Giving local authority (LA) bodies more powers to decide how bus services in England are delivered will bring a halt to a “spiral of decline.” That is according to the Local Government Association (LGA) and the Urban Transport Group (UTG) in a report, A smoother ride – reviewing the Bus Services Act 2017 to empower local areas.
To that end, the two bodies want change to the Bus Services Act 2017 that would allow all “cities, towns and rural areas in England” to have the automatic right to introduce franchising. LGA and UTG also want that reregulation process to be simplified and improved, and a lifting of the ban on LAs in England from establishing municipal bus companies.
The bodies have additionally called on the government to “urgently review” enhanced partnerships (EPs) between bus operators and LAs “to see how they can be improved to meet the ambitions set out in the National Bus Strategy [for England], including making services more frequent, reliable, and easier to understand.”
Publication of the report comes as both party conference season and rollout of the first tranche of franchising in Greater Manchester approach. As part of their multiple calls on the government, LGA and UTG also want more, long-term funding for bus services and a parallel reform of existing subsidy for the sector.
UTG Director Jason Price describes the Bus Services Act 2017 as having been “a pioneering piece of legislation” upon publication for its intention to give LAs more power over bus services. But he adds that as seen in Greater Manchester, the franchising process “has been unduly long and onerous.”
In addition, perceived limitations of the EP model “have meant that the Act has failed to truly deliver on its potential,” says Mr Prince. “If we really want to fulfil the ambitions of the National Bus Strategy – to truly transform bus services – it is time to update the legislation. This report provides recommendations for how to do so.”
LGA transport spokesperson Cllr Darren Rodwell – who is leader of Barking and Dagenham Council – adds that LAs “should be in the driving seat to deliver good, affordable and reliable bus services in their areas, not private bus operators.”
Cllr Rodwell believes that expanding local authority bus franchising powers would enable them to “keep fares down, increase the number of local bus routes and make buses more attractive for everyone to use.” Representatives of operators have repeatedly said that the deregulated market could do the same were it to receive suitable funding.
UTG Assistant Director Rebecca Fuller discusses the report in more detail here.
