New distinctive yellow buses which will take to the roads of Bolton will pull into Victoria Square tomorrow on a huge recruitment drive.

The Operation Top Bus recruitment campaign for Go North West will get underway at 11am.

The campaign will take place mainly in Bolton in preparation for Bolton buses coming under public control this autumn as part of the  Greater Manchester’s Bee Network vision, to create a London-style transport network.

A spokesman for Go North West said: “Think Top Gun, for Buses... In Bolton and Wigan! It's all in response to the Bee Network, the new integrated transport system for buses coming in the Autumn.

 The Bolton News:

Greater Manchester will soon be the first place outside of London to have buses under public control, it's an exciting time for bus travel and Greater Manchester is at the centre of it.”

Go North West, a part of The Go-Ahead Group, plans to hire up to 300 drivers for a newly created Elite Bus Driver Academy.

The recruitment makes the drivers the stars of the campaign, with Top Gun inspired pictures.

A spokesman said: “We'll have the 6 branded double decker buses on the Square and each of the drivers featured with 'their bus' all available to chat about life as a bus driver.”