West Yorkshire bus franchise campaign hand in petition to mayor

The campaigners gathered outside Huddersfield bus station before handing in the petition

Campaigners who want to see public control of buses have handed a 12,000-signature petition to West Yorkshire's mayor Tracy Brabin.

Better Buses wants bus franchising introduced, which would mean fares and routes being set by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA).

Campaigners also took a banner displaying the petition to five main bus stations in the area.

A public consultation on franchising is due to end on Sunday.

Bus services in England, apart from in London, were deregulated in 1986 enabling private operators to control routes, timetables and fares and to receive the revenue from fares.

However, the Bus Services Act gave city regions the power to introduce bus franchising in 2017.

If adopted in West Yorkshire, the WYCA would award contracts to private operators to deliver the services it set.

Better Buses for West Yorkshire argues that would "help to make buses work for everyone in the region, not just private shareholders".

The group is supported by many of the region's Labour MPs and trade unions.

Kim Leadbeater, MP for Batley and Spen, said "reliable, affordable buses are essential". She said franchising would deliver a network which works in the "interests of the public".

"That means timetables that link up with local trains, and a London-style integrated ticket system, where a single fare allows you to hop on and off any bus for up to an hour," she added.

Currently, buses are mainly run by private bus companies such as First Group, Arriva and TransDev

John Ingleson, a Unison trade union member and operating department practitioner at Leeds General Infirmary, said his members often faced a "chaotic service" after a long shift.

"The unreliability and unpredictability of the services adds stress to already long days," he said.

However, bus firms have expressed concerns that some smaller operators would lose out under franchising and perhaps close.

The Better Bus campaigners visited bus stations in Bradford, Halifax, Huddersfield, Wakefield and Leeds before handing in the petition to the mayor's office.

The consultation on the proposals, which started in October, runs until 7 January, with a decision expected in the spring.

If bus franchising was agreed for West Yorkshire, it would not take effect until 2027 at the earliest, the mayor has previously said.