Transport Secretary will visit Greater Manchester
today [Thursday 11th July] to begin the Government's
bus revolution, as she pledges to support every community to take
back control of buses through franchising or public
ownership.
She will meet with the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy , to discuss how the area's Bee Network can be
replicated across the country to deliver better services, grow
passenger numbers and drive opportunity to under-served
regions.
The Transport Secretary will pledge to create and save vital bus
routes up and down the country, calling time on the failed system
of deregulation that has seen service levels plummet. The plans
will also bring an end to the postcode lottery of bus services by
providing safeguards over local networks across the
country.
Launched last September as the first bus franchise in England
outside London, the integrated Bee Network has delivered for
local people by growing passenger numbers and improving the
reliability of local bus services. This has already seen
passenger numbers grow by 5% in the first area to be franchised,
with revenue following suit.
The Transport Secretary will see first-hand how the successes of
the Bee Network can be replicated across the country, improving
services and handing power back to local people.
The Transport Secretary will also hear directly the challenges
faced by Greater Manchester during its franchising journey.
Greater Manchester endured a six-year slog to deliver local
control of bus services due to unnecessary barriers. The
Government's plan will remove these barriers so better buses can
be delivered faster.
Transport Secretary said:
“Buses are the lifeblood of communities, but the system is
broken.
“Too often, passengers are left waiting hours for buses that
don't turn up – and some have been cut off altogether.
“Change starts now. This new Government will give local leaders
the tools they need to deliver better buses up and down the
country.
“Our plan will create and save vital bus routes by giving every
community the power to take back control of their bus services
through franchising or public ownership.
“We are already seeing how the Bee Network is delivering for
people across Greater Manchester – we will ensure every community
can enjoy the same benefits.”
The Bee Network is also boosting Manchester's Metrolink. In May,
it recorded its busiest month in its
32-year history with 4.1 million passengers using the iconic
yellow trams, higher than the previous record of 4 million set
before the pandemic in 2019.
, Mayor of Greater Manchester,
said:
“Properly integrated public transport is the key to unlocking
growth and opportunity across our city-region, improving the
lives of our residents, supporting businesses and delivering
greater value for money.
“The numbers speak for themselves - our Bee Network has more
passengers than ever before and is providing a better service for
residents.
"Greater Manchester has shown that our pioneering approach works
and we look forward to working with the government to put power
back into the hands of local communities.”
The bus plan is part of the new Government's ambition to develop
a long-term, national strategy for transport. This will ensure
infrastructure can be delivered efficiently and on time while
allowing local people to take back control of their buses, trams
and trains.
Graham Vidler, CEO for The Confederation of Passenger
Transport said:
“The industry stands fully behind the objectives of growing the
nation's vital bus network and improving passengers' experiences.
“We look forward to working hand in hand with the government to
deliver change which benefits passengers across the whole
country and drives swifter progress towards the UK's climate
targets.”
Contact Information
Marco Barbato
marco.barbato@dft.gov.uk
Notes to editors
Since buses were deregulated in 1985, bus services in England's
regions outside London have collapsed, with:
- 2 billion fewer annual bus journeys in 2023 than in 1985
- Almost 300 million fewer miles driven by buses in 2023 than
in 2010
- 6,000 fewer buses on the road between in 2023 than in 2010
The Government will support local transport authorities to take
back control of their bus services, and has set out a five-point
plan to deliver better buses:
1. Empower local transport authorities and reform
funding: by giving local leaders more control and
flexibility over bus funding and allowing them to plan ahead to
deliver their local transport priorities.
2. Allow every community to take back control of
their buses: by removing barriers that currently
limit bus franchising powers.
3. Accelerate the bus franchising
process: by supporting local leaders to deliver
better buses, faster.
4. Step in to safeguard
local bus networks: by providing more accountability
over bus operators and ensuring standards are raised wherever you
live across the country.
5. Support public ownership: by removing the
ban on publicly owned bus companies and building on the success
of award-winning public bus services still in operation.
