Bringing buses back into public control across the Liverpool City Region is to move a step closer with the launch of a major public consultation.
Members of the city region combined authority agreed last year to move forward with franchising as a future model for running the bus network and services, one of only two locations in the UK to opt for such a process. Under a franchise system, the combined authority would take control of setting fares and routes in a move to make buses work in the interests of passengers and not for private companies, according to members of the authority.
Now, the decision is to be put to the 1.6m people across the region as Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram confirmed they will now have the chance to make their voices heard. Currently private operators decide the routes, timetables, fares and standards.
