Andy Burnham has announced that the residents of Greater Manchester have voted overwhelmingly in support of Greater Manchester's proposed bus franchising scheme.

This is following a consultation of 8,561 people on how buses are run in Greater Manchester, with over 83 per cent of respondents voting in favour of a franchising scheme.

The public consultation took place across the region from October 2019 to January 2020.

The most common reasons for support included that it would be an improvement on the current system of deregulated buses and that it would provide better value for money.

Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said: "I’ve always said that Greater Manchester’s bus market needs to change and it’s even more important now as we move into recovery from the coronavirus.

"Many have told us about their frustration at a fractured system of different operators, different tickets, different prices and disjointed timetables. They understand how a more integrated system is beneficial not only to them but for the region as a whole.

"They want to see a more integrated and coordinated public transport system that delivers better value for money. While we now need to consider the impact of the health pandemic on our services, this consultation process has made clear what it is people want to see."

The organisations that supported the scheme included all local authorities, including Bolton, in Greater Manchester but was opposed by Stagecoach, Arriva UK Bus, Go North West and OneBus, which all operate around Bolton.