Unite has announced strong backing of proposals for a new publicly owned bus company in London.
Last week; Transport for London (TfL) set out a brand-new draft business plan that aims to transform the capital’s public transport network, referencing the development of plans for the first new publicly owned bus company in London in over 30 years.
These proposals are set to be presented to the TfL Board for consideration today (4 February).
Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham said:Unite has long called for bus services to be brought back under public ownership. It is nonsensical to spend billions subsidising public transport run by privatised bus companies who profiteer while workers and passengers face worsening jobs and services.
This is a very exciting opportunity to improve jobs, pay and conditions for our bus workers in London and Unite supports the proposals for a publicly owned London bus company. It is high time bus services in London work for workers, passengers and communities rather than private companies and their shareholders.
The current model involves private firms submitting bids to TfL to run franchised services, with those successful given contracts that run for seven years and provide operators with a set income that is performance-dependent.
New TfL proposals for a publicly owned company will see the operator review franchise contracts once they come to an end before deciding whether or not to bring them under a new public bus operator, rather than using the new company to operate potentially loss making routes.
Unite National Officer for Passenger Transport Wayne King said:Buses are the most-used form of public transport in London, however it is clear the current outsourcing model in the capital is not fit for purpose and workers and passengers deserve better.
For too long, they have borne the brunt of rising costs and failing services including lengthy delays and cancellations. Bringing bus services back into the hands of those who use them is the right approach to fixing these problems and Unite will back the plans for a publicly owned bus service in London all the way.
