Impact of pandemic on local public transport systems

Coronavirus has made it apparent that the current commercialised model of public transport is not fit for purpose, Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram told the Transport Select Committee on June 17.

The pandemic has also brought “order and stability” to Manchester’s rail system, according to Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham.

The TSC was investigating the impact of the pandemic on local services, with the Mayors of Liverpool, Manchester and West of England quizzed remotely.

Burnham told the TSC: “The timetable chaos has finally subsided, with this opportunity for the rail industry to strip back and build back up slowly.”

Rotheram said: “There is the potential that some public transport systems will not be able to continue indefinitely unless there is significant central Government intervention and support. The overheads for that, the on-costs and the costs of operators are the same as they would be if it was at 100% of capacity usage. We are on about 15% and therefore sustaining huge losses on a daily basis. That cannot continue indefinitely.”

Rotherham called the financial support from Government “inadequate”. He told the TSC: “Specifically on Merseyrail, I have constant conversations with the Department for Transport. As yet, we still do not have a deal, when Emergency Measures Arrangements were made almost immediately with the national rail operators. That jeopardises our ability to run services. We are limping along.”

Burnham claimed that following the easing of lockdown rules on June 15, there had been a 35% increase in passengers on the Metrolink system.