Leeds buses: Operators make final case for reform as London-style franchising decision looms

They argue their ‘Enhanced Partnership Plus’ model delivers the public control the Mayor pledged during her 2021 election campaign with less financial risk to the public purse.

The West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) consultation on bus reform ended in January, with Mayor Tracy Brabin’s stated preference being a London-style franchising model.

However, an alliance of bus operators from across the region have been arguing that while bus reform is needed, there is a quicker way of achieving agreed improvements with significantly less risk to taxpayers.

A spokesperson for The Best for West Yorkshire campaign said: "It’s plain and simple: Enhanced Partnership Plus fulfils the Mayor’s pledge and it does so with less financial risk to the public purse, bringing about control and improvements far quicker than franchising. 

"Our solution has been designed around the particular requirements of West Yorkshire and comes with significantly less financial risk at a time when local authority budgets are increasingly under pressure."

Bus Franchising would give the Combined Authority control over the routes, frequency, fares and overall standards of the region’s buses, and it would then contract bus operators to run these services on its behalf.

The regional network has been hammered by swathes of network cuts and changes since Covid, with bus companies blaming falling passenger numbers and funding uncertainty.

Although new research, as revealed by the YEP in January, estimated that franchising could cost at least £100m in setting up the required administration, buying buses and depots from operators.

Speaking previously a spokesperson for WYCA said "Our public consultation into bus reform is still ongoing, and no decision has yet been made.

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"We are actively seeking views from a range of people and organisations, including bus operators, about how our proposals – for both franchising and the enhanced partnership plus – could impact them."

A poll, carried out by operators, of more than 1,000 people from across the region previously found that twice as many people want to see improved services from 2024 (60%) as opposed to 2026 (30%) at the earliest under franchising.

The Mayor is due to make a decision on which option to take on March 14.