Bus franchising in the Liverpool City Region will proceed after Mayor Steve Rotheram made the long-expected decision to reregulate the region’s services.
It follows widespread local political advocacy for the move and a consultation into the proposals that saw 69% of public respondents support it. As previously outlined by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (LCRCA), franchising will be rolled out in phases, with the first – capturing St Helens – to begin “by late 2026.” The work will be complete by the end of 2028.
The Liverpool City Region follows Greater Manchester in reregulating its bus services, with the first tranche of franchised services in the latter having recently begun. In announcing the move, LCRCA says that reregulation “marks the biggest shake-up of the region’s bus network in almost 40 years.”
Mr Rotheram’s decision has looked a formality for some time. Franchising in the Liverpool City Region has gained heavy political support and he has repeatedly attacked the deregulated marketplace for bus services. His scorn for that remained clear in confirming the final step.
“For far too long, our residents have been forced to contend with a second-class service that places profit before passengers and leaves behind the very people that need it most,” says Mr Rotheram.
“Today we have chosen a completely new course for the future of our buses. Under franchising, we will have greater control over fares, tickets and routes to ensure that bus services are run in the best interests of passengers – not shareholders,” he continues. The largest operator in the Liverpool City Region is Arriva, which is ultimately owned by the German government.
“While it will take a few years to reregulate the whole network, and the change will be transformational, it is not one that will happen overnight.
“By turning our back on nearly 40 years of failed deregulation, we are putting our buses back where they belong: Under public control. It is another massive step forward on our journey to building an integrated London-style transport network that will make getting around our region faster, cheaper, greener, simpler and more reliable.”
Under plans announced by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak following his decision to cancel HS2 north of the West Midlands, Liverpool City Region will receive an indicative £987 million from the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement 2 budget, plus an additional uplift of £594 million.