MP Bill Esterson has again called on Arriva to scrap its proposal to re-route the 47 bus away from Ince Blundell and says the episode has reinforced his belief that buses should be re-regulated in the Liverpool City Region.
The MP for Sefton Central said re-regulation would take control of bus services away from private providers and put it in the hands of Merseytravel, who could run services for public benefit not simply private profit.
Arriva Buses announced last month that from September 1 the 47 Crossens to Liverpool bus would not travel through Ince Blundell. It is currently the only bus that serves the village. Around 200 journeys are taken each week from the village by residents who describe the bus as “a lifeline”.
The Shadow Business Minister has twice written to Arriva CEO Manfred Rudhart to ask that the decision be reversed.
The MP also attended a National Bus Strategy event in Parliament pledging his support for better local bus services. The event was hosted by the Campaign for Better Transport group, which is calling on the Government to introduce a national strategy to support local buses.
More bus use could result in a cut to air pollution, would help tackle loneliness and could boost to economic growth, say the group.
Mr Esterson said: “The 47 bus is a lifeline to residents in Ince Bundell and the decision by Arriva to cut Ince Blundell from the route – altough we hope it does not go ahead – shows the failure of deregulation of buses.
“When buses were taken out of public control and handed to the private sector it was meant to drive efficiency. This may be the case on the busy routes where the providers can make the most profit but it leaves more isolated areas at risk of having no service at all, which is what we have been seeing with Ince Blundell. Ince Blundell can ill-afford to lose this service because the alternative – walking down the busy A565 for half a mile to reach the next nearest bus stop – is unthinkable, especially for children and the elderly. The whole episode has been a fiasco.
“Around 85% of our buses are run by the private sector for profit, leaving the other 15% to be run by Merseytravel. After a £5m cut to their budget in the last few years they can’t guarantee a comprehensive service either. It is simply another failure of the market to provide.
“Buses, which account for more than 80% of public transport journeys in Merseyside and are used mostly by people at the lower end of the income scale, should be run for public benefit not private profit. At the moment Merseytravel cannot run any routes that compete with a private provider – the private providers are allowed to sweep up all the profits and abandon those more isolated areas where the benefits to them are not as great.”
The MP backed the Campaign for Better Transport’s push for a National Bus Strategy, saying:
“Buses connect people to work and college, shops and services, friends and family. They have great potential to reduce congestion on our roads and clean up our air, as well as helping us meet our greenhouse gas emissions targets. We need a National Bus Strategy. Where local authorities want to explore reregulation and franchising, a Strategy would give them the long-term reassurance they need to grow and develop services.”
Darren Shirley, Chief Executive of Campaign for Better Transport, said: “Buses are the backbone of our public transport network and communities across the country rely on them. We are calling on the Government to introduce a National Bus Strategy that will make clear how passenger numbers can be increased and services supported and developed. We’ve seen from our event in Parliament that MPs up and down the country agree on the need for a National Bus Strategy; we welcome their support for this issue which is important to so many people.
Katy Taylor, Commercial and Customer Director at Go-Ahead Group, a transport company backing the calls for a National Bus Strategy, said: “Buses provide access to employment and education, enable sustainable growth and help tackle loneliness and social isolation. Whilst we are seeing bus journeys increase in some parts of the country, a National Bus Strategy would enable more people to make a positive choice to take a greener form of transport.”
The event in Parliament marked the launch of renewed calls for the Government do more to support bus services by introducing a National Bus Strategy, and follows similar recommendations by the Transport Select Committee. As the most used form of public transport – three in every five journeys are made by bus – a National Bus Strategy would ensure the Government focuses on protecting and improving bus services across the country, as well as making adequate funding and support available.
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