Mayor of West Yorkshire right to bring buses under public control - Yorkshire Post Letters

The decision of West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin to franchise buses and bring them under a level of public control is one to be welcomed and embraced by all of us.

It marks the beginning of the end of the battle against cack-handed private ownership and transport policy in the North being controlled and decided by unaccountable politicians in Whitehall.

I have written much these past months on the merits and benefits this political decision to franchise buses brings to our constituents. A decision made here in Yorkshire thanks to our limited but useful Level 3 WY Devolution deal, may I add.

So I won't rehash the same arguments I've made in the past on this, instead I wish to thank the private bus companies for being so heavily involved in the public consultation campaign launched by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA).

While I disagree with almost all of their arguments, I recognise that it is indeed important that the public debate happens. Bus companies are a key cog in the machine which gets Yorkshire moving and their perspectives are useful and important to discuss, take on board, and change.

For example, one thing I learned from the other side was that while we all have opinions on the big three bus firms, franchising will also affect smaller local and SME minibus businesses like DalesBus which caters to older folks and helps shuttle families for trips up from Yorkshire cities towards our beautiful countryside and coast - much helped by the nationwide £2 bus fare cap brought in by the Conservatives. Here in Yorkshire marketed as ‘Mayors Fares’ which greatly increases passenger numbers, especially in summer.

I think that any franchising system done under the oversight of the WYCA & Mayor of West Yorkshire going forward, we must ensure that small local firms here on the ground in Leeds and the rest of the Ridings are as involved and given just as much, if not more, time and subsidy to continue running as the larger corporate international bus firms like Arriva are given.

Ultimately, I hope that whoever wins the devolved mayoral elections on May 2, puts transport and infrastructure development in West Yorkshire at the forefront of their political campaigns.

Be it Labour's Tracy Brabin or Conservatives' Arnie Craven, let's all be hopeful whoever we elect as Mayor of West Yorkshire comes into office knowing that Yorkshire and our people are better and stronger when connected together.

I encourage any passengers who have feedback on franchising to contact the West Yorkshire Combined Authority and pass on your thoughts. Let's talk more.