As Greater Manchester heads to the polls this week to elect a successor to Andy Burnham — now installed as UK Prime Minister — the Bee Network deal he championed as Mayor is keeping Northern Ireland bus manufacturer Wrightbus firmly in the national spotlight. Manchester-based UX and CRO agency Higher Ground has worked with Wrightbus on the digital platforms behind its operations, including its telematics SaaS product and corporate website.
Burnham confirmed a £66 million order for 55 additional zero-emission Wrightbus buses in March 2026, bringing the total number of Wrightbus vehicles ordered for the Bee Network to 293, as part of Greater Manchester's commitment to a fully electric bus fleet by 2030. Weeks later, Burnham left the Mayoralty to become an MP, and on 20 July 2026 was appointed Prime Minister. A by-election to permanently replace him as Mayor of Greater Manchester takes place on 30 July.
Higher Ground designed the Saas UX and UI for All Service One, Wrightbus's telematics platform used to give depot managers and service teams clear, real-time visibility of fleet and vehicle data, as well as the user experience for the Wrightbus corporate website.
"This was one of the most fascinating and challenging projects we've worked on," said Robert Hufton, Managing Director, Higher Ground. "Wrightbus were launching a whole new fleet of vehicles, and our starting point was a constant stream of complex API data feeding in from their hydrogen and battery buses — braking dynamics, driver operating times, top deck temperature controls, location data, fuel efficiency, all needing to land in a single, highly complex dashboard and reporting platform.
"Our role went far beyond giving the system a new look. We overhauled the entire UX, redesigning it so service managers and fleet operators could actually use that data — helping them streamline operations, keep bus service disruption to a minimum, and catch issues before they became critical. We prototyped the whole system across every viewport it needed to work on, from responsive mobile views to super-wide control room monitors and tablets, all within a fully branded, bespoke SaaS design system."
"Brilliant usability expertise. They transformed complex data into simple, intuitive dashboards that our customers could use with ease.," said Martin Murtagh , Wrightbus.
About Higher Ground Higher Ground is a Manchester-based UX and CRO agency working with SaaS, ecommerce and enterprise brands including Wrightbus, JCB and Fettle.
The agency designs digital products and experiences focused on usability and measurable conversion outcomes, and has recently expanded into the South West with a presence covering Exeter.
Media contact Robert Hufton hello@ground.co.uk +44 161 706 1620
