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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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<\/a> while Greater Manchester-based firm Go-Ahead Bus will operate on the Wirral<\/a>.<\/p>\n Incidentally, the Liverpool City Region will now look to repeat the successes of Greater Manchester\u2019s Bee Network in running public services, as Mr Rotheram explained. He said: \u201cFrom later this year, we\u2019ll see the new buses, the new rounds because we\u2019ll be in control of the routes and the frequency of these things and how much people are charged on those on buses, but it\u2019s about the integration of the public transport system.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s taken a long time because we had to wait for the legislation and go through the legal loopholes.\u201d You could argue calling it a long time is something of an understatement, given this year marks 40 years since Margaret Thatcher\u2019s Conservative government deregulated the bus network.<\/p>\n Ending Thatcherism<\/strong><\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n The significance of this wasn\u2019t lost on Mr Rotheram. He said: \u201cWe\u2019re here and it\u2019s rolling back Thatcherism because it was 1985 when all of this happened, so for me, ideologically it\u2019s something I\u2019m really proud of. Passengers will see the real difference.\u201d<\/p>\n 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<\/a>, Liverpool and Knowsley<\/a> going live next year, Mr Rotheram said he wants to put the \u201cpublic back into public transport\u201d and cited things like improved connectivity to areas like hospitals as a crucial step forward.<\/p>\n He said: \u201cIt means that also we can change routes because it comes under our regulations. There are also lots of routes that aren\u2019t commercially viable so we\u2019ll 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\u2019re going to get those improvements.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll learn bit by bit as we do this and we\u2019ll tweak it, because we\u2019ll have the control to regulate how we want to.\u201d<\/p>\n Political leaders and bus operators signed the momentous deal at St Helens Town Hall(Image: )<\/p>\n St Helens and Wirral are the first two areas to benefit from the new scheme, which has been warmly welcomed by the boroughs\u2019 leaders. Cllr Anthony Burns, leader of St Helens Council said: \u201cBus franchising is an example of devolution in action and how, as a City Region, we are delivering for our residents, businesses and the environment.<\/p>\n \u201cI 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.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Political](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0_Z7D_1103.jpg\")
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