More devolved powers for buses and public transport, argues think tank

Think tank IPPR has released a new report outlining that local authorities should be granted more devolved powers to tackle failing bus services.

The IPPR report argues that bus services in smaller towns and rural areas have been decimated by falling patronage, rising fares, reduced services and large cuts to local authority budgets.

The think tank recommend that local authorities are given the power to create new Total Transport Authorities (TTAs) to work across multiple local authority areas and take control of transport related funding and powers. The report also suggests that the TTAs should be granted more powers to allow franchising, which would encourage a wider range of providers to help improve public transport services.

Luke Rakes, IPPR research fellow, said: “The lack of commercially viable bus services in towns and rural areas, combined with the cuts to local government funding for non-commercial routes, has meant a downward spiral of higher fares, lower patronage and poorer services in many areas.”

He added: “London-style franchising could be an important part of the solution for many areas, but isn’t the only approach. It has worked effectively in London for 15 years and is now being adopted in Greater Manchester and possibly in Tyne and Wear, West Yorkshire and Cornwall.

“Its main advantage is to retain fare revenue within a locality and allow it to be used more strategically to cross-subsidise uncommercial routes. Franchising also allows greater democratic accountability over fares, services and routes, and makes network integration, multi-operator smart ticketing and data sharing more viable.”

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