The mayor of Greater Manchester has demanded the same subsidies for northern bus fares as those applied in London.
Andy Burnham called on the government for more public transport parity, claiming “there is no ‘northern powerhouse’” without increased fairness in the way transport subsidies are managed.
Burnham was speaking after more than 30 newspapers and news websites in the north of England demanded “a revolution” in how the region is treated by government.
Along with dozens of regional politicians and business leaders, papers including the Manchester Evening News, Liverpool Echo, Sheffield Star and Newcastle Journal, called for “a fundamental shift in decision-making out of London, giving devolved powers and self-determination to people in the north”.
In an interview on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show on Sunday, Burnham claimed successive governments of “all colours’ had failed the north of England.
The mayor was questioned about his campaign promise to overhaul the region’s bus network.
In 2017, legislation handed Burnham and local councils powers over buses and he has until the end of this year to decide how to deploy them. Options include entering into a partnership with operators or setting up a franchised system that would dictate fares, routes, timetables and ticketing.
In his clearest signal to date on the subject, Burnham said a decision on Greater Manchester’s bus services would be made soon.
He added: “Buses have to change here. If you want a very everyday example of the north/south divide let me give you one. It costs £4 here for a single bus journey, capped at £1.50 in London. How can that possibly be fair?
“So we are ready to take a decision but actually we need the same level of subsidy for our bus system and our transport system as London. It is time we are given the same investment that London has had for decades. There is no northern powerhouse without it.”
In February, research commissioned by the campaign group Better Buses showed that more than three-quarters of people in the region wanted its politicians to take back control of the bus network.
The poll of 1,000 people found 76% wanted the system fully regulated for the first time since 1986 and 82% agreed that “as local authorities provide public money for the bus network, they should have more control over bus services”.
If regulated, the mayor and councillors would be able to use franchising powers to dictate how the network was managed and simplify the fare structure, something they have been unable to do since bus services outside London were deregulated more than 30 years ago.
