As reported in the Birmingham Mail today, the West Midlands Combined Authority is to investigate setting up a bus franchising scheme similar to that being rolled out in Greater Manchester.
I am not sure whether this will have a positive or negative effect, because ultimately it depends on how profitable the bus network is, and how much money the authority is prepared to spend on subsidising unprofitable routes.
As we have seen in London, routes can be withdrawn and frequencies reduced even under a regulated system.
Also, it remains to be seen how much the franchised bus network integrates with the expanding West Midlands Metro and the local train network.
I am not sure whether this will have a positive or negative effect, because ultimately it depends on how profitable the bus network is, and how much money the authority is prepared to spend on subsidising unprofitable routes.
As we have seen in London, routes can be withdrawn and frequencies reduced even under a regulated system.
Also, it remains to be seen how much the franchised bus network integrates with the expanding West Midlands Metro and the local train network.
Midlands bus routes could be brought back under public control
Bus services have been plagued by delays, staffing issues and now the prospect of strike action
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Transport for London style scheme considered for West Midlands bus networks
Bus services have been plagued by delays, staffing issues and now the prospect of strike action
Beleaguered bus routes could be taken into public control in a scheme similar to that in London. West Midland Combined Authority is set to investigate the prospect of taking on franchises across the region.
Bus passengers have faced delays and cancellations for months as bus firms struggle with staffing issues. Some routes have routinely seen services axed at the last minute, or buses not completing routes.
If the plans consulted on by the WMCA come to fruition, it would be the first time in nearly 40 years the bus network has been under public control. A ‘bus franchising assessment’ has been launched to determine if it should take over running the bus network from private companies.
If carried out, the WMCA would determine which places are connected by the network, the cost of fares and driver pay and other details which have been under the control of private firms for decades.
The news comes after years of declining bus use, exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic, a nationwide shortage of drivers, and 26 recent cuts to routes in the region. Since Covid, the government has provided short term pots of funding to support bus delivery but it is not clear whether this will continue beyond April.
At a transport scrutiny sub-committee on Monday, Transport for West Midlands’ Head of Network Transformation, Steve Hayes, outlined some potential challenges of franchising. He said: “I liken this to getting a new computer games console for Christmas and then not having any money to buy any games.
“It's all very well having the powers to do some of this stuff but, actually, we need to think about how will we fund it going forward? We need to think about who owns the fleet and who owns the depots and actually, if we were to go out and start asking operators to bid for contracts today, there's only about one operator in the region who will be able to bid for anything substantial - National Express.
The decision to commence a bus franchising assessment was supported by the WMCA board in January 2022 when risks to the future of the region’s bus delivery were noted. Consultants have been hired to support the assessment which will run until June 2024 when the results will be considered by the WMCA and Mayor Andy Street.
TfWM’s Director of Integrated Transport Services Pete Bond explained these consultants were needed to ensure expertise around bus regulation was available to avoid potential legal challenges by operators if franchising is pursued. Last year a High Court judge rejected claims by bus firms Stagecoach and Rotala that plans by Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham to franchise buses were “irrational” and “unlawful”.