LCR Bus Franchising

[Barney]

RE: LCR Bus Franchising

(25/02/2022 23:14)Mayneway Wrote:  Worth pointing out the franchising in Manchester has ‘quietly’ been put on hold until the results of the judicial review (organised jointly by Stagecoach and Diamond), are made clear. Bids for franchising in Wigan and Bolton were due to open later this year but TFGM have paused spending on it and there’s a strong feeling it will either be watered down or dumped all together.

Clearly TfGM cannot proceed with the bidding process whilst a judicial review is being conducted. For those of us with long memories, the Transport Act of 1985 that created the deregulated system that currently exists was also challenged in the courts and subsequently failed.

My view is that this is a desperate delaying tactic by Stagecoach and Diamond and the fact that the Bus Services Act of 2017 is enshrined in law will mean that this appeal will also ultimately prove futile.

Where is this "strong feeling that it will be watered down or dumped altogether"? It seems more like wishful thinking on your part as I haven't seen or read anything to corroborate this assertion. On the contrary, most of the metro mayors seem to be following Andy Burnham's lead and pursuing a franchised bus system.