Halton Borough Transport (HBT) ceased trading on Friday 24 January, bringing to an end its 111 years of municipal operation.
Mounting losses were blamed by sole shareholder Halton Borough Council, which says it could not support the business any longer.
The collapse followed intense speculation about the operator’s future. The council says that the decision to liquidate the company was “very difficult”, but that “significant financial problems” had been evident for a long period.
Halton Borough Transport accounts paint a bleak picture
To year end 31 March 2019, HBT recorded a loss of £620,000 on a turnover of £6.91m, up from a loss of £361,000 for the 12 months previously.
Its most recent accounts painted a bleak picture. The operator said that an overall patronage rise in the Liverpool City Region was not reflected in Halton. Additionally, HBT questioned the contribution made to its finances by a multi-operator ticket introduced by Merseytravel.
That is thought to be MyTicket. MyTicket gives unlimited daily travel for young people across the region for £2.20. MyTicket was blamed by Wirral operator Avon Buses for its demise. It has been claimed elsewhere that the ticket is subject to widespread abuse.
As HBT entered difficulty, other operators were called upon to cover some of its school and college services. After news of its collapse became public, its work was quickly assumed by other companies.
Operator and Transport Manager called to PI
Separately, HBT had been called to a Public Inquiry (PI) on 19 February. One of its Transport Managers has also been called to PI. It is understood that Managing Director Colin Stafford has been on sick leave for some time.
Liverpool City Region Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram says he explored the possibility of the Combined Authority purchasing HBT when its demise became clear. It is precluded from doing so by law.
Nevertheless, Mr Rotheram says that the Combined Authority will use its powers to create “an integrated, ‘London-style’ transport system” in the City Region.
