Councils should ‘not be afraid’ to run bus services

Richard Youle, Local democracy reporter

Swansea Council should not be afraid to step and run bus services if needed, its leader said during a discussion about greater public control of the network.

The Senedd has just approved franchising legislation which the Welsh Government hopes will create a more comprehensive, joined-up and reliable system and encourage more people to travel by bus.

Currently private bus operators decide most routes on a commercial basis, but this will change. Under the new system Transport for Wales will oversee bus franchises and, with input from councils and regional bodies called corporate joint committees, set routes, timetables and fares. Bus operators will then bid for contracts.

Councils in South West Wales, where bus franchising will be rolled out first in the country, have been busy been in recent weeks finalising so-called base networks – effectively a starting point setting out what services there should be. The plan is for franchising to start in the region in 2027.

Swansea’s cabinet approved its base network at a meeting on December 11 with members insisting it was just start.

“This is a very exciting time for bus services in Swansea and the wider region,” said Cllr Andrew Stevens, whose cabinet portfolio includes transport. “I’m sure there will be teething issues but this is a step in the right direction.”

A cabinet report said all parties involved were seeking to improve the experience for passengers. “This involves addressing many key elements that shape good customer experience, including integrated ticketing, clear and accessible travel information, a single customer contact point, and gradually introducing newer, better buses,” it said.

“Passengers want a well-planned and reliable network, that takes them where they want to go.”

A 12-week consultation about bus franchising took place in South West Wales over the summer and led to 679 online responses and 18 on paper. In Swansea seven meetings were held which 375 people attended.

The survey found that connecting bus and train services were a priority for passengers, with 60% of respondents saying they’d be willing to change between buses or trains if it meant they reached their destination sooner. Low frequency services and the lack of morning, evening and Sunday services was a common theme.

Questions have been asked more widely about the cost of franchising and how long it would take to implement. Supporters of the system point to the simplicity of bus travel in London where it’s in operation and more recently Manchester.

Council leader Rob Stewart said the bus service network had to change to meet residents’ needs and that franchising was “a real game-changer.”

He said it should better incorporate technology, take passengers to where they want and at a cost they could afford.

He said: “We should not be afraid to step in and run services ourselves where we need to.” He added: “We expect support and funding from the Welsh Government.”

Carmarthenshire’s cabinet has agreed its base network, as has Neath Port Talbot’s. Further approval will be needed by the South West Wales corporate joint committee – a councillor-led group which makes regional decisions about things like transport and economic development.

The base network endorsed in principle by Neath Port Talbot’s cabinet comprises the routes and frequencies that will be taken forward. The report before cabinet said said council officers did have concerns that franchising could prove to be more expensive than the current model, adding that “if this proves to be the case, Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council will not meet any shortfall.”

Carmarthenshire’s cabinet endorsed its base network at a meeting earlier this month. Cllr Hazel Evans welcomed anything that would make things better for passengers while Cllr Linda Evans said it was important that a lot of people had responded to the consultation.

The Bus Services (Wales) Bill passed by the Senedd is expected to get royal assent in weeks. Transport minster Ken Skates said it would put people first.

He told the Senedd: “It will restore growth to the industry and it will also help to create one network, one timetable, one ticket across public transport. Vote for this bill and we will, finally, have the tools to transform public transport for the better in Wales.”

Sam Rowlands, the Conservatives’ shadow transport secretary, depicted the “rushed” plans as fundamentally flawed and overly focused on urban areas, and risked creating a “one-size-fits-all” system that was “too rigid to respond to local needs.”