Consultation events in Halton:
24/5/23, 2pm-6pm, Castlefields Community Centre
22/6/23, 10am-3pm, Murdishaw Community Centre
03/7/23, 10.30am-2.30pm, Halton Lea Library
22/7/23, 09.30am-13.30pm, Upton Community Centre
Halton residents can have their say on plans to reform bus services in the Liverpool City Region as a consultation is launched.
Local residents, businesses, trade unions and stakeholders are being asked to give feedback on a new bus franchising scheme proposed by Mayor Steve Rotheram and the Combined Authority.
In a landmark move, Mayor Rotheram and the Combined Authority voted unanimously last year to confirm franchising as the region’s preferred future model for running the bus network and services. The region is one of only two places in the country to go to consultation.
Currently, in the Liverpool City Region, private operators decide the routes, timetables, fares and standards. There is also limited coordination between private bus operators and other forms of public transport.
Bus franchising would give the Combined Authority greater control over fares, routes and timetables, allowing the services to be operated in the interests of local bus users with private operators running them under a contract with and to the requirements of the Combined Authority.
Reform of the region’s bus network is a key part of Mayor Rotheram’s wider ambition to build a London-style transport system that makes getting about faster, cheaper, cleaner, more reliable.
The proposed bus franchising scheme was developed as part of a comprehensive assessment comparing it with other options.
Under the plans, there would be the opportunity for buses to integrate more effectively with other modes of transport, including the region’s new fleet of publicly-owned hydrogen buses and £500m trains. Ticketing would also be made simpler and more convenient with the introduction of a tap-in tap-out system with daily fare caps that mean passengers would always pay the cheapest fare across the whole network.
The public consultation on proposed reforms to bus services in the Liverpool City Region will run until 3 August 2023, with people being invited to take part in the consultation even if they are not regular bus users.
People can find more information on the proposals and take the online questionnaire by visiting liverpoolcityregion-ca.gov.uk/movingbusesforward
A series of roadshows are also being held across all six boroughs of the city region – Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens, and Wirral – giving people an opportunity to discuss the proposed changes and to complete consultation questionnaires. Further information on the dates and times of these events can be found at liverpoolcityregion-ca.gov.uk/movingbusesforward
The consultation team can also be contacted with questions via email at movingbusesforward@liverpoolcityregion-ca.gov.uk or by phone on 0151 330 1249.