Demand public control for West Yorkshire

I was delighted to see that West Yorkshire’s new Mayor was <a href="https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/news/local-news/tracy-brabins-message-voters-west-20501880">elected on a pledge to bring buses into public control.</a> However, I am concerned that the current position of the Combined Authority will prevent the Mayor from making any significant progress towards public control in her three-year term. Buses are essential to many people in my community. We rely on them to visit family and friends, get to work, and access health care. But for decades private companies have run the network into the ground. Only public control will deliver the better buses we need. That’s why I’m writing to you today asking you to deliver this change as quickly as possible, without wasting time on even more deals with private companies. The current advice given to the West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) by its officers is to establish a further partnership scheme with private operators. I believe partnerships are just more of the same, relying on private operators making voluntary improvements. Opting for a partnership now will severely reduce the chances of completing the assessment of franchising in the next three years, effectively sidelining the Mayor’s pledge. I know public control is a popular policy <a href="https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/news/local-news/poll-shows-west-yorkshire-voters-20523772">(only 8% of West Yorkshire residents disagree with it)</a> so I don’t understand why the Combined Authority would risk delaying this change? The main justification given for the new partnership is that it is “<a href="https://www.westyorks-ca.gov.uk/all-news-and-blogs/tracy-brabin-moves-forward-on-plans-to-increase-public-control-over-west-yorkshire-s-bus-services/">unlocking funding</a>” that West Yorkshire would otherwise lose. This is not necessarily the case. West Yorkshire can retain access to all funding streams by just investigating public control (see our better buses briefing <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wEv_6aeHnmEsJE9Yvg14hGFGxXyAzV2gBi_cigMBohQ/edit?usp=sharing">here</a>). This view was <a href="https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2021-05-24/6356">confirmed in Parliament</a> just last week. At your AGM on the 24th of June, the officers of the WYCA are expected to recommend the Council Leaders, like yourself, just release a Notice of Intent to prepare an Enhanced Partnership. But the people of West Yorkshire know that this is not the fastest way to deliver Labour’s pledges. Will you confirm to me in writing, before Thursday the 10th of June, that you will support the Mayor’s pledge and commit to releasing ONLY a Statutory Notice of Intention to Prepare a Franchising Assessment? Local bus users are planning a morning of action on Saturday the 19th of June to call for public control. We hope you will join us to hear why we cannot wait for WYCA to deliver a partnership in the meantime and to share with us your plans to support public control at your AGM. While we know the statutory investigation must be done carefully, we need to start the public control process ASAP. If you already know you will back our pathway for better buses, we would love to celebrate this with you during our morning of action. Saying there are “<a href="https://www.westyorks-ca.gov.uk/all-news-and-blogs/tracy-brabin-moves-forward-on-plans-to-increase-public-control-over-west-yorkshire-s-bus-services/">plans to increase public control</a>,” without delivering franchising, just isn’t good enough. We need public control now, not in 10 years time. I look forward to hearing from you in the coming days. Before you get back to me, <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mCjkv5i_PhGm6O6koCcww7fqzJzeYDtgTMpwzcRkxfM/edit?usp=sharing">please check this useful FAQ</a> that addresses many of the most common concerns local politicians raise about public control.

We've just 5 days to drive forward better buses for West Yorkshire!

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