Liverpool City Region Bus Franchising

[Barney]

RE: Liverpool City Region Bus Franchising

(26/06/2023 13:00)CX06 EBK Wrote:  You could say the same about energy firms transferring billions in profit into shareholders and bosses bonuses. If I was given a choice over what was brought under public control as a priority, my astronomical energy bills or bus services - I know which one I'm chosing. You'll ignore the fact that the very party who want to take control over buses in Liverpool have oversaw transforming the city centre into THE most bus unfriendly place to drive anywhere in the city and expect them to do a better job than what's currently here? By the way, Merseytravel also kept services at "covid levels" on their "socially neccesary" services for far longer than the private companies did, what was the excuse? If it was that smaller firms didn't have the staffing levels to cover an increase, why do you think a franchise model will do ANYTHING to change that?

There isn't enough money in the Treasury to buy back the energy companies. Personally, I'd prefer the Water companies were taken back into public ownership.

The only reason we are having this discussion on franchising now is because a Conservative Government - not a local Labour administration - passed the necessary legislation in Parliament in 2017 that allows Combined Authorities to adopt this model.

I agree that the provision of bus services in Liverpool city centre is appalling but that is the result of a policy decision taken by Liverpool City Council led by Joe Anderson in 2018 not by the Liverpool City Region or Merseytravel.

The reason why many Merseytravel services were reduced and have never been reinstated is obvious: limited financial support from central government

The problem of recruiting and retaining staff within the bus industry is not a new one and has existed for decades. It was alleviated to some at extent at the turn of the millennium but that supply of labour began to dry up for some reason after a referendum in 2016 and it is now a nationwide problem in many sectors not just the bus industry.