Tory councillors in Northumberland voice concern over mayor's bus reform plans

The North East Strategic Mayoral Authority is currently consulting on a proposed bus franchising scheme that would bring services back under public control.

While bus companies would still run services, the mayoral authority would set routes, timetables and fares and have set service standards.

Bus services in the North East are currently deregulated. This means private bus companies decide routes, timetables, fares and service standards.

At a meeting of Northumberland County Council’s cabinet, deputy leader Richard Wearmouth said: “We don’t support bus franchising. I think this is something from the political agenda the mayor has – it’s part of her manifesto and she is well within her rights to do that.

“However, bus franchising does create risk for the taxpayer and could be considered to be a needless distraction. People want to be able to hop on and off a bus with a tap of a phone or a card as you can in London – they want to know it will arrive on time and they want somewhere safe and dry to wait for a bus.

“None of that requires franchising. All that I can say franchising has achieved so far is we have wasted a lot of time implementing things people would have wanted.

“The positives are we can respond to this consultation politely and nicely. We will emphasis the things that Northumberland does well.

“In other parts of the country and the region bus patronage has gone down but in Northumberland we have seen passenger numbers increase by no less than 600,000 journeys over the course of four years. We have managed to not only protect rural services, but enhance them.

“We will be saying we want to keep that link with our operators in Northumberland and not have that taken up the tree to the combined authority. As a minimum red line, we don’t want to see an erosion of rural services as we go into this wider arrangement.”

The mayoral authority say the new model could bring simpler tickets along with more consistent routes and timetables and better connections.

North East Mayor Kim McGuinness said: “When I was elected Mayor, I made it my first priority to bring buses under public control so they work better for the people who rely on them. I know too many people in Northumberland and other areas feel buses aren’t reliable, affordable or easy to use.

“I want to change that and give people the world class public transport we deserve. Since we brought in the Mayor’s Fares, and paid subsidies to bus companies so people can travel anywhere for £2.50, or just £1 for under 22s, it is true that passenger numbers have started to rise.

“I am proud we have made fares more affordable for local people but I believe we can go further so people trust their bus again. Bringing buses under public control was the best way I could see not just to protect vital routes in rural areas but to find ways to grow them.”

The consultation on bus services can be completed via the North East Strategic Mayoral Authority’s website.