Bus users in Liverpool have praised a new ruling which could bode well for the future of the City Region's bus services.
Last week, a judge ruled in favour of Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham's plans to bring his region's buses back under public control. The re-regulated bus networks will afford local leaders with more control over fares, routes and services.
The Manchester Evening News, revealed today that the new plans would see fares capped at £2 for a single adult journey, while children will pay no more than £1. The move should also make a fragmented ticketing system much simpler, it is said.
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The developments in Greater Manchester coincide with the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority’s decision to give the green light to the franchise model and bring its own network of buses back under public control. Passengers at the Liverpool One Bus Station on Paradise Street who we spoke to today expressed their support for the potential re-regulation of buses in the Liverpool City Region in the wake of the new developments.
Among them was Ralph Judge from Breck Road, who said: “In Spain it’s only a Euro to travel anywhere and it should be like that here. It affects kids as well. I had to pay for a kid the other day because he didn’t have any money and the pass that he had wouldn’t let him on the bus.”
Greater Manchester’s scheme will look to bring pricing more in line with London's £1.65 "Hopper" fare, and Tommy Eccles from Widnes hopes that is something that will be emulated in Liverpool.
He told the ECHO: “It would help if you could use the same ticket on any of the buses. It affects a lot of people. If they can cap prices in London, then why can’t they do it here?”
The move to re-regulate buses in Liverpool will mark the biggest change to the public transport network in the city since the 1980s, with Metro Mayor Steve Rotherham hailing the plan as a "once in a lifetime opportunity to reverse the disastrous decision to deregulate services outside of the capital."
Yvonne Cassidy from Runcorn complained of recent changes that have limited the accessibility of buses for people looking to travel into Liverpool. She said: “The X1 bus from Runcorn was regular, usually half-hourly, and now, if you have a bus pass, you can only get on one every couple of hours so it’s not as good for us coming in from Runcorn as it used to be.”
Yvonne added: “I think the changes will help and now the diesel prices are going up you’ll probably get more people wanting to get the bus.”
While city region leaders will have to wait and see if the local bus operators register any legal challenges, the judge's decision in Greater Manchester offers encouragement.
Mossley Hill resident, Susan Jones, was hopeful that the ruling down the M62 will inspire similar changes in Liverpool. She told the ECHO: “I’d definitely be behind a move to cap prices. Anything that is going to make things easier for people is worth it.”
