Bus Services Bill
In many areas of our country, the bus is essential. It enables people to get to work, to school, to the doctor's or to hospital, and can drastically improve quality of life. With this in mind, I wholeheartedly advocate for the passage of the Bus Services Bill as I believe that Government has a necessary role to play in supporting local bus services through continued investment. As the Bill passed through the Commons I made a speech in support for the Bill.
The Bus Services Bill is particularly important as it provides local authorities with the means to improve local bus services. Local authorities will be able to set required standards of service with bus providers, including ticketing and the frequencies of services. Further to this, it will give powers to franchise services to combined authorities with directly elected Mayors to allow them to take control of their services, as Transport for London does in London.
I have recognised, however, there that has been a great deal of contention surrounding Clause 21 of the Bus Services Bill which prohibits LTAs from establishing their own new bus operator. Although it has been described by the Transport Select Committee as "one of the more controversial aspects of the Bill", I would like to reassure you that the Government claims that the same LTA that is specifying services under a franchising system should not also own an operator which can then bid for those services.
I understand that establishing a company for the purposes of operating local bus services may be something that some local authorities would like to do. However, this is not something that has happened for many years, and no local authority has indicated to Ministers that they wish to pursue such a course of action. Further to this, private sector bus operators have been delivering local bus services for the last 30 years, and we do not want to lose their experience and know-how. I would like to ensure that we get the right balance of local authority knowledge and private sector experience, particularly as many people depend on the quality and consistency of these services. I personally believe that local authorities, with their knowledge of the local area, local needs, and controls over other aspects such as local roads and parking policies, are well placed to help shape and influence the services that are provided, with private sector bus operators using their operational experience on the road.
I also believe that local authorities have other, more pressing priorities to attend to, and that they should therefore focus on partnerships with private operators. I am proud to say that this Bill will provide local authorities with a number of opportunities to influence the provision of local bus services in their area, whether through enhanced partnerships or franchising.
There is no doubt that, in a small number of places, municipal bus companies continue to play an important role in the local transport system. However, I strongly believe that the creation of further municipal bus companies would stifle the private sector investment that has made such a significant difference. For these reasons, I personally advocate that the commissioning and provision of services are best kept separate, and that local authorities should not be able to set up new companies to run bus services.
Although it is important to note that Clause 21 was removed from the Bill by a non-Government amendment during its passage through the House of Lords, I largely expect that the Government will reinsert the clause during the Bill's passage through the Commons. As an advocate for the Bus Services Bill in entirety, I have spoken several times in Parliament regarding the necessity of this bill in supporting our local bus services. Thus, I will continue to help ensure that the Government pursues the passage of the entire Bus Services Bill, including Clause 21, to best improve the essential services used throughout our country.
You can read my full speech here.