A drastic shake-up of councils' involvement in bus operation has been announced by the Government this week. The changes are the most fundamental in 20 years, and will see local authorities handed a greater say over the running of services, such as bus frequency, timetables and fares, through partnership working with operators. Traffic commissioners, appointed by transport secretary, Douglas Alexander, will also be given greater powers of enforcement to hold operators and councils to account over punctuality. ‘To many people, buses are a lifeline,' said Mr Alexander. ‘But since deregulation, some areas have seen a free-for-all, with the needs of passengers being neglected. ‘In too many areas, passengers are simply not getting the services they expect, and as a result, passenger numbers have declined.' The Local Government Association's transport and regeneration board's vice chair, Professor John Whitelegg, added: ‘These proposals are a victory for common sense. It would have been impossible to deliver the Government's target of increasing passenger numbers without these necessary and needed proposals.'
