Many parts of England that currently do not have powers to reregulate bus services are “envious” of the scope for Mayoral Combined Authorities to deliver franchising, Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram has claimed.
Mr Rotheram was speaking at a meeting of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (LCRCA) on 3 March, when as expected, approval was gained to move on with the next stage of work towards the reregulation of bus services in the conurbation, including progressing with a formal consultation.
He underlined at that gathering that utilising its franchising powers remains the Combined Authority’s preferred option for bus service reform. The consultation is expected to commence after May’s local elections. With agreement from LCRCA members secured, it will be published alongside an assessment of the reregulation process and notice of the proposed franchising scheme.
At the meeting, Mr Rotheram said that his engagement with non-Mayor Combined Authorities (MCAs) elsewhere has shown that they are watching work in Northern England to bring buses back into public control with envy.
A week later, Labour said that if the party forms the next government, it will introduce powers for those non-MCAs to franchise buses and form municipal operations under what it has described as a Taking Back Control bill.
The Liverpool City Region Mayor says that approval of the next steps towards a regulated bus network there is “a gateway process,” and that as each stage towards the preferred conclusion is reached, LCRCA will “need to ramp up our asks” of government.
Mr Rotheram made those comments in response to points raised by two elected members who pointed to the likely cost implications of delivering reregulation.
One of those, Leader of Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council Cllr Graham Morgan says that LCRCA “must not be left carrying the financial can” of franchising, adding that the cost of the process should be shouldered by the government.
Mr Rotheram agreed with such comments. He claims that the Liverpool City Region has lost 132 commercial bus routes since 2010 and adds that despite spending “tens of millions” subsidising services, the Combined Authority gets “very little, and sometimes no say” on fares, timetables and fleets used.
LCRCA expects to deliver franchising in five rounds, with a start to be made in St Helens potentially from September 2026.
