Andy Burnham's defining moment: Does bus franchising add up?

'Let's hope and pray that this works'

Good morning members, and welcome to an edition that returns to one of our favourite topics: the buses!

Those of you who subscribed in the early days might remember Joshi’s series of articles on Andy Burnham’s move to bring the bus network under “local control”, which — appropriately — has been a long and frustrating journey. Well, next Sunday, the mayor’s much-heralded “Bee Network” launches and a new system of London-style bus franchising begins.

It’s a massive moment for Greater Manchester and for Burnham personally, for whom this is something of a litmus test. Can a mayor — and a devolved administration — who are very good at messaging and public relations show that they are also good at running things? Burnham has made a big deal of the importance of improving public transport, which many people agree is key to spreading economic prosperity and job opportunities outside of the central urban core. But now it’s time for action.

In today’s story, our data and policy reporter Daniel …