Last week’s UK Bus Summit in Manchester saw political leaders, transport chiefs and bus companies express enthusiasm about the direction of travel

 
Metro mayors are keen to replicate – and surpass – what Greater Manchester has achieved

 
The overall vibe was a positive one at last week’s UK Bus Summit in Manchester. Whereas previous summits often featured terse exchanges between representatives of transport authorities and bus companies about the franchising of local bus services, last week’s event showed how much the sector has changed since the last UK Bus Summit in February 2020.

Bus franchising still has its critics. SME bus companies fear being squeezed out of the industry, while former executives of major bus groups have raised concerns about its financial sustainability. However, last week’s gathering, attended by more than 250 people, saw politicians, transport authorities, bus operators, and industry suppliers unite behind a vision for franchised bus services.

Franchising, which reverses the deregulation of local bus services, is, of course, not the only route for UK buses. Representatives of the East Midlands and Portsmouth City Council outlined the progress they are making via Enhanced Partnerships. But many of England’s busy city regions, as well as the entirety of Wales, are now committed to following the path set by Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham by introducing franchising in their areas.

Hailing the progress made since the introduction of the Bee Network, including 14% year-on-year growth in the first franchising areas, Burnham told delegates: “I personally don’t think that the bus industry in the UK has been in anything like the right place for many, many years outside of London and the South East.

“Hopefully we are showing there is a better path, that’s actually a path that’s good for industry as well as good for the staff who drive our buses and, of course, the public.”

He added: “What we are trying to build here is a partnership where everyone is pulling in the same direction, and there’s a win-win for everybody involved.

“We are not saying we have got everything right yet. There are still challenges.”

For example, having consulted with the public, there will be a much greater focus on safety on the Bee Network. Greater Manchester Police will treat the network as the “eleventh district” of the region and a live chat feature will soon be launched to provide reassurance to passengers.

Burnham said that integrating rail lines into the Bee Network would provide seamless journeys to people in Greater Manchester, and beyond. “All of this will build the farebox,” he said. “We are working hard to get to a sustainable system.”

Other metro mayors are keen to replicate – and surpass – what Greater Manchester has achieved. The first tranche of franchising will begin in South Yorkshire in 2027, with the new brand set to be unveiled next year.

“We want to work with partners who share our values,” said Oliver Coppard, mayor of South Yorkshire. “We absolutely want to put back in place in South Yorkshire a world-class public transport network.

“I know from my experience over the last three years, and I know that some of you agree with me about this – despite the fact you won’t nod as I say it – that the bus industry is the only industry I am aware of that thinks it can grow its market by cutting services. I know a number of you in the room agree with that. We don’t want to do that in South Yorkshire.

“We had determined to try and grow the network in South Yorkshire, grow patronage, we want to bring down prices, and we want to make sure that everyone has services.”

I think we will get into a continuous improvement where every iteration of franchising will be a little bit better

Coppard knows big challenges lie ahead. “I’m not sitting here and telling you that I think we can do it and you failed … It’s easy, it’s straightforward,” he said. “I know that’s not the case, but we need to take a different approach – because what we have seen in South Yorkshire is going from a world-class public transport network that we had … one that was looked at as a model for everybody across the country, to an absolutely second rate service now. I am not prepared to put up with that and my community is not. And I think a number of you in this room hate that as well … because you get the grief just like I get the grief.”

The Liverpool City Region will be the next part of the country to roll out bus franchising, and the first outside of London to integrate buses with trains. Representing the region, Liverpool City Council leader Liam Robinson said social justice was at the heart of the mission to improve transport connectivity, pointing out that a third of residents don’t have access to a car.

“It’s a very, very exciting time for buses in the Liverpool City Region,” he said. “In a way, I would argue it’s the most exciting time to cross this country, probably for 50 years.”

West Yorkshire mayor Tracy Brabin was also enthusiastic about the future. Her Weaver Network is set to begin in 2027, when the first three tranches of the bus network are franchised.

The Summit also heard the views of bus operators. Gary Hitchmough, MD for government and business development at First Bus, said his employers “recognised that franchising is here to say”. They had recruited from inside and outside of the industry to meet that challenge.

“Franchising gives a great opportunity for experimentation, because every time you bid for a franchise you get the chance to start afresh,” said Hitchmough. “Every time a client or authority sets a tender for a franchise, they get an opportunity to ask for something different.

He added: “The level of discussion and sharing between the authorities is huge, and accelerating. I think we will get into a continuous improvement where every iteration of franchising will probably be a little bit better, and those relations will probably grow. And the opportunity to innovate and experiment will probably grow with it. That’s my hope.”

Meanwhile, Martijn Gilbert, who recently became managing director at Arriva UK Bus, hailed “a real moment of opportunity for bus in the UK”.

He added that there was now recognition of the essential role that buses play, and that “hasn’t always been the case”.

 
This article appears in the latest issue of Passenger Transport.

DON’T MISS OUT – GET YOUR COPY! – click here to subscribe!