What is the Better Buses Pledge?
Our bills are skyrocketing. Our planet is heating up. And after nearly 40 years of mismanagement by big business, our buses are in crisis.
We need rapid action to improve bus services. The best way to do that is to make buses work for people and planet, not just for profit.
The next mayor can bring buses into public control, starting to deliver on that goal. But warm words of support aren't enough. That's why we are asking the candidates for mayor to make a Better Buses Pledge to reassure the public that they will make buses that work for local communities, not distant shareholders, a top priority.
What is the full pledge?
“I pledge to bring buses into public control, working to unlock these powers by completing a franchising assessment in my first two years in office.
To show the public I mean business, I will make sure that the process is accountable, prompt, and transparent (or APT).
- Accountable by appointing a Bus Franchising Progress Manager solely responsible for ensuring the assessment is delivered on time and on budget.
- Prompt by taking the first step in the franchising process — accessing data from the Bus Operators — within my first two months in office.
- Transparent by outlining a clear timetable, with monthly goals, to help the public measure my progress.”
Why make the pledge?
The Challenge
Nearly 40% of South Yorkshire’s carbon emissions come from transport (mostly cars) while the cost of goods, especially fuel, are hitting record highs, pushing residents into poverty.
A bus can carry 80x more people than a car, lowering emissions and the demand for fuel.
The region’s buses were once world-leading; both affordable and convenient. Most of us would leave the car at home if they still were. Instead, we have seen years of decline.
Passenger levels dropped over a fifth in the last decade. Up to a quarter of services fail to turn up on time. Fares rise well above inflation. And all the while the network is shrinking.
For these reasons, former UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights, Philip Alston, singled out South Yorkshire in his report on the “significant human rights impacts” of UK bus policies. He also pointed to public control as the way to reverse the damage.
The Solution
Public control, or franchising, is where a local authority (like TfL in London) designs the bus network in the public interest but then tenders portions of the network to private operators.
The operators are tied to a contract specifying their ticketing structure, routes, timetables, and environmental standards. This is unlike our current deregulated system where they are free to change these, even if the change impacts local economic growth or human rights.
Franchising would also unlock powers to integrate and simplify tickets, lower costs, and coordinate services, many of which are illegal under deregulation (due to competition law).
One new power would be that of the farebox. Currently, any money spent on tickets (i.e., fare revenue) is controlled by private operators.
When the public invests money into bus infrastructure (over £500m is planned for the next 5 years), any return on investment, from more tickets being sold, are captured by the operators who are obliged to prioritise shareholder value (through dividends/share prices).
Under public control, the farebox is in public hands meaning a positive investment-growth cycle can bgin: the public invests tax revenue in services, more people use the bus, fare revenue increases, the fare revenue is re-invested to improve services further.
Support for Public Control
According to the Government, public control has the best chance of getting people out of cars as it is the only option that will deliver a “significant increase in patronage.”
In a period that saw Yorkshire’s passenger levels fall by 60%, London’s franchised network saw journeys roughly double. In Jersey, public control allowed a 40% rise in ridership in just 5 years, while local authority costs decreased by 11%.
Public control is also identified as better for passengers than the alternative option, continued deregulation under a so-called Enhanced Partnership, by policy experts:
- The Centre for Cities says that all 23 “key mayoral aspirations for bus services” can be delivered by a franchising system but only 5 under an Enhanced Partnership.
- Transport for a Quality Life found that 11 out of 16 essential attributes of a 'World-Class Bus System' cannot be achieved under a partnership (the remaining 5 can only be 'partially achieved'). Franchising achieves them all.
- The Government believes 6 of 7 Local Transport Authority objectives are better achieved by franchising than a partnership — they tie on the 7th objective.DLA Piper found that over a third of local targets are at risk under a partnership deal but that all targets would be secure under a franchising arrangement.
- Public control is also popular with the public: 82% agree that “as local authorities provide public money for the bus network, they should have more control over bus services.” Public control has been identified as key to the success of mayors in Manchester and Leeds.
Conclusion
It is clear that public control is the best way forward for our bus services and to address the twin crises of climate change and the rising cost of living.
Drawing on the Bus Review, chaired by Clive Betts MP, we recommend candidates make a clear “Better Buses Pledge” to show the public they will prioritise making this change.
This would mean aiming to take a final decision on public control within two years of election, through a process that is accountable, prompt, and transparent (or APT).
Above is our recommended pledge text. To support the public in their decision making, we will share, online and through leaflets and advertising, a pledge card showing what parts you have supported.