Haigh sets out 'biggest overhaul to buses in a generation'
A package of measures to empower local leaders to take control of their bus services has been unveiled by Transport Secretary Louise Haigh, with the government calling it the government calls 'the first stop on the journey to better buses'. Report by Covellm. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
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00:00For the last 40 years since deregulation we've allowed private operators to just pick and choose
00:05whatever routes they want and if they don't want to run routes either local authorities have to
00:09step in and fund them themselves or they simply don't run and communities have been left with no
00:14say. What we are doing today is extending power to every area of England so if they want to move
00:21to franchising and to building their own public transport networks they will now have the power
00:25to do so and that means they can design their bus network in a way that works for their residents.
00:31The biggest thing that people need out of their buses is reliability and that's what keeps their
00:34buses that's what keeps people off buses and that's what these measures today will move towards.
00:39The funding for the two pound fare cap does run out on the 31st of December and we're looking
00:44uh we're looking very carefully at that at the moment the value for money case and its
00:48effectiveness and those decisions will be made through the budget.