County’s leaders set out plans for stronger alliance with bus firms

POLITICAL leaders in West Yorkshire have set out plans for a stronger partnership with the county’s bus operators in a move which could guarantee consistent standards across different services and lead to better deals for customers.

The announcement that the West Yorkshire Combined Authority ( WYCA) is working on an enhanced partnership comes as a review suggests there could be an extra 24million bus journeys locally by 2033 if services are improved.

The move comes amid fears that operators such as First may reduce services when the Government reduces the temporary funding support it currently offers to compensate for the loss of fare revenue.

Outside London the number of people using buses has been declining for years but the trend has been much more pronounced during the pandemic because of the numbers of people working from home.

A report by the WYCA says the deregulated model in place outside the capital, which gives political leaders virtually no say over bus services, “is unlikely to be appropriate for the post- Covid environment”. Currently the combined authority, which is responsible for transport policy across the county and promoting economic growth, has what is described as a “light touch” relationship with bus operators in the form of a voluntary partnership agreement.

The option of franchising, where local authorities determine the details of the services, is being considered.

But the authority is now proposing to develop an “enhanced partnership”, where civic leaders come up with a vision for what bus services ought to look like and targets for improvements but require the support of operators for it to proceed.

Areas within the scope of this arrangement include ensuring customers receive a consistent standard of bus service across the network and developing fare deals to boost patronage and make bus travel more accessible.

Kim Groves, inset, chair of the WYCA’s transport committee, said: “Our review of the region’s core bus services confirms there is huge potential to encourage significant growth in passenger numbers with the right investment.”