Councils to get power to replicate London’s bus network nationwide – minister

The Better Buses Bill is aimed at delivering the Government’s ambition to improve services across the country.

Transport Secretary Louise Haigh has pledged to give councils across England the power to replicate London’s ‘world-class’ bus network (Tejas Sandhu/PA) (PA Wire)

Councils across England will be handed the power to replicate London’s “world-class” bus network, Transport Secretary Louise Haigh said.

The Cabinet minister made the commitment as she met Mayor of London Sadiq Khan on a visit to Waterloo bus garage on Thursday.

Legislation to give all councils the power to franchise local bus services was included in Wednesday’s King’s Speech.

Passengers do not have to put up with a broken bus system

Louise Haigh, Transport Secretary

The Better Buses Bill is aimed at delivering the Government’s ambition to improve services nationwide.

Franchising involves local authorities determining the details of bus services provided by private companies, such as routes, timetables and standards.

While bus services in London and Manchester are franchised, most English local authorities do not have the power to do so.

Ms Haigh said: “I’m thrilled to meet Sadiq Khan today to see first-hand how Transport for London (TfL) is delivering one of the world’s most efficient, affordable and sustainable transport networks in the world.

“It’s working proof that passengers do not have to put up with a broken bus system.

“We’re only two weeks in Government, and we’re already taking the fast lane towards better integrated travel for all.

“Our Better Buses Bill will remove barriers and empower local leaders to replicate London’s world-class bus network across the country, giving passengers a transport system they can truly rely on.”

Asked if she believes a London-style network would be suitable across England, she told the PA news agency: “It’s not going to be exactly the right thing in every corner of the country but the objective of our plans is to give every area of the country the flexibility and the ability to deliver the right network for them.”

TfL launched a network of express bus routes in July last year named Superloop, which involved a combination of new services and renaming existing routes.

The Department for Transport said this has been “transformational”, with demand for Superloop buses 9% higher than the network average.

Mr Khan said: “London has a world-class public transport network and our zero-emission bus fleet is setting the standard for others to follow.

“The evidence is clear – if you invest in new transport infrastructure, people will use it, and I’m delighted that new figures show the huge popularity of the Superloop since it launched.

“Investment in buses and other transport in London also benefits the rest of the country, with supply chains in Ballymena, Falkirk and Yorkshire creating jobs and boosting economic growth across the UK.

“I’m hugely excited about the reset in the relationship between London and national government and about working hand-in-hand with the new Transport Secretary to deliver a better London for everyone and the change the country needs.”