Andy Burnham makes £1bn transport bid for Manchester

Andy Burnham wants fares to be capped as part of the levelling up strategy

The mayor of Greater Manchester has asked for £1bn of government funding for a London-style transport service.

Andy Burnham launched the bid after the government invited submissions in its "levelling up" strategy to reduce regional disparity.

The Labour mayor said central funding would mean lower fares and more frequent services.

The government said it welcomed the "ambitious" bid for a share of the available £4.2bn in funding.

Before the pandemic, there were about 44m tram journeys annually in the region

Speaking ahead of the Conservative Party conference, which starts in Manchester on Sunday, he said: "Currently public transport is way too expensive - it's much more expensive than London."

London's fares start from £1.55 for unlimited journeys within an hour, while the price of a 30-minute bus journey in Greater Manchester can vary between £2 and £5.

Mr Burnham said: "The question I keep asking the government is why is it more to travel in some of the poorest parts of the country than in places where there are already more jobs and opportunities?"

He added that London-level fares would "create a much stronger Greater Manchester economy".

Workers prepare for the Conservative conference at Manchester Central

The mayor said plans for a London-style integrated transport system by 2024 will happen even if the bid is unsuccessful but the service "could be so much better" with government support.

He said the region was "offering to deliver levelling up for the government" and it was "not helpful" to repeat last autumn's public row with the government over regional support.

Martyn Cox, the Conservative leader of Bolton Council, said: "Everybody recognises that our public transport system is not where we want it to be and I think the vision set out by Andy is certainly supported by Conservatives in Greater Manchester."

Former Olympic champion Chris Boardman, who is the region's cycling and walking commissioner, said he was "looking forward" to discussions at the Conservative conference, which runs until Wednesday.

A spokesman from the Department for Transport said: "Levelling up is about spreading opportunity, boosting living standards and improving public services, and we are committed to building on the more than £29 billion we have invested in transport across the north since 2010."

Greater Manchester is one of eight city regions eligible to bid for a share in the £4.2bn of transport funding, he said, and the government will respond in due course.

In March, Mr Burnham announced that the region's bus network would be brought back under public control after deregulated privatisation occurred in 1986.

When the rollout starts in 2023, the region will become the first area outside the capital to have a regulated bus system.

The area's authorities also hope government funding will help the region to be carbon neutral by 2038.

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