Spending hundreds of thousands on a re-branding of the bus network in Greater Manchester has been slammed as a ‘self-indulgent vanity project by the mayor.’
A Freedom of Information, FOI, request by the BBC has revealed that the yellow rebrand of 93 buses across the region has cost around £558,000.
The vehicles were re-coloured for the launch of the Bee Network, an integrated transport plan set up last year by Andy Burnham, the Labour mayor for Greater Manchester. Under the plan, deregulated pasts of the bus network have been brought back under local control.
Commenting on the findings, Oliver Carroll, the Conservative parliamentary candidate for Altrincham and Sale West said: “This is yet another outrageously self-indulgent vanity project from our self-indulgent mayor. Our roads are disintegrating and are plagued by potholes, but the Labour Party prioritise spending our money on “branding”, over having roads that actually work. It is a disgrace.”
The FOI request found that an estimated £6,00 to £7,000 was spent per bus to cover materials and contractor fees, a Transport for Greater Manchester spokesman said. Advertising the Bee Network on one tram was also in the region of £20,000.