The UK government has promised to invest £3bn in bus services as part of a new strategy to encourage more people to use the bus rather than their cars.
Boris Johnson said the new regional bus strategy would create “more frequent, more reliable, easier to use and understand, better coordinated and cheaper bus services”.
As part of the plans, the UK aims to deliver 4,000 new British-built electric or hydrogen buses, simultaneously “safeguarding the UK bus manufacturing industry”, while also consulting on a date when sales of new diesel buses will end.
“We expect to see local authorities and operators working together to deliver bus services that are so frequent that passengers can just ‘turn up and go’ – no longer needing to rely on a traditional timetable and having the confidence they won’t wait more than a few minutes,” the joint statement from Downing Street and the Department for Transport said.
Bringing regional bus regulations more into line with those in London, in order to receive the new funding, local councils will now need to either enter into a statutory ‘enhanced partnership’ or strike franchising agreements with bus companies, which include Go-Ahead Group PLC (LON:GOG), Stagecoach Group PLC (LON:SGC) and German-owned Arriva Group.
The bus strategy is part of the Conservative party’s supposed ‘levelling-up’ agenda, with Johnson saying: “As we build back from the pandemic, better buses will be one of our first acts of levelling-up.
“Just as they did in London, our reforms will make buses the transport of choice, reducing the number of car journeys and improving quality of life for millions.”
Stagecoach chief executive Martin Griffiths said: “We welcome the ambition in the government's new bus strategy. For too long, the power of buses to transform local communities and local people's lives has been overlooked.
“The new bus strategy provides an opportunity for all partners - operators, national government and local authorities - to work together to harness the huge potential of the bus to help tackle climate change, deliver better air quality in our towns and cities, secure improved mobility for local people and support a sustainable economic recovery for the country.”
Meanwhile on Monday, the Greater Manchester Combined Authority recommended plans for a bus franchising scheme in the region, following a public consultation since early December.
If approved, the proposed scheme would be introduced in three phases in January 2023, January 2024 and January 2025.
Stagecoach, which noted that the majority of its Manchester operations are in the final phase area, expressed disappointment at the recommendation.
“We believe the Combined Authority conducted an unlawful process and a flawed consultation on proposals which do not properly reflect the fundamental and material changes brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Griffiths.