When Bolton became one of the first towns in Greater Manchester to bring its buses back under local control in 2023, it made history.
Now, that pivotal moment is being told in a new exhibition at the Greater Manchester Museum of Transport.
The Bee Network was born with Bolton's buses coming back under public control in September 2023, making Greater Manchester the first place in the country to move away from a deregulated system since the 1980s.
Despite only existing for a few years, the Bee Network is now known across Greater Manchester and beyond, serving hundreds of thousands of passengers every day.
The new exhibition at the museum tells the story of the Bee Network from its inception to the present day – how it was built, how it has been rolled out across Greater Manchester and what changes have been introduced since then, including the Bee Network app, the Tap and Go system, and Starling Bank Bikes.
The display also includes Bee Network bucket hats, which were featured by British Vogue, an electronic ticket machine and a cardboard bus.
Vernon Everitt, Transport Commissioner for Greater Manchester, said: "We are working hard to continuously improve the transport network for the people, businesses and communities of Greater Manchester.
"The Bee Network brand is becoming instantly recognisable, with our yellow buses, trams and rental bikes serving millions of passengers every year.
"This exhibition celebrates the success of the Bee Network so far, chronicling the journey we’ve taken to create a joined-up public transport system – and some of the fun we’ve had along the way.
"We’re hugely grateful to the museum for hosting it and hope that people will visit in ever increasing numbers to see the full range of brilliant exhibits."
Dennis Talbot, chairman of the Greater Manchester Transport Society, said: "Greater Manchester was the cradle of buses – the country’s first bus service started right here, in 1824.
"So it’s fitting that as history continues, we’re able to bring the story right up to date with recent developments, including the introduction of the Bee Network.
"We’re so pleased to be marking the latest chapter in the history of public transport in Greater Manchester and we hope that the new exhibition brings in more visitors to see the historic vehicles and other exhibits we have on display."
The museum is owned by Transport for Greater Manchester but operated by the Greater Manchester Transport Society, an award-winning charity.
The two work in partnership to open the doors of the museum to over 20,000 visitors a year.
Since opening at an old bus garage in Cheetham in 1979, the Museum of Transport has collected over 80 buses dating from the 1880s to 2010, as well as a collection of objects from ticket machines to timetables, and bus stops to photographs.
The museum also organises a series of events each year, including a celebration of 125 years of the Queens Road bus garage next door, which took place over the weekend.
This included the first big bus garage open day in Greater Manchester for thirty years on Saturday, 6 June, with visitors given a rare opportunity to see an operational bus depot.
Earlier this year, the museum was awarded a grant of £244,000 to repair and upgrade the Grade II listed building on Boyle Street through Arts Council England’s MEND (Museum Estates & Development) Fund, with work to repair the roof due to start soon.
The museum will be holding more special events throughout this summer and throughout the year, including heritage bus rides, open days, and other themed events and exhibitions.
The museum opens to the public on Wednesdays, weekends, and bank holidays from 10am to 4.30pm.
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