Mayor retains Transport and Active Travel commissioners

Mayor of Greater Manchester, Bev Craig, has confirmed that Vernon Everitt CBE and Dame Sarah Storey will stay on as Transport and Active Travel commissioners for the city region.

Mayors can appoint commissioners to provide expertise and driver delivery of commitments across policy areas. Vernon and Dame Sarah will both continue in the roles they took up in 2022 when they were appointed by Andy Burnham.

Together, the two commissioners have helped deliver the biggest transport change Greater Manchester has seen in decades, with the creation of the Bee Network of joined-up public transport and active travel infrastructure.

In January 2025, Greater Manchester became the first region outside of London to take back control of its bus services. Since then, progress has been made to better join-up bikes, buses and trams, with rail set to join the Bee Network from this December.

Bev Craig, Mayor of Greater Manchester, said:

“Vernon and Sarah have been such driving forces behind the success of the Bee Network to date. Together, they’ve helped deliver major progress toward our goal of creating the joined-up public transport system that the communities of Greater Manchester deserve.

“I’m committed to going even further – growing the Bee Network to better connect people to jobs, services, friends and family. So much so that on my first day as Mayor I announced that we’ll extend Our Pass to also give free bus travel to 11 to 16-year-olds from January.

“I’m so pleased Vernon and Dame Sarah have both agreed to continue in their commissioner roles and will be by my side as we write the next chapter of the Bee Network’s story.”

During Vernon’s time as Transport Commissioner passenger numbers are materially up, buses are more reliable and customers are more satisfied with the service and feel safer travelling on the network. Fares and ticketing have also been integrated to become simpler and more affordable.

He was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in this year’s New Year’s Honours List for his outstanding contribution to public transport, recognising his work in Greater Manchester building on his successes at Transport for London and Transport for Wales.

Vernon Everitt said:

“It is a great privilege to continue serving Greater Manchester as Transport Commissioner, helping to build a more integrated, affordable and reliable public transport system, and securing the investment we need to match the city-region’s growth.

“I look forward to working with the new Mayor to keep improving services and bringing rail into the Bee Network to connect more people to jobs, education and opportunities.”

Dame Sarah Storey has been a driving force behind getting more people walking, wheeling and cycling across the city region.

There were over 700 million active travel trips taken in 2025 following investment in the Bee Network, including in pedestrian and cycle-friendly road infrastructure and new School Streets. Work with community groups on initiatives such as bike libraries and accessible bikes have also encouraged more people to cycle, as well as the successful Starling cycle hire scheme.

Dame Sarah Storey said:

“It’s been a privilege to shape the progress of Greater Manchester and I’m looking forward to working with Bev as Mayor to build on what we’ve achieved so far. We’ll help more people to feel confident to choose walking and cycling for everyday journeys around Greater Manchester.

“Our streets and roads are at the heart of our communities, and everyone should feel safe when using them – whether on the walk to school or cycling to the local park. There’s always more to do and I’m committed to making our streets safer and more welcoming.”