LABOUR wants the town hall to throw its weight behind making Greater Manchester's bus network more like London's.

Their proposal calls on the council to support regulating the region's buses and lobby mayor Andy Burnham to make it happen.

It notes that bus journeys have declined by 40 per cent in Greater Manchester since deregulation, while in London it has doubled.

Cllr Richard Silvester, Labour's spokesman for highways and transport, tabled the motion to be discussed by councillors.

He said: “I am a daily bus user myself and I see the problems of a de-regulated bus service. The changes brought in by the Thatcher Conservative government have been a disaster outside of London."

His Tory counterpart, Cllr Stuart Haslam, said he would support the proposal but has reservations.

The executive cabinet member for highways and transport described the current situation as "not satisfactory" and accused bus companies of "cherry picking" profitable routes.

He said: "My main aim for the bus network is for it to be safe, reliable, efficient and affordable, and any scheme of bus operation must be considered which will improve these objectives."

The Bradshaw councillor hailed new legislation which gives local authorities a "huge array" of new powers relating to buses.

He added: "With the increasing congestion on the roads, the need for a good bus network within an integrated transport system with good connections is a prerequisite of the regeneration of the local economy which is essential."

Labour leader Linda Thomas said that Greater Manchester needs a "completely integrated" transport system.

The motion states that without bus regulation, a simple, single, area-wide zonal ticket with an automatic cap on spend, like the Oyster card in London, is impossible.

She said: "Transport is key. As a town, with all the regeneration that’s put in place, we have been promoting Bolton as a place, as a destination. But it’s very hard to travel here from other parts of the conurbation."

Lib Dem leader Roger Hayes said: “We are great supporters of better public transport. I think we do not have tight enough controls of the public transport system and particularly public buses."