668 new low-emission and electric buses will take to the streets of Liverpool city region as the biggest shake-up in bus services in 40 years gets under way. Tony McDonough reports
Bus franchising has started across Liverpool city region in a move that will see 668 new buses take to the streets.
Mayor Steve Rotheram and the Combined Authority have begun the process of reversing the deregulation of the bus network introduced by Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative Government in 1986.
In 1985, legislation was passed to allow all local bus networks outside of London to be deregulated. Merseyside’s buses were taken out of state control the following year.
This led two a period of chaos with private operators aggressively competing for passengers during the morning and evening rush hours on Liverpool’s busiest routes.
At one point fleets of buses from Greater Manchester would come up the East Lancs Road every morning to compete with local operators.
Mr Rotheram’s bus franchising plan sees the Combined Authority gradually taking control of bus services across the city region.
St Helens and Wirral lead the transition in September with buses in Knowsley, Liverpool and Sefton set to be fully franchised by the end of 2027. St Helens new services include an express route to Liverpool John Lennon Airport.
In an investment worth more than £150m, 560 low-emission buses are gradually being brought into service. Clad in the region’s distinctive yellow, black, and grey Metro livery, they will join the 108 new publicly owned electric buses already in service.
Manufactured entirely in the UK by Alexander Dennis in Scotland and Yorkshire and by Wrightbus in Northern Ireland, the new buses are equipped with air-conditioning, USB charging points and more comfortable seats.
There is also additional space for wheelchairs and prams as well as audio-visual announcement technology.
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“The arrival of these low-emission vehicles marks a massive milestone on our countdown to taking back control of our bus network,” said the Mayor. “We are completely renewing our fleet with ultra-modern, accessible buses that give our residents the premium, reliable experience they deserve.”
These vehicles are built to the latest Euro 6 environmental standards and will also help to reduce pollution on key routes, with a 20% reduction in carbon emissions and a reduction of more than 80% in nitrogen oxide emissions.