IPPR North has announced that it will unveil a blueprint for a new National Bus Company (NBC) at an event in Liverpool today.
The event, which is set to be addressed by the Minister for Local Transport and Mayor of Liverpool City Region, will see IPPR North reveal the new joint venture formed between both government and local areas.
The new NBC, which takes naming inspiration from the National Bus Company created by former Transport Secretary Barbara Castle, looks to accelerate the rollout of zero-emission buses across the UK and aims to provide bus services and boost local economies as a whole.
Senior Research Fellow at IPPR North, Marcus Johns said:Buses are a critical public service for people, for our economy and our environment. We need better, greener buses, and a National Bus Company will be a helpful vehicle to get us to the next stop on that journey.
Steve Rotheram, Mayor of Liverpool City Region, said:Everyone deserves to be able to rely on a decent bus service – to get to work, visit family or simply get around affordably. In the Liverpool City Region, we’re already motoring ahead with putting power back where it belongs – in the hands of local people – by bringing our buses back under public control and integrating them into the most comprehensive local transport network outside of the capital.
IPPR North’s report is a timely and welcome contribution, making a strong case for putting better buses at the heart of national transport policy – backed by the powers, investment and political will to make it happen.
Thankfully, government seems to be listening – and I’m pleased the Bus Services Bill will give us more of the tools we need to get on with the job. Because wherever you live, decent public transport shouldn’t be seen as a luxury but a lifeline, and a driver of opportunity and social mobility.
IPPR North has published a full review into a series of principles for a better bus system, which the think tank has made available here.
