Manchester bus franchising

[KXW212]

RE: Manchester bus franchising

(22/02/2023 10:15)Barney Wrote:  I totally agree with you that far too often the position of the Secretary of State for Transport is a short-term one - there have been three since last September - and it would be refreshing to see someone in office who has a genuine interest and understanding of the brief.

As you have conceded, Andy Burnham does have a vision and will attempt to implement it thanks to the 2017 legislation but I am not sure its ultimate success of failure will be down to the "persistent incompetence of the public servants". Who are these people? Name names.

Yes, absolutely, the whole public transport set-up in the UK is an embarrassing shambles. The reason for this is because successive UK governments refuse to acknowledge the fact that you have to fund and finance it from the public purse. On continental Europe, bus operation is either under state control of has the franchising model. Why can't it exist in the UK?

"persistent incompetence of the public servants".
Lets start with the last 7 Secretary's of State for Transport then
Hammond, Greening, McLoughlin, Grayling (a particular standout), Shapps, Trevelyan, Harper.
The issue isn't where the legislation comes from, it's the quality of the individual implementing it. When we have politics attracting the very worst in society (that applies across the political spectrum, both local and national) it's hardly surprising that transport and most other things are in such a dire state.
I actually hope GM franchising as a concept works out, but I have zero confidence in the knowledge or ability of those doing it. We'll see