• Borough to spearhead introduction of new franchised services
• Bus reform programme will give greater public control of fares, routes and timetable
• Four-week public engagement concludes Sunday 17th March

St Helens residents are being encouraged to take the opportunity to make their voices heard on the future of bus services ahead of the conclusion of public engagement this week.

The borough is set to be the first in the region to see franchised services in the biggest shake up to the Liverpool City Region’s network in almost 40 years.

Last year Mayor Steve Rotheram made the landmark decision to take back control of bus services in the Liverpool City Region following the recommendation of local authority leaders. The decision followed a major public consultation in which around 70% of people backed plans for franchising.

Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said:

“Hundreds of thousands of people in our area rely on buses to get about every day, with 82% of all public transport journeys taken by bus.

“Franchising is the biggest shake up to our region’s buses in four decades and, while it will take a few years to reregulate the entire network, the change will be transformational. We will have greater control over fares, tickets and routes to ensure that services are run in the best interests of passengers – not shareholders.

“We’re taking back control of our network and putting our buses back where they belong: under public control. It is another massive step forward on our journey to building an integrated London-style transport network that will make getting around our region faster, cheaper, cleaner, and more reliable.”

Launched last month by the Combined Authority, the four-week public engagement has seen people being invited to take part in an online survey or attend in-person roadshows.

Residents are being invited to give feedback on bus connections they would like to see and potential future improvements to the network. The survey also asks people to suggest changes that might encourage them to uses buses more frequently.

The Combined Authority is committed to deliver a franchised bus service for the region that will allow greater local control over fares, routes and timetables, with services operated in the interests of passengers and surplus profit reinvested into improving the network.

In the coming months people will also be invited to make their voice heard about services in – Halton, Liverpool, Knowsley, Sefton and Wirral.

Cllr David Baines, Leader of St Helens Council said:

“Buses are the backbone of the public transport network here in St Helens – tens of thousands of residents every day use the bus to travel to work, school and college, to the shops or to see family and friends.

“We need a bus service that is affordable, reliable and works for everyone in our region, which is why last year Mayor Rotheram took the important decision to undo nearly 40 years of deregulation and bring bus services under local public control.

“We’ve had a fantastic response so far, but there’s still time for residents to have their say before the engagement concludes.

“Visit the Liverpool City Region website and take part in the survey online – we want to hear from you.”

The engagement will runs until midnight on Sunday 17^th March

The online survey is available at https://lcrlistens.liverpoolcityregion-ca.gov.uk/bus/st-helens-bus-network/