Public Control of Buses Serves Passengers Better Than Privatisation
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/profile/steve-rotheram. "Here in Liverpool, buses are back under public control – and that’s great for the only people who really matter | Steve Rotheram | The Guardian." September 8, 2026. www.theguardian.com
The Gist
The mayor of Liverpool argues that taking bus services out of private company control and putting them back under public authority management will make life better for everyday passengers. He points to London's successful public bus system, new routes like the St Helens-airport express service, and capped fares as early evidence that this approach works better than the privatisation policies of the past 40 years.
Conclusion
Bringing bus services back under public control (franchising) in the Liverpool city region is a positive change that will better serve passengers than the previous privatised system.
Premises
- Under public control, local authorities set routes, fares, and standards rather than leaving these decisions to private operators seeking profit
- Public control allows officials to ask 'do our people need it?' rather than only 'does this route make money?', enabling routes with social value to be maintained even if not profitable
- Concrete improvements have already resulted, such as a new express service connecting St Helens to Liverpool John Lennon airport and fares capped at £2 for four years
- London's publicly-controlled bus service has remained excellent while other regions suffered under privatisation, demonstrating that public control produces better outcomes
- Decades of privatisation and deregulation failed to deliver the improved services that were promised, based on the experience of millions of passengers
- Similar public control principles are being extended to trains (new fleet, planned public ownership by 2028) and ferries, suggesting a broader successful pattern
Assumptions
- Local government authorities will manage bus services more responsively and efficiently than private operators once given control
- The London bus model is comparable and transferable to the Liverpool city region despite differing population density, funding, and political contexts
- Improvements in frequency, evening/weekend service, and fare simplicity will be sustained long-term and not merely initial changes
- Public control does not introduce its own inefficiencies (e.g., bureaucratic delay, political interference) that could offset gains
- The £2 fare cap and new routes are primarily attributable to the change in control structure rather than other factors (e.g., national fare cap policy, funding increases)