DEBATE: PRIVATE OR PUBLIC?

PRIVATE

THE Confederation of Passenger Transport strongly disputes the findings in this report.

It is a fact that bus patronage had been in decline for decades and deregulation in the mid-80s slowed down and, in many cases, reversed decline in ridership.

Bus patronage is also affected by factors such as the huge growth of online shopping, high street store closures which saw many well-known chains disappear, increased car use, and the continuing popularity of out-of-town shopping developments.

Commercial bus operators are already providing many of the desired outcomes of a franchise model including ticketing arrangements.

CPT believes providing high-quality local bus services is a shared responsibility and when operators and local authorities work together in partnership, real benefits for the passenger are achieved.

Partnership working has seen passenger numbers rise, complaints fall, and has kept fares affordable.

Many of the areas in the UK recording the highest customer satisfaction rates have built their success by working in partnership.