TfGM selects adaptive traffic management system to support Bee Network expansion

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has selected Yunex Traffic’s Yutraffic FUSION adaptive traffic management system as part of efforts to improve traffic flow and support more sustainable transport across the region.

image: Yunex Traffic

The technology will be deployed across Greater Manchester to help manage traffic conditions in real time and support the operation of the Bee Network, the region’s integrated public transport and active travel system. TfGM said the move aligns with its long-term target that by 2040, half of all journeys in Greater Manchester will be made by public transport or active travel, with no net growth in car traffic.

Developed by Yunex Traffic in partnership with Transport for London, Yutraffic FUSION uses adaptive and predictive traffic control to monitor and respond to changing road conditions. The system is designed to balance the needs of multiple road users, including buses, cyclists, pedestrians, freight vehicles, emergency services and private motorists.

TfGM said the system would strengthen its existing Urban Traffic Management and Control infrastructure and help improve the reliability of bus services by enabling greater priority for public transport and active travel modes. The authority also said the platform’s data and analytics capabilities would support ongoing adjustments to traffic management and network planning.

The introduction of the technology comes as Greater Manchester continues expanding the Bee Network following the phased introduction of bus franchising. TfGM says the network has recorded around 300 million bus journeys since its launch in 2023, with punctuality levels regularly exceeding 80%, compared with approximately 66% before franchising was introduced.

According to TfGM, congestion currently costs the Greater Manchester economy an estimated £1.3bn annually, with authorities increasingly using digital traffic management systems to improve network efficiency and reduce delays.

Yunex Traffic said the system would support TfGM’s objectives around congestion reduction, journey reliability and air quality improvement. Similar Yutraffic FUSION systems have previously been adopted by local authorities including Bristol City Council, Lincolnshire County Council and Tees Valley Combined Authority.

TfGM Network Director for Highways Peter Boulton said the investment would help the authority respond more quickly to changing traffic conditions and support the continued growth of the Bee Network. Yunex Traffic UK managing director Wilke Reints said adaptive traffic management and predictive forecasting were becoming increasingly important for cities seeking to support sustainable mobility and improve transport efficiency.