.
"We need routes that go right across the city and an Oyster card, having something like that here," Kristine said.
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