Bristol: Calls for bus franchising study backed by councillors

First Bus has cancelled 1,450 bus journeys a week until April at the earliest

Calls for bus franchising to be considered in the Bristol area have been backed by councillors.

Franchising would see the West of England Combined Authority (Weca) have direct control over routes, timetables and prices.

The majority of Bristol councillors urged Metro Mayor Dan Norris to explore bus franchising on Tuesday.

Public pressure is growing after First Bus cancelled 1,450 city bus services a week amid driver shortages.

The operator said it regretted the cuts and was doing its "utmost to address" the issue.

More than 1,600 people signed an open letter to Mr Norris, urging him to explore bus franchising.

Councillors have urged Mr Norris to explore bus franchising

The model will soon be introduced in Greater Manchester and is currently in place in London.

Liberal Democrat councillor Andrew Brown tabled a motion at a full Bristol City Council meeting, urging Mr Norris to launch a feasibility study into franchising, the first step in a legal process to bring the bus network back into public control.

The call received support from all parties in the council, but Labour and Green councillors said another option should be publicly owned buses, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

'Failing our citizens'

Labour councillor Tim Rippington said: "There are all sorts of reasons why Bristol's buses are failing our citizens.

"But anyone who lives in Bristol, particularly those who live in outlying communities, will tell you that these aren't just down to the pandemic and current driver shortage."

Buses across the country used to be run by council-owned companies, like the Bristol Omnibus Company, until they were mostly privatised in the 1980s by the government.