'Integrated' transport system at the heart of pledges at mayoral hustings event

They were speaking at a hustings event at Newcastle University organised by the North East Transport Users Group.

While there were differing views on how this would look, it was felt that integrating bus travel with rail and metro services was key to improving the region’s public transport.

Elsewhere, concerns were raised about how key pledges would be paid for given the budget for transport provided to the new combined authority. There were also suggestions on reducing the overall need to travel in the first place by improving services close to people’s homes.

The event was the second hustings ahead of the election in May.

Labour’s Kim McGuinness said: “For many people the system holds them back. To fix this in our region the public transport has to work for passengers, not for profit.

“We need to take the buses back under public control – that’s how we get them to go where we need them to go. Post pandemic, they travel 30% less. We need a fully integrated transport system – one payment form Bishop Auckland to Berwick.

“We need a safe, reliable, affordable public transport system. The money in the deal is not enough – we need an ambassador for this region to show the North is more than Manchester and Leeds.

“The deal is not ambitious enough, and my plan is very ambitious.

Serving North of Tyne Mayor Jamie Driscoll said: “We will make public transport so good people will choose to use it. We will make it free for everybody 18 and under – if you have only ever been dropped off at school in cars, that’s how you think adults get around.

“Integration is about moving people rather than vehicles. Every time somewhere has integrated their transport system, there has been a massive increase in usership by up to 40%.

“We can do this – we built a rocket here, we invented public transport here. We need a system that is integrated, affordable and safe.

Conservative candidate Guy Renner Thompson also backed an integrated system – but did not back public ownership. The Northumberland county councillor said: “We need to link up the buses we have got.

“My real passion is the railways, I had all the Thomas the Tank trains when I was little and I haven’t grown out of it. Railways are the main arteries of the rural region.

“We need more trains and buses to interlink. The problem we have is trying to convince the rail companies – we have to get everyone round the table.”

Liberal Democrat candidate Aidan King said bus services needed to be improved. However, he was concerned that his fellow candidates were over-promising given the budget that would be available to the mayor.

He said: “The main thing to do is rebuild our bus service so people can rely on them. They have atrophied to the point people don’t use them.

“We have heard hundreds of billions of pounds worth of promises. We have got £147 million of new funding in the transport budget over three years.

“There has been so much promised it has been hard to keep track of it. Where do we get the money for improving all the different transport infrastructure?

“My plan is to build the largest onshore wind farm in the North East with a development area from Newton Aycliffe to Barnard Castle up to Hexham.”

Reform candidate Paul Donaghy said transport needed to work “for the people”. The Sunderland city councillor also suggested a 50/50 ownership model between the private and public sector.

He said: “We must not reward failure. Some networks haven’t acted in the best interest of the people – that needs to stop.

“I spend a lot of time in Northumberland and Durham. If people want to get to Newcastle, it can take hours.

“Big bus companies aren’t interested in running the services because it is not financially viable. That’s where we can have part-public ownership and build a network around people. I want a transport network that works for the people.”

Andrew Gray, the Green Party candidate, felt that the region needed to reduce its overall dependency on transport by improving neighbourhoods. He expressed support for the idea of “15 minute neighbourhoods”, where daily necessities and services are within walking distance.

He said: “Users of buses in rural areas won’t need me to tell you how services have collapsed. It’s not just rural areas – in Silksworth, they have lost their bus into the city centre.

“The roads are congested and there is pollution. We know what the problems are, we know where ne want to go – the question is how do we get there?

“We’re going to get there by making our communities work, our neighbourhoods work, so people don’t have to travel as much. If we provide good services locally people may not have to travel as much.

“If we reduce the need to travel, we solve a lot of our problems as well as building a better, nicer society.”

The landmark North East devolution deal is due to be formally ratified in Parliament this month, allowing an election to be held on May 2. The new mayor will serve a population of around two million people in Northumberland, County Durham, Gateshead, North Tyneside, South Tyneside and Sunderland.