Oliver Coppard Lays Out Case For Bus Franchising In South Yorkshire

[SheffieldForum]

 

This morning, Oliver Coppard, the South Yorkshire Mayor, held a press conference to announce the imminent start of a new era for our buses. He’s chomping at the bit to see them “franchised” — a change that would give him far more control over the system and hopefully save the tax-payer money — and hopes to have the central government’s final agreement for this change before the end of this year.

 

Coppard called today’s conference because the MCA has just got a lengthy — and very costly — step on the road to franchising done and dusted. South Yorkshire’s Franchising Assessment, which sets out why the MCA think it’s the best option, is now complete. 

 

Full details at The Tribune here.

 

(Photo credit: The Tribune / Daniel Timms)

[RollingJ]

11 minutes ago, SheffieldForum said:

 

This morning, Oliver Coppard, the South Yorkshire Mayor, held a press conference to announce the imminent start of a new era for our buses. He’s chomping at the bit to see them “franchised” — a change that would give him far more control over the system and hopefully save the tax-payer money — and hopes to have the central government’s final agreement for this change before the end of this year.
 

Full details at The Tribune here.

 

(Photo credit: The Tribune / Daniel Timms)

So, just one question for now - where is all the money going to come from for SYMCA to buy all these new buses - currently, the operators buy (or lease) them, maintain and garage them.

[Michael_N]

But what they fail to state is, although 25% of the current bus network is contracted (an increase mainly due to the remnants of the pandemic etc.) where is the extra funding going to come from? Will the 4 local councils agree to a large increase in the local transport levy that, will to you and me, be an increase in local council tax payments. Barnsley and Doncaster councils have already openly said they want franchising, but with no increase in cost to taxpayers... Well I'm afraid you can't have it both ways!

 

So the main question should be - would you support up to an additional 5% increase in council tax to fund the proposed local bus/tram network across SY?

 

Not to mention - Oliver Coppout is up for re-election in May. So we may just see a new mayor taking the reigns of SYMCA.

[RollingJ]

More  of my thoughts exactly, @Michael_N.

[RollingJ]

Having read the original post again - just how does it 'save the taxpayer money'??

[SheffieldForum]

15 minutes ago, RollingJ said:

So, just one question for now - where is all the money going to come from for SYMCA to buy all these new buses - currently, the operators buy (or lease) them, maintain and garage them.

 

2 minutes ago, Michael_N said:

But what they fail to state is, although 25% of the current bus network is contracted (an increase mainly due to the remnants of the pandemic etc.) where is the extra funding going to come from? Will the 4 local councils agree to a large increase in the local transport levy that, will to you and me, be an increase in local council tax payments. Barnsley and Doncaster councils have already openly said they want franchising, but with no increase in cost to taxpayers... Well I'm afraid you can't have it both ways!

 

So the main question should be - would you support up to an additional 5% increase in council tax to fund the proposed local bus/tram network across SY?

 

Not to mention - Oliver Coppout is up for re-election in May. So we may just see a new mayor taking the reigns of SYMCA.

I think the case is being made for government to give more central funding - South Yorkshire currently receives less than a third of funding per head for public transport than the West Midlands (and even less in comparison to Manchester).

 

The case being drawn up suggests that the services will be more profitable as a MCA owned and franchised service than it currently is.

 

Remember, I've only copied a couple of paragraphs from the article to be fair to The Tribune, there's more information there (and there will be more information in the actual report).

 

 

[RollingJ]

@SheffieldForumIf the SYMCA is going to own all the buses, it is going to cost them in the region of £250,000/£300,000 per vehicle to buy outright, and I don't know the leasing costs - but they will be very considerable, so I ask again - where is the money coming from and how does it 'save the taxpayer money'?

 

[Irene Swaine]

No. Oliver Coppard, leave our buses alone. The bus companies know how to best run a service. The bus companies know what works and what doesn't. Stop meddling.

[SheffieldForum]

Just now, RollingJ said:

@SheffieldForumIf the SYMCA is going to own all the buses, it is going to cost them in the region of £250,000/£300,000 per vehicle to buy outright, and I don't know the leasing costs - but they will be very considerable, so I ask again - where is the money coming from and how does it 'save the taxpayer money'?

 

We're currently paying around a quarter of what public transport in the region costs without owning the fleet, so maybe it is from that? Or from an increase in central government funding for  local public transport? Or perhaps a case as been made to create the investment based on the potential profitability of the service once brought under MCA control and franchised?

 

Or maybe a mix of those and more?

 

I wasn't there personally this morning and haven't seen the report (I'd love to see it!), so I don't definitively know.

 

BUT - if the service could be made profitable and generate income to cover those costs after 'x' years, as well as provide subsidies for lesser profitable but necessary routes, isn't that an investment that is worth it?

[RollingJ]

1 minute ago, SheffieldForum said:

We're currently paying around a quarter of what public transport in the region costs without owning the fleet, so maybe it is from that? Or from an increase in central government funding for  local public transport? Or perhaps a case as been made to create the investment based on the potential profitability of the service once brought under MCA control and franchised?

 

Or maybe a mix of those and more?

 

I wasn't there personally this morning and haven't seen the report (I'd love to see it!), so I don't definitively know.

 

BUT - if the service could be made profitable and generate income to cover those costs after 'x' years, as well as provide subsidies for lesser profitable but necessary routes, isn't that an investment that is worth it?

It is a massive BUT - I go back to TfL - how many Billions have they been bailed out for - so far - and they've been 'running' the service, for want of a better term for god knows how many years?