Other bus services may be controlled by the council under the proposed law

More local authorities in England are to be given powers to control bus services under legislation introduced into Parliament on Monday.

Transport Secretary Louise Haigh said the changes would deliver a “bus revolution” that would save vital routes.

This will allow all authorities to introduce a franchising system, where they can decide on routes, schedules and fares, with operators offering services at a fixed cost.

Some industry figures, however, said that minimum service level guarantees should also be set out as routes and timetables have faced cuts in recent years.

Silviya Barrett, director of policy and research at the Campaign for Better Transport, said giving councils more power would create “a more reliable bus network for all”.

“While the franchise may not be suitable for all areas, everyone should have access to a quality bus service without the risk of being cut, so we also ask for a minimum service level guarantee and long-term funding, which is closed to all local authorities,” he said.

Sandra, from Macclesfield, has seen a reduction in the frequency of local services making it difficult to plan her journey.

“I’ve looked at evening classes at leisure centres, but the bus time means doing a 45-minute class would be half a day,” she told the BBC’s Today programme.

“You have to be persuaded to use the bus and that won’t happen until there is better service.”

Until the 1980s, most bus services were delivered through publicly owned companies, often run by councils, but in 1986 services outside London were deregulated and privatised, leading to the mass sale of council bus companies.

In London a franchise system was introduced, with Transport for London determining the routes, timetables and fares and operators offering to run services for a fixed fee.

There are only a few areas in England where local bus companies are still owned by councils, and currently only areas with metro mayors can introduce “franchising” for private companies.

Last year, Greater Manchester became the first place outside London to bring bus services under public control since deregulation. The “Bee Network”, where an all-night service has been tried, has been described as a success, despite facing some teething problems with delays.

Ahead of the general election, Labor promise it will give all local transport authorities the power to run their own bus services and lift restrictions on new, public bus operators.

Adam Hug, a Labor councilor and transport spokesman for the Local Government Association which represents the council, welcomed the changes but warned they would not be an “overnight fix” for the bus network.

“This will take time and will not be delivered the same way in every part of the country,” he said.

“For the past 40 years since deregulation, we’ve allowed private operators to pick and choose whatever routes they want,” Ms Haigh said.

“If they don’t want to run the route, the local authority has to step in and fund it themselves or it just won’t run and the community won’t have a say.

“What we’re doing now is extending the power to every region of the UK, so if they want to go into franchising and build their own public transport network, they’ll now have the power to do it.”

But shadow transport secretary Helen Whately said Labour’s plan was “not funded” and the government needed to make clear whether local authorities would raise taxes or cut services to fund the proposal.

“What’s more, it won’t make any difference to passengers.

“It will not increase the number of services and would prefer to have a £2 fare cap added to the Budget,” he added, referring to policy introduced by the Conservative government to cap single bus fares on participating bus routes at £2, which has been extended until December.

Ms Haigh said the government was “cautious” about funding for the £2 fare cap, adding: “That decision will be made through the Budget.”

The Government is also launching a consultation on simplified guidance to streamline processes and reduce costs for local councils looking to bring services under public control.

A “Better Bus Bill” will follow later in this parliamentary session, which will examine measures for areas where leaders will not consider franchising.

It is not known how many councilors will take on the new powers.

Head of transport at Cheshire East Council, Mark Goldsmith, said it was unlikely to operate direct buses, but franchise agreements had “some benefits”.

“It gives us more power to control the market a little bit more without having to open everything.”

However, there are financial risks for councils that run services under franchise.

“In most franchising arrangements, it’s the local authority that takes the revenue risk, so if passenger numbers aren’t where they want to be, they and the council tax payer will be hit,” said Graham Vidley, head of the Passenger Transport Confederation. , which represents the bus industry.

Mr Vidler added that the government faced “difficult decisions” in next month’s Budget.

“Will they continue to support local authorities and invest in bus services in the way that the last government did? Will they carry out an extension of the national £2 fare beyond New Year’s Eve when it is now scheduled to end?”