Bus service reform in North East England is to progress to an audit of the draft franchising scheme assessment prepared for the North East Combined Authority (NECA) and to an expected consultation on the proposed franchising scheme, with a decision on whether to progress with reregulation due in early 2027.
Those steps were approved at a meeting of NECA on 17 March. Mayor of North East England Kim McGuinness used her 2024 manifesto to commit to establishing an Angel Network that would include the franchising of bus services.
Given the green light at that meeting were the audit process and, where there is a positive outcome to that exercise, progression of the 12-week public and statutory consultation from late summer.
The draft franchising assessment has not yet been published, although the Combined Authority notes that it recommends that franchising goes ahead. Should that happen, the region’s first franchised bus services are expected to start in autumn 2029.
In the foreword to a report on the customer proposition of buses as part of an integrated transport network in North East England that was published in February, Ms McGuinness expresses a desire for the area “to have the best bus service in the country, from deep in our countryside right through to the heart of our cities.”
Papers for the 17 March meeting noted how the draft assessment “concludes that franchising is affordable, feasible and deliverable, and that it better supports the region’s strategic objectives – particularly a green, integrated transport system that works for all.”
NECA claims that compared to Enhanced Partnership, franchising is expected to deliver higher network mileage, lower fares, more passenger journeys, and better value for money.
It adds that the past 15 years have seen reductions in mileage and patronage of 32% and 31%, respectively. When considering a continuation of the existing Enhanced Partnership, the draft franchising scheme assessment assumes that the trend of reducing mileage will be maintained and that fares will continue to rise above the Retail Prices Index (RPI).
In contrast, assumptions for a franchised network include fare increases limited to RPI, mileage that will remain at least constant for the first 10 year of such a scheme, and average target operating margins for operators that are lower than under a deregulated system.
The 17 March meeting papers additionally state that bus network growth will be prioritised in rural areas to begin with under a franchised regime.
