When Manchester became the first place outside London to make a serious push to bring its bus network back into public control, it faced legal challenges from private operators like Stagecoach.
Those were eventually overcome, and the Bee Network was created, with its distinctive yellow buses.
In its first three years of operation, Manchester has seen the biggest rise in passenger satisfaction anywhere in England, according to surveys by passenger watchdog Transport Focus.
The mayor of Greater Manchester who pushed the initiative through was one Andy Burnham.
Now he’s in power at Westminster and promoting his devolution agenda, the shift towards public control is expected to gather pace across England. From Cornwall to Newcastle, it’s already under way.
Meanwhile, in London, where buses were never deregulated, local leaders are going even further.
In the next few years, Transport for London will launch its first ever directly owned and operated service, like in Edinburgh, although initially along a single route.
The long-term aim is to generate revenue that can be reinvested, and push down the cost of contracts with private operators.
In Scotland, by 2031, the question from passengers at bus shelters may well end up being: what’s taking so long?