Cross-party support for letter calling for bus franchising in Bristol

Parliamentary candidates, including from the Greens, the Lib Dems and Social Democratic Party, have signed an open letter calling for buses in the West of England to come into public control. Signatories include Carla Denyer, co-leader of the Green Party and parliamentary candidate for Bristol Central.

Civil society organisations representing healthcare, youth, older people and climate action, and local councillors are also supporting the letter, which is accompanied by a public petition with nearly 4,000 signatures.

The letter calls for WECA mayor Dan Norris to initiate a formal investigation of bus franchising without waiting for the general election. This formal investigation has already taken place in a number of mayoral authorities, including in Greater Manchester and Liverpool in 2023 and West and South Yorkshire this year. And it follows BristolLive launching a campaign last year calling for a better bus service for Bristol and for the services to be taken back into local control.

The letter outlines the following steps it would like to be taken:

- Formal investigation of bus franchising - this gives Metro Mayor access to commercial bus operator data, and provides an informed business case for or against franchising in the area.

- Public consultation - 12 week public consultation on franchising

- Decision by Metro Mayor

- Setting up new publicly controlled bus system

Reclaim our Buses campaigner Anna Mounteney said: "The people of the West of England suffer daily from a failing public transport system.

"We face a severe lack of bus infrastructure, with inadequate bus lanes and stops lacking basic amenities like timetables and seating. The issue of 'ghost buses'-buses that never turn up-leads to acute unreliability and distrust in the bus system. This creates a negative spiral where declining bus usage signals further reductions in service quality."

And a bus user added: "This is both a local and a national issue. Buses are not working for residents either in rural or urban areas outside of London, and the West of England is no exception.

"I find it incredible how difficult it is to take the bus in urban Bristol, but especially within the North Fringe area of Filton, Patchway and Bradley Stoke, to get anywhere that isn't Bristol City centre, or a key node that just so happens to be on your local bus corridor.

"For example, from my house in Filton Park, to get to key destinations such as Bradley Stoke Tesco, UWE or Bristol Parkway Station, it requires either taking and paying for two buses (which aren't guaranteed to be within the same operator ecosystem) or taking an hourly service that is indirect.

"This does not entice people out of their cars. Bus franchising allows bus companies to operate buses that connect secondary transport nodes (which may operate at a negligible loss) like these to provide connectivity, and fares that take into account that a journey might consist of multiple buses."

Labour's manifesto includes positive commitments to enable all local governments to begin franchising their buses - something that is only available to city regions in England (including West of England Combined Authority Mayor Mr Norris). If Mr Norris was elected as an MP, he may have further avenues to push for bus franchising at the national level. He has previously cited the lack of precepting powers (local tax-raising such as the council tax contribution to policing) as a barrier to bus franchising.