Vast majority back plans to take bus services under public control

The vast majority of Mancunians are behind plans to bring the region’s bus services under public control, according to a new survey.

Research carried out on behalf of bus giant Abellio reveals 95 per cent of people support funding ‘unprofitable’ routes for the public good – a key feature of the franchise network favoured by Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham.

There was also overwhelming backing (88%) for bus operators using the same fare structure and people having a greater say on how and where services are provided.

More than nine out of ten respondents wanted to see a system similar to London’s Oyster Card – which would cover trains, trams and buses – rolled out across the conurbation.

It comes after local leaders indicated they were to push ahead with taking control of the region’s bus network, in a ground-breaking £134m move.

They are expected to sign off on a first of its kind public consultation at an extraordinary meeting of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority next week.

The move is however, strongly opposed by the region’s bus operators, under the umbrella OneBus.

They say their £100m ‘partnership proposal’ – which would see them retain more control – has been ‘ignored’ by the mayor.

Henri Murison, director of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership said a review ordered by Mr Burnham had ‘shown the clear case for bus franchising’, adding that the system would improve routes and ‘make fares fairer’.

It was ‘very much in line with the findings’ of the research, which was carried out by ComRes, he said.

Mr Murison added: “The Northern Powerhouse is not about just the north coming together – but about the city regions and wider economies of the north being free to choose what is right for their economies, with the powers to take the decisions needed. 

“The case for having a mayor rested on government giving our city regions the right to do this, because it is such an important opportunity to replicate the same benefits which London gets from its bus network.” 

Alan Pilbeam, deputy managing director and chief operating officer at Abellio, said the research ‘clearly demonstrated’ a demand for change. 

“People rightly believe that bus operators have a social responsibility towards the communities they serve,” he added.

Mr Pilbeam continued: “There is clearly a need for bus services to change and vastly improve.

“The mayor’s proposal would put decision-making back into the hands of the public and allow them to choose a local transport system that works for them. We know a franchising model works successfully in London, and it can be a success in Greater Manchester as well.”

Gary Nolan, chief executive of OneBus, said Greater Manchester operators’ partnership proposals would ‘deliver the transformation people want to see far quicker than a franchising model, and without additional cost for taxpayers.

He added that YouGov research had shown that 76% of Greater Manchester residents were not willing to pay more tax to fund a franchised network – a cost that transport specialists TAS put at around each £88 for each household.

Mr Nolan said that passengers could already buy tickets for integrated journeys and many operators offered contactless payments, on-board wi-fi and a range of discounts, as well as operating on ‘many routes that do not turn a profit’.

He continued: “Improving the passenger experience further is a shared responsibility where we need supportive measures from central and local government, most crucially around addressing congestion, if we are to improve reliability and journey times for passengers.

“We agree that Greater Manchester deserves better and are confident that the £100m blueprint we submitted to the mayor, including plans for 150 new low-emission buses as soon as next year, will provide the best service and best value for people across our region.”

The next meeting of the GMCA is to be held on Monday 7 October.

Nick Statham, Local Democracy Reporter