I am sure you already know by now the news in Milton Keynes – the fastest growing City in the UK as of 2019 – but I would rather you being made aware of it multiple times than risk not at all.
It seems Milton Keynes City Council has decided that it wants to bring buses back under its own control, and who would blame it, as a third of the city is without buses. Well, I would for starters. Despite every other town and city in the area having a comprehensive – and commercial – network, Milton Keynes has struggled to attract operators.
We set up some routes, and were so badly burned by them, that we withdrew (though subsequently media, opposition councillors and members of parliament have offered to ensure oversight if we reinstate, which we are doing).
You can read the media article, which describes the efforts of leading councillors to urge the government to allow buses to return to council control in Milton Keynes, by clicking the red text here.
They will of course struggle, as Milton Keynes City Council has already signed up to the Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) for five years, and so will have a hard time reneging.
But as per my previous letter to you, which you were kind enough to print as letter of the month (a real honour for me in my 25th year in this industry) I noted that it is not money or passengers which are our greatest threat, but the likes of the Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham, and his plans spreading through franchising of one sort or another.
Here is a story that relates to our aborted 440 service, though the threat of cancellation has been withdrawn, and I’m planning to look carefully at options.
What makes this most laughable is that Milton Keynes City Council has set up its own demand-responsive transport service, and it has been lambasted in nearly every single situation that it is mentioned. This is the same local authority which wants to run its own bus services.
My two questions to these types of councils is:
- How will you deal with the cost of diesel and driver shortages better than we will?
- How can they claim that this is all down to the 1985 Transport Act when other towns and cities are managing just fine?
The problem is that bus operators are still sticking their heads in the sand. We must act together as an industry, or be picked off one at a time.
Best wishes to you and the team at routeone.
