Bus giant Stagecoach has furiously hit back at plans to move ahead with franchising Greater Manchester’s network - accusing Andy Burnham of leaving taxpayers ‘in the dark’ about how much it will cost.

In a strongly-worded statement the firm, the city’s biggest single bus company, claimed the plan would leave taxpayers with a ‘massive bill’, arguing ‘no evidence’ had been provided to prove it would be better than working in a looser partnership with operators.

Stagecoach has been joined by all other 15 bus firms in condemning the move, collectively urging the mayor to put ‘passengers before politics’ by confirming how much it would cost in council tax rises.

Greater Manchester was handed powers to re-regulate its buses in 2017, three decades after being de-regulated by Margaret Thatcher.

Officials have then had to follow a complex legal process in order to come up with a plan.

They have today concluded that the best way to overhaul the network - including by improving routes and fares - would be through a London-style franchising model, which would allow local leaders to stipulate exactly what services were needed before inviting operators to bid.

(Image: Mark Waugh Manchester Press Photography Ltd)

The alternative would be a partnership arrangement with firms, which would be more straightforward, but would see far more control stay in the hands of the operators.

So far no financial costings have been released for either model, including any potential tax rises.

The mayor's office said they would be released after an independent audit of the plan had been carried out, as required under the law.

But bus firms have immediately come out fighting. Stagecoach said in a statement: “The mayor has provided no evidence to support his claim that franchising is better than a partnership approach and he is keeping Greater Manchester’s taxpayers in the dark about the massive bill they would have to pay for a London-style bus system."

Stagecoach also claimed its partnership proposal, submitted jointly under the 'OneBus' umbrella of local operators last year, had been ignored.

The plan includes investment in new, greener buses, although transport insiders suggested that move would have been needed regardless, thanks to the polluting nature of much of the region's fleet.

But Stagecoach continued: "The mayor has had on his desk for months a compelling £100m blueprint from bus operators which could further transform the region’s bus network right now.

(Image: Mayor's office)

"It would deliver better services, new greener buses, better value fares and a way forward to address car congestion and air quality, which everyone agrees are two of the biggest challenges facing the region.

"People in Manchester and districts across the region must be asking why Transport for Greater Manchester has needlessly spent £23m of taxpayers money on consultants’ reports assessing franchising, when practical improvements have been delayed and the partnership solutions are already staring politicians in the face.”

OneBus claimed its plans would be 'at no extra cost to the public purse', adding: “We urge the mayor to put passengers before politics and let the public know how long this process will take and what tax increases they will face to achieve his vision.”

The power to franchise bus services was seen by many Labour figures as the jewel in the crown of devolution, allowing the region to emulate London - the only area to keep a regulated network following 1986.

Since de-regulation bus patronage here has nearly halved, while London's has nearly doubled and fares are now capped at £1.50 for a single journey.

(Image: Joel Goodman)

A report by the transport select committee earlier this year concluded three decades of government had 'failed' bus users in Greater Manchester, pointing to a particular decline under austerity as central subsidies have been cut and routes lost.

But while campaigners and trade unionists believe full control under franchising to be the only way forward - in the hope operator profit can be ploughed into services instead - council tax rises are also understood to be on the cards unless government is willing to stump up extra subsidy.

In the meantime Greater Manchester is required to walk a delicate legal line in demonstrating it has properly weighed up all options.

Its current plan is expected to go before an independent auditor over the summer, before going out to public consultation in the autumn if successful.

Even then, however, the region could be taken to judicial review by operators if it does decide to go ahead with franchising.

Four years ago a group of firms - including Stagecoach and Arriva - won a legal battle to stop Tyne and Wear trying to fully re-regulate their system, although that had been attempted under older legislation, predating the 2017 act.

Greater Manchester's bus plan will be discussed at Friday's combined authority meeting in Rochdale.