The WECA bus improvement plan and service franchising

ON 21 February the Bristol Cable reported metromayor Dan Norris as declaring a ‘very strong interest’ in bus franchising and that “I will be in a strong position to make a decision in probably three years’ time”.

That’s how long realistically it will take because that’s when the data will come through from Andy [Burnham] and maybe some other metro mayor areas”.

I have received a reply from WECA to a freedom of information request regarding its bus service improvement plan and franchising. This shows that franchising is absolutely not on the table for at least three years because the improvement plan, signed off by Mr Norris in February 2023, makes no provision for a transition to franchising. Waiting for data from Greater Manchester and Burnham has nothing to do with it.

‘We can confirm that the Bus Service Improvement Plan contains no proposals for a transition from an Enhanced Partnership option with bus providers to franchising of the city region bus service. The first Enhanced Partnership Plan and Scheme for the West of England was formally made in February of this year and we have a full programme of improvements to deliver with our BSIP funding before assessing the effectiveness of this approach in achieving the BSIP outcomes. The BSIP funding from central government is not available to carry out a transition to franchising and it would not be appropriate for franchising to be pursued outside of the BSIP remit. In any event, the threeyear duration of the BSIP programme (from April 2022) would not be sufficient time to make such a change.’

Dan Norris needs to explain why, if he had a ‘very strong interest’ in bus franchising, he authorised an enhanced partnership plan which made no provision for a later transition to franchising. This was at a time when he claimed that franchising was ‘absolutely on the table’ and under ‘constant review’ by his mayoral authority.

Chris Lamb Bristol