| Lib Dems call on WEMCA regional mayor to franchise buses Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 19:36, 20th October 2026 |     |
From the BBC:
Lib Dems call on regional mayor to franchise buses
Liberal Democrat leaders from Bath, Bristol, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset have called for the franchising of services
Liberal Democrat council leaders are calling on the West of England mayor to set out a timetable for bringing buses back under public control.
A franchising model would mean the West of England combined authority (Weca) sets routes and timetables, with operators bidding to run the service.
Godwin said she is considering it as one option for the long-term, but argued it would mean an additional charge on top of people's council tax bills, which she is not willing to introduce in the next three years.
Councillor Kevin Guy, who leads Bath and North Somerset council, said Godwin should "get on with it".
At the moment, private bus operators make a profit on busy routes, and more rural routes are subsidised by the taxpayer to keep them going.
Under a franchising model, operators would bid to run the service and get paid an agreed cost, with fare revenue coming back to Weca. This means the money raised from city centre routes can be put into maintaining less well-used services.
(BBC article continues, with more detailed explanation)
Liberal Democrat leaders from Bath, Bristol, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset have called for the franchising of services
Liberal Democrat council leaders are calling on the West of England mayor to set out a timetable for bringing buses back under public control.
A franchising model would mean the West of England combined authority (Weca) sets routes and timetables, with operators bidding to run the service.
Godwin said she is considering it as one option for the long-term, but argued it would mean an additional charge on top of people's council tax bills, which she is not willing to introduce in the next three years.
Councillor Kevin Guy, who leads Bath and North Somerset council, said Godwin should "get on with it".
At the moment, private bus operators make a profit on busy routes, and more rural routes are subsidised by the taxpayer to keep them going.
Under a franchising model, operators would bid to run the service and get paid an agreed cost, with fare revenue coming back to Weca. This means the money raised from city centre routes can be put into maintaining less well-used services.
(BBC article continues, with more detailed explanation)
