Greater Manchester transport chiefs take the bus debate to Westminster

Date published: 17/10/2006

Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority took its campaign for better bus services to the top at a House of Commons event.

Over a hundred politicians and key decision makers attended the parliamentary event, which asked the question "20 years of bus deregulation: Has it worked?". It took place a week before the 20th anniversary of bus deregulation on 26 October.

Graham Stringer, MP for Manchester Blackley, hosted the event as a Member of the Commons Transport Select Committee, which recently held an inquiry into bus services in the UK.

Chairman of GMPTA Councillor Roger Jones made the case for greater local authority control of bus services and Gillian Merron, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport, also spoke.

The event came just weeks after the Secretary of State for Transport, Douglas Alexander, pledged at the Labour Party Conference to "bring forward proposals to change the way buses are run in this country".

Councillor Roger Jones, said: "After 20 years it is clear that bus deregulation has not delivered the quality of service that bus passengers outside London deserve.

"Those of us who wish to see better bus services for all Greater Manchester communities have welcomed Douglas Alexander’s commitment to tackle problems on the bus network by giving local transport authorities real powers to make a real difference.

"We have an important parliamentary year ahead of us, during which we hope to establish what the Secretary of State’s pledges will mean in practice. GMPTA believes these "real powers’ need to enable local transport authorities to oversee the letting of franchises for the many, if not all, of our local bus services."

Bus services outside London have been provided by private operators since the industry was deregulated in 1986. Since then, bus use in Passenger Transport Executive areas has fallen by 48%, whilst bus fares have risen by 86% in real terms.

GMPTA is committed to the principle of local transport authorities having greater control over the bus network on a cross-party basis.