THE decision to move forward to a long-awaited public consultation on bus franchising following crunch talks held this week has been hailed by bosses involved in the landmark move.( At the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) board meeting on Tuesday, the Mayor Oliver Coppard and county bosses - including Barnsley Council leader Sir Steve Houghton - considered an independent review of the bus franchising assessment and agreed to progress to a 12-week public consultation on the proposed scheme.
Mr Coppard said he has been committed to improving buses since his election, with feedback from more than 30 public meetings on services - including many in Barnsley - which made clear that the ‘current system is not working for them’.
He said: “We’re taking a big step towards fixing public transport as we consider going back to the future.
“When I was a kid, we had a world-class bus network with 2p fares, reliable services and routes that ran right across the region.
“But after changes were made to how bus networks were managed in the 1980s, we’ve seen our buses go into a spiral of decline.
“Fewer people get the bus, so services get worse, so fewer people get the bus.
“Buses are a lifeline to opportunity and without a proper bus network, all too many people can’t get to work, to the doctor, to school, or just to see friends and family.
“So I was really pleased on Tuesday that, together with the leaders of South Yorkshire’s councils, we agreed to move towards the next phase of the franchising process.”
The 12-week public consultation will run from October 23 to January 15, ensuring people are at the ‘heart of the process’, with local passengers, businesses and transport providers able to have their say.
Mayor Coppard will then listen to and consider all consultation responses before making a final decision.
“If we want to get back to reliable, frequent and more comprehensive services, then public control through a so-called ‘franchised’ model is the best way forward,” he added.
“The leaders of our councils and I agree, so we’re now moving towards the next phase of the franchising process.
“So now we need you to help us decide if that’s the right way forward, and if you want us to bring buses back under public control, like they were before the changes of the 1980s.
“More information on the public consultation will be released in due course with details on how you can get involved.”
Sir Steve Houghton, leader of Barnsley Council, said: “As a statutory consultee, the council will be responding to SYMCA’s consultation on bus franchising for South Yorkshire.
“The consultation opens on October 23 for 12 weeks and I encourage all our residents and businesses to have their say.”
Matthew Topham, a campaigner at Better Buses for South Yorkshire, praised the move.
“We’re delighted that the business case has backed the common sense view: buses should work for the communities they serve, not shareholders living overseas.
“No other European country has handed control of its transport network over to fat cats as we have.
“This is an essential step back towards the network we all deserve.
“It would allow smoother journeys, better value tickets and a new passengers over profits approach on the region’s buses.
“It can’t come soon enough.”
Jump-based campaigner Fran Postlethwaite added: “Our coalition has been calling for full-fat franchising, with depots and vehicles in public ownership, because it ends the monopoly power of First and Stagecoach, putting passengers’ needs - not private greed - in the driving seat.
“We’re delighted this has emerged as the preferred option.”
