- Passenger-in-Chief, Louise Haigh, commits to London-style transport networks to be rolled out across the country and to resetting the relationship with the Capital.
- Comes as Better Buses Bill is announced for local people to take back control of buses
- Transport Secretary has her first visit with the Mayor of London, as London’s bus network continues to thrive
Transport Secretary Louise Haigh will visit London Mayor Sadiq Khan today [Thursday 18th July] to continue the Government’s bus revolution.
On her second official bus visit in less than two weeks in the role, she will see the state-of-the-art Waterloo bus depot which serves an entirely zero-emission bus fleet and discuss how London’s world-famous transport network can be replicated across the country to deliver the reliable, affordable and green bus services passengers deserve.
The visit comes as new bus legislation was unveiled in the King’s Speech to finally let local leaders take back control of buses.
The Better Buses Bill reaffirms the Government’s priority to improve the quality and reliability of bus services across the country by giving local leaders the ability to take back control of their local buses.
The law will deliver new powers for local leaders to bring bus services back into public control, following in the footsteps of the already successful Transport for London and the Bee Network in Manchester. It will finally call time on the failed system of deregulation that has seen service levels plummet, leaving people isolated, and stifling economic growth.
Transport Secretary Louise Haigh said:
“I’m thrilled to meet Sadiq Khan today to see first-hand how Transport for London is delivering one of the world’s most efficient, affordable and sustainable transport networks in the world.
“It is living proof that passengers do not have to put up with a broken bus system.
“We’re only two weeks into Government, and we’re already taking the fast lane towards better integrated travel for all.
“Our Better Buses Bill will remove barriers and empower local leaders to replicate London’s world-class bus network across the country, giving passengers a transport system they can truly rely on.”
The bus plan is part of the new government’s ambition to develop a long-term, national strategy for transport. This will ensure infrastructure can be delivered efficiently and on time while allowing local people to take back control of their buses, trams and trains.
London buses have thrived under local leadership. The capital has the largest zero emission bus fleet in western Europe, and new Transport for London (TfL) data shows that the recently launched Superloop has been transformational for Londoners, with demand for Superloop services 9% higher than network average. It’s added more than six million bus kilometres to the bus network.
Thanks to the success of these new routes, London Mayor Sadiq Khan will shortly unveil plans to introduce a raft of new ‘Superloop 2’ routes to continue boosting sustainable, affordable and reliable travel across the entire capital.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said:
“London has a world-class public transport network and our zero-emission bus fleet is setting the standard for others to follow.
“The evidence is clear – if you invest in new transport infrastructure, people will use it, and I’m delighted that new figures show the huge popularity of the Superloop since it launched.
“Investment in buses and other transport in London also benefits the rest of the country, with supply chains in Ballymena, Falkirk and Yorkshire creating jobs and boosting economic growth across the UK.
“I’m hugely excited about the reset in the relationship between London and national government and about working hand-in-hand with the new Transport Secretary to deliver a better London for everyone and the change the country needs.”
Matt Carney, CEO – Bus, Go-Ahead Group:
“We are pleased to welcome the Secretary of State and the Mayor of London to our Waterloo depot today, the first all-electric depot in the UK and EU, where we started with 48 electric buses and now operate more than 1,000 around the country. This demonstrates our commitment, investment and leadership in the transition to zero-emission buses.
“We look forward to continuing working in partnership with the government and continuing to provide high-quality bus services across the country.”
