A “bus revolution” across England could speed up the process of taking control of North East services out of the hands of private operators, the region’s mayor hopes.

Transport secretary Louise Haigh announced new legislation on Monday (September 9) that will give all local transport authorities across England the power to run their own bus services.

While the North East already holds such a power, under the new devolution deal that led to the election of Kim McGuinness as mayor this May, the Labour Government’s plans could mean that her ‘Angel Network’ of publicly-controlled buses becomes a reality faster.

The North East Combined Authority (NECA) estimated in July that it would take two years and eight months to go through the “complex” legal process of setting up a bus franchising system, casting doubt whether Ms McGuinness could deliver on her pledge to deliver on the scheme by the end of her first term in 2028.

But the Department for Transport (DfT) also said on Monday that it was launching a consultation on simplified guidance that will “help break down barriers to local control of bus services, speeding up the process and bringing down costs”.

Under a franchise model, NECA would be able to set fares, routes, and timetables and contract the services out for private companies to run – rather than the current ‘deregulated’ system which has operated since the 1980s, in which the private operators are in charge.

However, it remains unclear at this stage to what extent the North East’s franchising efforts could be sped up as a result of Labour’s latest pledge.

Ms McGuinness said: “My first act as mayor was to start the process of bringing buses back under public control, and we’re now working at full tilt to develop a franchising scheme. But we go into this with open eyes – we expect it to be a complex and lengthy process under current legislation.

“I’m delighted that the new Government has recognised the importance of this legislation and is already taking steps to make the process much smoother and faster. We will study the proposals closely. We also have some ideas of our own about how franchising can be delivered faster in the North East and we are working with Ministers to feed in our ideas. 

“Making buses better is a top priority, people tell me about the problems they experience with buses on a daily basis. We need to fix the bus network so it works for local people – providing reliable, affordable and high-quality service for our communities. It’s great that this Government is willing to work with Mayors and local authorities to make that a reality.”

The DfT’s website states that local authorities will be subject to “reduced” demands in producing their cases for a franchise system, and that “superfluous requirements have been removed”, but the department was unable to say on Monday how this would impact the North East’s plans specifically.

Transport chiefs in Tyne and Wear had previously tried to take buses back into public hands under a proposed ‘Quality Contract Scheme’, but that was rejected in 2015 when it was deemed that the idea would not deliver value for money.

But local politicians and campaigners have been pushing for a return of services into public hands following years of cuts to routes that are deemed unprofitable and the chaos that ensued from a protracted strike by workers at Go North East in 2023.

The number of miles being driven each year by buses across the region has plummeted by nearly 29 million since 2010, a drop of more than 30 per cent, according to analysis of DfT statistics published by Labour last January.

Ms Haigh said: “Buses are the lifeblood of our communities, but for too many people it has become impossible to rely on local services, as routes have been slashed and timetables hollowed out.  

“Today is the first stop on our journey to delivering better buses across the country. After decades of failed deregulation, local leaders will finally have the powers to provide services that deliver for passengers.

“And we are taking steps to support local leaders to deliver improved bus services faster and cheaper than ever before. With local communities firmly back in the driving seat, our bus revolution will save vital routes up and down the country and put passengers first.”