Launching the Labour Party’s General Election manifesto, leader Jeremy Corbyn has promised to extend powers to re-regulate buses, introduce regulations to protect routes and retrofit buses with Euro 6 to tackle air quality.
Unveiling its plans this morning (15 May) at Bradford University, Labour is the first major party to reveal its manifesto.
The section on buses says: “Across the country we will enable councils to provide first-class bus services by extending the powers to re-regulate local bus services to all areas that want them, and we will support the creation of municipal bus companies that are publicly run for passengers not profit.
“Under the Conservatives, bus fares have risen and services have been cut.
“Labour will introduce regulations to designate and protect routes of critical community value, including those that serve local schools, hospitals and isolated settlements in rural areas.
“We will retrofit thousands of diesel buses in areas with the most severe air quality problems to Euro 6 standards.”
The plans do not have costings attached to them, nor is there any more detail, although Labour also promised a £250bn National Transformation Fund for all modes.
It also published a summary document outlining how its £48.6bn increase in spending will be exactly matched by the same amount in tax rises.
