After four decades, Steve Rotheram wants to put the public back into public transport in the Liverpool City Region
19:30, 23 Jan 2026Updated 19:44, 23 Jan 2026
Politics, passengers and progress have all played a part in the momentous decision taken by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority to bring buses back into public control. Almost three years on from the historic initial decision to take ownership of routes, fares and the region’s bus fleet, Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram has now officially unveiled who will take on the delivery of the first two areas to operate the franchise model.
Under a franchise system, the combined authority will take control of setting fares and routes in a move to make buses work in the interests of passengers and not for private companies. In embracing the model, Liverpool City Region becomes only the second area outside London to run a publicly operated bus network.
More than 6,000 people had their say on the plans in a wide ranging public consultation back in 2023. Analysis of the results showed almost 70% of respondents backed its introduction.
Now we know who will take on the first two tranches of services when the roll-out begins in September. Stagecoach will provide new vehicles decked out in striking yellow livery along the roads of St Helens while Greater Manchester-based firm Go-Ahead Bus will operate on the Wirral.
Incidentally, the Liverpool City Region will now look to repeat the successes of Greater Manchester’s Bee Network in running public services, as Mr Rotheram explained. He said: “From later this year, we’ll see the new buses, the new rounds because we’ll be in control of the routes and the frequency of these things and how much people are charged on those on buses, but it’s about the integration of the public transport system.
“It’s taken a long time because we had to wait for the legislation and go through the legal loopholes.” You could argue calling it a long time is something of an understatement, given this year marks 40 years since Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative government deregulated the bus network.
Ending Thatcherism
In introducing the Transport Act 1985, the government privatised services across the country, excluding greater London, which stripped local authorities of fare stripping powers and control over routes. It was formally adopted in October 1986.
The significance of this wasn’t lost on Mr Rotheram. He said: “We’re here and it’s rolling back Thatcherism because it was 1985 when all of this happened, so for me, ideologically it’s something I’m really proud of. Passengers will see the real difference.”
Now the Metro Mayor wants to build on the progress made to date and set the wheels in motion for a much more integrated system. Ahead of the later tranches in Sefton, Liverpool and Knowsley going live next year, Mr Rotheram said he wants to put the “public back into public transport” and cited things like improved connectivity to areas like hospitals as a crucial step forward.
He said: “It means that also we can change routes because it comes under our regulations. There are also lots of routes that aren’t commercially viable so we’ll be able to cross-subsidise those from the profits that we make in the popular routes, but we want to build a fully integrated transport system and this is the only way you’re going to get those improvements.
“We’ll learn bit by bit as we do this and we’ll tweak it, because we’ll have the control to regulate how we want to.”
Political leaders and bus operators signed the momentous deal at St Helens Town Hall(Image: )
St Helens and Wirral are the first two areas to benefit from the new scheme, which has been warmly welcomed by the boroughs’ leaders. Cllr Anthony Burns, leader of St Helens Council said: “Bus franchising is an example of devolution in action and how, as a City Region, we are delivering for our residents, businesses and the environment.
“I am delighted that the people of St Helens Borough will be among the first to benefit from better connectivity and more reliable, high-quality dependable bus services that will also help in our efforts relating to Net Zero. This is an exciting time for St Helens and alongside the St Helens Transport Interchange development, construction of which is well underway, bus franchising will truly transform the way people travel to, from and around our borough in the coming years.”
Cllr Paula Basnett, leader of Wirral Council, added: “The introduction of bus franchising is a landmark moment for Wirral and a major step forward for our residents, businesses and visitors. Every single day, buses connect tens of thousands of our residents with jobs, education, healthcare and each other, so it’s essential that services are reliable, affordable and designed around how people actually travel.
Stagecoach has been confirmed as one of the operators for the new routes(Image: )
“Bringing buses back under public control marks a significant change after decades in which local areas had little influence over routes, timetables or fares. Franchising puts passengers first and gives us the ability to shape a network that better reflects local needs.
“With Wirral among the first areas to see this new system introduced, residents will benefit from stronger connections to hospitals, rail stations and services that support both our local economy and our ambitions for a cleaner, more sustainable transport system.”
All change
Stagecoach has had a long journey providing services in Merseyside and will lead on routes across St Helens moving forward. Rob Jones, managing director for Manchester and Merseyside said the deal struck with the firm and the CA was “crucial.”
“He added: “We have a fantastic local team who have a proud history of serving communities in and around the Liverpool City Region, and we are honoured to be entrusted with the responsibility of delivering reliable and high-quality services under this new franchise. We are looking forward to working in partnership with the Mayor and Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, as we have a shared goal to deliver outstanding service for a brighter future for our region. “
Matt Carney, Go-Ahead Bus chief executive, said: “We’re really grateful to the LCRCA for entrusting us with this privilege and we look forward to making a positive impact on the community. Securing this contract is an exciting step for Go-Ahead and a clear demonstration of our commitment to deliver world-class public transport.”