Buses have an important role to play in Yorkshire but are only a part of the transport puzzle
Bus services are a vital asset that keep communities connected and aid social mobility. They help people, who otherwise could not afford it, get around the region. Opening up opportunities to young people that they otherwise would be closed off from. Buses also play an important role in the fight against loneliness.
That is why the additional £1m of funding for South and West Yorkshire to enable the combined authorities to take greater control and build on better bus franchising is to be welcomed.
The reality is that private bus operators have failed to deliver for local communities across Yorkshire. Routes have been cut, prices continued to rise and service levels dwindled. Parts of the region have been completely cut off as a result of bus companies axing services citing a lack of demand. But the £2 bus fare cap introduced by the previous Tory Government showed that there is a demand for affordable bus travel.
Local leaders have been left with no option than for them to adopt the bus franchising model. It will see local authorities commission services rather than private bus operators, with the aim being a focus on delivery rather than profit.
The region needs more than just buses. The public transport network as a whole needs to work better for its people. That is why Whitehall cannot short change West Yorkshire on the mass transit proposals.
And the Government must deliver on its promises when it comes to Northern Powerhouse Rail. After all, there is overwhelming evidence that one of the greatest drivers of economic growth is transport infrastructure.