Today I have submitted my response to the Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s public bus consultation on their proposal to create a London style bus franchising system.
I support the proposal that they have put forward, though I remain committed to the idea that our public transport system should be wholly publicly owned and publicly ran.
The franchising option is the best route forward at this moment as it presents the ability to divert profits from commercially successful routes to those otherwise deemed commercially nonviable and yet remain a vital public service – evidence shows that 95% of people in Greater Manchester support the idea of subsidising unprofitable bus routes in order to provide a public service, so I hope as many people as possible have completed a submission.
The proposal gives local authorities in partnership with the GMCA and TfGM control over the bus routes themselves, the timetables, the fares and the standards bus operators should be upholding. This should in practice mean an end to complicated bus ticketing systems across the city-region, and will help to create a single ticket system across all modes of public transport.
We need a bus network which allows people to travel all over our city region, and to create that it needs to be part of a fully integrated transport system, as it stands it is not easy for my constituents in Oldham, and others in the north of Greater Manchester, find it difficult to use public transport to reach key employment centres like Trafford Park and Manchester Airport. So much so that 37% of job-seekers across GM say that lack of access to affordable and reliable transport is a barrier to gaining employment.
There is no point in arguing about it, bus deregulation has failed. There is no competition as was desired instead we are left with two private sector monopolies operating the north and south of the conurbation. The franchise system will at least allow for accountability should bus operators continue to offer sub-standard service.
If you have not already done so, and you agree with the points raised in my response you can easily fill in the Better Buses for Greater Manchester submission at: bit.ly/ourbuses
Jim McMahon OBE MP 
It would seem that you have more confidence in private ownership with self -regulation than I have. PFI in the schools should have been a pointer for you not to support this move. If only you had some confidence in the councils.
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