New law could ring changes for buses in Greater Manchester
Transport leaders in Greater Manchester have welcomed Royal Assent of the Bus Services Bill, new legislation which will allow the elected Mayor of Greater Manchester to make significant changes to the way bus services are managed.
The Bus Services Act, which has received Royal Assent today, grants Combined Authorities, with an elected Mayor, the powers to franchise bus services, should they choose to do so and following consultation with the public.
This could enable Greater Manchester to create an integrated transport network with a simple fares and ticketing system. It also means that service quality, branding and customer information could be standardised across Greater Manchester.
Currently Greater Manchester has a deregulated bus market. This means that private bus operators set their own routes, frequencies, timetables, fares and quality standards for most services. Under a franchised system, such as that used in London, Greater Manchester authorities would take control of bus service planning, with services run under contract by private operators.
Bus accounts for 79 per cent of all public transport journeys in Greater Manchester – around 210 million a year. However, despite a growing population and increased demand on the transport network, bus patronage in Greater Manchester has fallen by over 140 million passenger journeys in the last 30 years.
The Bus Services Act 2017 is a result of the Greater Manchester Devolution Agreement signed with Government in November 2014. Changes to the way the bus market in Greater Manchester is managed would be subject to a public consultation before any decision was made.
This will make a wonderful difference for bus services operating in all areas of Greater Manchester. It is vitally important that the franchises are set up with companies so that the routes and timetables meet the needs of the passengers and don’t simply provide the bus operators with maximum profits. A ridiculous situation has arisen in the region where we see numerous buses, all charging different fares, jostling to reach bus stops on all major routes, and yet many housing estates are left without any bus service linking the residents to the major roads.