January 2003
Regular visitors to this site will know that I am not a particular fan of deregulation (see Busman's Horror Day). Having moved a year ago from London to the provinces, I still haven't become accustomed to having next to no bus services during the evenings or Sundays or the fact that it will cost me £34 per month for a bus add-on to my monthly season ticket (compared with £35 per month for a one zone Travelcard, which also includes trains and tubes within a significantly larger area).
I can't entirely blame Nicholas Ridley for this of course. My home town Maidstone was famous for having a completely different bus service pattern in the evenings and Sundays long before October 1986, not to mention buses of many different liveries (even though there were only two operators!).
I will admit that deregulation has not been the calamitous experience I predicted in my 1985 article. I'm not aware of many communities without a bus service as a result of deregulation (much of the damage to rural bus services having been done before). There have even been some improvements, with many communities receiving enhanced services (albeit not after 7 pm or on Sundays). My special friends Arriva have recently increased the frequency of service 4/5 between Maidstone and Staplehurst to every 30 minutes - probably the best service level ever on this route.
The Transport Act 2000 has brought further benefits, notably the encouragement of Quality Bus Partnerships between operators and local authorities. The forerunner of these, Superoute 66 between Ipswich and Martlesham Heath features a guided busway and bus activated traffic signals and has increased passenger numbers.
I still don’t believe that deregulation is the way to go. The provision of bus services should not be entirely determined by market forces, especially if we are to encourage people (like me) out of their cars. I think that the London system of route franchising should be applied to the rest of the country (this could perhaps be extended to network franchising), which should allow a return to profitable services and journeys subsidising evening and Sunday operation. It would also allow integrated ticketing (although I concede that many operators have pursued their own initiatives in this area) and reduce bus congestion in town centres. It might even unlock Arriva's Colchester Depot on Sundays (or possibly drive them out of town altogether).
I think 2003 will be an interesting year for the bus industry. Let's hope it's a happy one.