Transport Secretary says GM will lead the way for buses across the country

Greater Manchester is ‘in the lead’ to run local bus services in the way the government wants the whole country to, the Transport Secretary has said.

Grant Shapps welcomed a court ruling in favour of Greater Manchester bringing its buses under public control, describing it as an ‘excellent result’.

Sitting at the Royal Courts of Justice on Wednesday (9 March), Mr Justice Julian Knowles ruled that both the decision and the process followed to introduce a franchising system where operators have to bid to run services were lawful.

Mayor Andy Burnham said the decision, which followed a judicial review brought by two bus operators, is a ‘green light’ for the North of England.
 

Read more: Burnham hails bus ruling as ‘green light’ for North of EnglandPublished: 10 March 2022

It is the first time in more than 30 years that a city outside of London will have these powers – and other regions are already looking at doing the same soon.

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the Transport Secretary said the move will be good for Manchester and fits the government’s vision.

He said: “This is our vision, to see buses in Manchester – indeed everywhere around the country – run just like they are in London where you’re not so much looking up the timetable, you just know the next bus is on its way.

“I very much welcome this outcome and look forward to working with the mayor to deliver it.”

Responding to the ruling, the Labour mayor called on the government to work in partnership with Greater Manchester and provide a package of funding to support the London-style public transport system the Tories have promised.

He defended council tax hikes to pay for the plans, saying he would be ‘giving back’ a more affordable public transport system known as the Bee Network.

 

 

Asked whether he would back Burnham’s London-style public transport system, Shapps insisted it is the mayor who is backing the government.

He said: “Burnham’s backing us in levelling up. We can have a debate about who’s backing who more. But we were the ones who passed legislation in 2017 to make it possible for this kind of franchising route. We’re the ones who put in the Levelling Up White Paper. We’re the ones who have spent record amounts on buses including huge amounts of support for buses through Covid as well.”

The Transport Secretary claimed that no government ‘has ever done more’ to invest in buses citing the recently renewed emergency Covid grant funding.

However, the MP said he is ‘very supportive’ of what the mayor is trying to do.

He added: “We see it as a win-win. It’s a win for him as the mayor under devolution doing this and it’s a win for the government because we’ve always said we intend to level up and it’s working.”

Joseph Timan, Local Democracy Reporter