Council's bus franchise calls rejected by mayor

Hartlepool Council had called for bus services to be franchised across the region

Calls to franchise local bus services have been rejected by the Tees Valley mayor for being too expensive.

Hartlepool Borough Council wrote to the combined authority urging it to award exclusive contracts to private firms as part of efforts to improve public transport.

Labour councillor Karen Oliver, who proposed the motion, said it would "make a real difference" to residents.

Mayor Ben Houchen, Conservative, rejected the idea and said it would be "gambling taxpayers' money".

Under a franchised system, exclusive contracts are awarded to private firms to operate services in a specified region or along certain route with the local transport authority specifying where and when they run.

Those who support bus franchising argue it can improve public spending efficiency, as transport authorities can use money from profitable routes to subsidise those that do not make money.

Mayor Ben Houchen said introducing bus franchises would be "unworkable"

But Houchen disagreed and said the taxpayer would have to pay for the new system.

"Franchising buses would mean years of costly bureaucracy, handing hundreds of millions to companies like Arriva and Stagecoach, and a significant tax increase on local people - something I've promised never to do," he said.

"Instead of gambling taxpayers' money on a vague, unworkable idea, we're delivering real improvements now [such as] £1 fares for young people and targeted funding for new services where it's needed most."

Labour-led Hartlepool Council's motion had also called on the combined authority to fund a maximum £2 bus fare across the Tees Valley, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Under the government-funded National Bus Fare Cap Scheme, many single fares have a maximum price of £3.

The North East Combined Authority (Neca) recently went further and capped fares at £2.50. However, the Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA) has not lowered the maximum fare.

The council also called for "a regular and reliable bus service" to be reinstated to areas with "unreliable" public transport links.