West Yorkshire bus franchising 'could spell the end' for smaller operators, Tracy Brabin warned

Andrew McGuinness from the Confederation for Passenger Transport said franchising could "spell the end" for smaller bus companies in the region and result in cuts to routes.

Ms Brabin is considering introducing bus franchising, in which organisation of the local bus network is taken into public control, following a similar move by Andy Burnham in Manchester.

A consultation on the idea is running until January 7, with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority currently recommending Ms Brabin gives the green light to franchising when she makes a final decision in March.

But bus operators are arguing for an alternative set of proposals which they say could be delivered more quickly and at less financial risk to the taxpayer.

Writing in The Yorkshire Post today, Mr McGuinness said the need to bid for contracts to run routes under franchising would put small and medium-sized operators at a disadvantage due to “complex and lengthy procurement processes”.

He said: "In Manchester, franchising so far has meant that virtually no small operators exist in that market. It is a real risk that taking the same route for bus reform in West Yorkshire could spell the end for some of these companies and their loss would be a loss to communities and passengers.”

A WYCA spokesperson said: “We recognise the important role smaller operators play in our region’s bus network, and we believe their involvement is vital for delivering competition and ensuring the best value for taxpayers’ money.

“During this consultation we are actively seeking views from a range of people and organisations, including smaller bus operators, about how our proposals – for both franchising and the enhanced partnership plus – could impact them.”

A recently-published WYCA report on the commercial case for franchising said there is a “concern of potential business loss from franchising” amongst smaller operators but added that if it does go ahead, contracts would be packaged in a way to “allow smaller operators to bid on a level playing field basis with larger operators”.