Liverpool City Region’s transport lead has issued an important call as a major 12-week consultation on the future of bus services in the region reached its half-way point.

Highlighting the “really big decision we have to make” Cllr Liam Robinson has encouraged more people to take part in the consultation, saying was “vital that we hear from as many people as possible across our region – whether they’re bus users or not.”

Launched last month by Mayor Steve Rotheram, the 12-week consultation is giving people chance to have their say on proposals to change the way bus services are run in the Liverpool City Region.

Currently private operators decide the routes, timetables, fares and standards. There is also limited coordination between private bus operators and other forms of public transport. The new bus franchising scheme proposed by the Combined Authority would allow greater local control over fares, routes and timetables.

Reform of the region’s bus network is a key part of Mayor Rotheram’s wider ambition to build a London-style transport system that makes getting about faster, cheaper, cleaner, more reliable.

Cllr Liam Robinson, leader of Liverpool City Council and Transport Portfolio Holder for Liverpool City Region Combined Authority said:

“The Liverpool City Region runs on buses – eight out of ten public transport journeys here are taken by bus. That’s hundreds of thousands of people each day using the bus to travel to work, school and college, to the shops or to see family and friends.

“We want to see a bus service that works for everyone in our region, and we believe that means taking greater local public control of the network so we can do things like set fares, routes and timetables.

“We’ve had a fantastic response to the consultation so far, with thousands of responses received already and six weeks still to go for people to make their voices heard.

“There’s a really big decision we have to make about the future of our bus services and it’s vital that we hear from as many people across as possible across our region – whether they’re bus users or not.”

Mayor Rotheram and the Combined Authority voted unanimously to confirm franchising as the region’s preferred future model for running the bus network and services.

The region is one of only two in the country to run a consultation on the future model for bus services.

A major advertising campaign is currently underway to encourage people to take part in the consultation, with information booklets on the bus franchising proposals being delivered directly to households across the region.

In-person roadshow events are also being hosted at venues across the region over the coming weeks.

For more information and to take part in the consultation visit liverpoolcityregion-ca.gov.uk/movingbusesforward/