Bus stand at Stockport interchange station

Bus reform decisions and notices


Greater Manchester Franchising Scheme for Buses 2021

Notice of Agreement on Principally Connected Criteria

Published February 2022

In accordance with Regulation 3 of The Franchising Schemes and Enhanced Partnership Schemes (Application of TUPE) (England) Regulations 2017 (the Regulations) TfGM on behalf of GMCA, undertook consultation with operators of affected local services and  appropriate representatives of employees employed on those affected local services. The purpose of the consultation was to seek  agreement on the criteria to be used to determine whether a person’s employment is “principally connected” with the provision of affected local services.

Pursuant to section 3(4) of the Regulations, once there is agreement between the parties, the authority which has made the scheme must notify the parties and publish the details of the agreement.

The consultation ended on 10th February 2022 and the following agreement was reached:

Principally Connected Criteria

“A person’s employment is treated as being principally connected with the provision of affected local services if that person spends, on average, at least half (or 50%) of their working time (i) assigned to the provision of the affected services or (ii) assigned to activities connected wholly  or mainly to the provision of those affected services."

Notice of Agreement on Principally Connected Criteria (PDF, 1.7mb)

Bus reform decision March 2021

Bus franchising scheme and notice - 30 March 2021

Bus Reform – Publication of GMCA Response to the Consultation, Transitional Notice and Franchising Scheme

Outcome of Tranche 1 and Tranche 2 Allocation Arrangements Consultations.

Regulation 7 of the Franchising Schemes and Enhanced Partnership Schemes (Application of TUPE) (England) Regulations 2017 (the Regulations) requires the franchising authority to consult relevant operators and appropriate representatives of relevant employees about the proposed allocation arrangements – i.e. the plan which sets out which employees should transfer to which local service contract.

The allocation arrangements consultation process must: -

  1. identify organised groupings of relevant employees, or classes of relevant employees within such organised groupings.
  2. identify for each organised grouping of relevant employees or, as the case may be, class of relevant employees within such organised groupings, the local service contract or the awarded contract to which each organised grouping or class of relevant employees is to be assigned.

All Tranche 1 and Tranche 2 operators and their employee representatives were invited to engage in the Tranche 1 and Tranche 2Allocation Arrangements Consultation. In the attachments below you will see the outcome of this consultation for Tranche 1 and Tranche 2.

Outcome of Tranche 1 and Tranche 2 Allocation Arrangements Consultations (PDF, 223KB)