Yellow bus rebrand cost more than £500k

Painting a fleet of buses yellow as a part of public transport rebrand has cost local authorities in one county more than half a million pounds.

The vehicles were re-coloured for the launch of the Bee Network, an integrated transport plan launched last year by the Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham.

Under the plan, deregulated parts of the bus network have been brought back under local control.

A Freedom of Information (FOI) request has revealed the yellow rebrand of 93 buses cost about £558,000.

An estimated £6,000 to £7,000 has been spent per bus to cover materials and contractor fees, at Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) spokesman said.

The FOI by the Local Democracy Reporting Service showed the cost of advertising the Bee Network on one tram was in the region of £20,000.

Fran Wilkinson from TfGM said passenger feedback showed many found the "mass of bus operator logos and brands" across Greater Manchester "confusing and difficult to navigate".

The Bee Network branding was "simple and consistent", making it easier for customers to use the network, she added.

“Our forecasts also showed that branding buses would pay for itself in less than two years and since the introduction of Bee Network franchised buses last September, we have already seen an increase in bus patronage."

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