Metro Chairman Cllr Ryk Downes has welcomed the news that Leeds MP Greg Mulholland has put down an Early Day Motion in Parliament praising the ‘unanimous decision by all parties to the West Yorkshire Integrated Transport Authority to back the Quality Bus Contract Scheme’.

Over 30 MPs across the main parties have shown their support for Quality Contracts by signing the Motion.

“I am pleased that it has been recognised that we are taking on this complicated task to help develop the kinds of local bus services that people want and deserve,” he said.

“Councillors of all parties on the Integrated Transport Authority backed work to develop a Quality Bus Contract Scheme, and I hope our MPs will also get behind the initiative by supporting this Early Day Motion.”

On Friday 20 November, councillors of all parties on the West Yorkshire Integrated Transport Authority (WYITA) voted unanimously to back work to develop a Quality Bus Contract Scheme.

Through a Bus Quality Contract, Metro would be able to specify local bus routes, frequencies, and fares, removing the current confusion over different operators’ tickets and reducing the number of service changes. Operators would bid to run services, which would be managed though contracts designed to provide consistent high standards across the county.

As well as serving the main centres, the bus network would provide good interchange with other bus and rail services. Complementary measures would include additional bus priority and more high-quality shelters, real-time information, on-bus CCTV and eco-driving initiatives.

Timetable for change?

Key to introducing a Quality Contract Scheme is to get the views of bus passengers, operators, district and town councillors and anyone with an interest in public transport in West Yorkshire. Metro will be canvassing people's opinions in early 2010.

Formal consultation would then start in the summer, looking at specific corridors and service levels. Once the responses are collated, a formal scheme can be submitted to the Quality Contracts Scheme Board at the end of 2010.

Depending on their feedback, and any operator objections, the full Quality Contracts Scheme for West Yorkshire could be in operation in autumn 2011.

Reliable services

Metro chairman Cllr Ryk Downes said, “Our role is to work on behalf of local people and we need to be able to deliver the reliable services which the people of West Yorkshire want, need and deserve.

“We need to take action that will prevent bus operators making unjustified cuts to services and blaming fare rises on fuel prices, despite them having already bought fuel at hedged prices, which happened in West Yorkshire earlier this year.”

Unfortunate

Opposition Leader Cllr Mick Lyons said, “It’s unfortunate we have come to this but the only way to make sure buses serve the people of West Yorkshire is to introduce Quality Contracts

“We need to pursue this work and continue lobbying MPS of all parties,” he added.

Overcharged

The ITA’s Conservative leader Cllr Chris Greaves said, “The bus service being provided are not meeting people’s needs and passengers have been let down and overcharged.

Quality Contracts are the best way to take control of the situation and provide the level of transport people need, he said.

A Bus Quality Contract Scheme would respond to the concerns and complaints of local bus users and mean the kind of franchised bus network in West Yorkshire that people in London have enjoyed for years.

Consistent high standards

“We want to use Quality Contracts to increase bus use, rather than continuing to see price hikes and service withdrawals which are resulting in a decline in the numbers of fare-paying passengers” said Metro Chairman Cllr Ryk Downes.

“This is not about interfering as the bus operators and some national politicians might say,” he continued. “It’s about developing the types of affordable bus services that local people tell us they want and ensuring the experience and skill of bus operators is focused upon delivering services to a consistently high standard though ten year contracts.

New customers

Greater service stability, and the benefits of a properly integrated public transport system as found in London and European cities, would attract new customers, reduce congestion and protect local transport jobs

“We want to be able to reward operators for providing a good service while also being in a position to take corrective measures if passengers are let down,” continued Cllr Downes.

He said that the Quality Contract scheme development process would include a full financial appraisal of benefits, costs and value-for-money before a decision to proceed was taken.

Better value for tax-payers

“Over £90m of taxpayers money is already spent each year supporting bus services in West Yorkshire with very little influence on the standard of service received by customers,” said Cllr Downes.

“We have already identified that we could achieve better value if Metro were to specify and contract out the services on the basis of the 8% pre-tax profit norm rather than the near 20% that is being made by one local operator.”

National commitment

“My colleagues on the other ITAs representing the country’s major metropolitan areas, are also pushing for a commitment to Quality Contracts from all parties at a national level, so we have the option of developing this franchising environment where passengers will no longer have to worry about sudden service changes, withdrawals and unjustified fare increases.

“If people in London deserve this quality of bus service, which is also the norm throughout Europe, then so do the people of West Yorkshire and the other major conurbations in England ”

Read the full West Yorkshire Integrated Transport Authority report.