Huge Public Response to Metro Mayor’s Big Bus Debate

Huge Public Response to Metro Mayor’s Big Bus Debate

Less than a week after Steve Rotheram launched a debate on the future of buses in the Liverpool City Region more than 1000 people have already completed a digital survey about the bus system.

The government is in the process of devolving new powers over how the city region’s buses operate.

This public conversation will help inform how those powers are used to drive through major improvements to the network and give greater control back to the public sector and passengers.

Speaking about the announcement, Steve Rotheram said:

“Buses account for more than 80% of all public transport journeys in our city region, so it is no surprise that this public conversation has struck such a chord.

“While we have one of the best bus networks outside London, I’m not willing to accept being second best.

“I’d like to encourage everyone, whether they usually use the bus or not, to fill in the online survey and have their say on the future of the bus system in the Liverpool City Region.

“Their views will help us to build the modern, affordable and reliable public transport system that our city region deserves.”

Action to drive up quality has already been taken by Merseytravel and the Combined Authority with the major bus operators.

The Big Bus Debate will help to inform how the city region’s bus services improve in the future.

The types of improvements identified could include:

Smarter, simpler, more affordable, and easier to use ticketing
Quicker and more reliable bus journeys, which spend less time stuck in traffic
Greener buses that help improve air quality
Improving buses so that more car users choose to make the switch
Making it easier to switch between different modes of transport, whether cars, buses, trains, walking or cycling, and to find out information about the options in real time

The first phase of the conversation is an online survey aimed at finding out what perceptions both bus users and non-users have about the bus system and what changes they would like to see. The survey is available atwww.bigbusdebate.info

In the New Year, the next phase of the debate will see face-to-face on-street interviews, conducted across all six of the Combined Authority’s constituent local authorities, to be followed up by qualitative research in the form of focus groups.

All of this research will inform potential changes to be made to the bus system, which will be submitted to government in early 2020.