The Latest Breaking News from Franchising

Calls are growing to bring the region's struggling bus network back under public control

The West of England Metro Mayor says bus franchising is "under review", but this has now been thrown into doubt

As more of Bristol’s bus services are set to be scrapped, calls for public control over Bristol buses are getting louder

Staff relations are at rock bottom, investment is shrinking and franchising has failed. But even so, passengers are trickling back. Can the network be revived?

Dozens of bus services across Greater Manchester are set to be cut in April, months before mayor Andy Burnham starts to take control of the network. But passengers say services are already poor with waits lasting more than two hours, while transport bosses warn that some uncertainty is 'inevitable' over…

A passengers' group says that a £4.2bn devolution deal for the region offers a chance to make the North East's bus services more affordable and less confusing

They say a franchised transport model would also help address the current driver shortage

Political and public pressure is growing on the West of England mayor to bring in franchising to solve the bus crisis

A bus franchising deal would see greater public control over bus services in the region