The Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, Steve Rotheram, has made a commitment to deliver a “London-style, integrated public transport system” for the region’s 1.6 million residents. Along with rail transformation delivered through a new fleet of industry-leading trains for the Merseyrail network, our ambition to build the first new Mersey Ferry in over 60 years, and investment in multi-modal tap-and-go ticketing, reform of the region’s bus system will be critical to achieving this objective.
In the Liverpool City Region we have a strong track record of delivering for transport users in partnership with our operators and this approach will remain central to delivering a “Metro” network of transport services. On bus, the award-winning LCR Bus Alliance has delivered a £2 flat fare, low-price tickets for under 19s, over £50m investment in new buses, and the development of head-turning zero-emission hydrogen-powered buses. The Merseyrail franchise has delivered industry-leading performance and satisfaction levels due to the devolved nature of the operation and the relentless focus on delivering for passengers.
Despite this, we need to do even more to create the transport system that our residents want to see, and the one we need in order to achieve our strategic aims. To hit our carbon reduction targets, we will need to grow bus patronage by 85% over the next 15 years. We know that the primary reason people don’t travel by bus is that they aren’t reliable enough. This is why we are investing more than £100m over the next 5 years in reallocating road space and prioritising buses and active travel right across our region.
Devolution gives Mayoral Combined Authorities such as the LCRCA new powers to transform bus services through Enhanced Partnerships and Franchising. In May 2023 a consultation on a proposed franchising scheme was opened and a decision on whether to implement a franchised bus system is expected to take place before the end of the year.
The move to a franchised system isn’t the answer in itself, but along with along with the powers we already have over the Merseyrail network, it would give the LCR tools it needs to fully integrate rail, bus and ferry services, ticketing systems, branding and customer offer, giving a platform for growth.