Find below a new model template for a council motion on the Buses Bill:
DRAFT MOTION ON BUSES BILL:
This council welcomes the principles outlined in the Bus Services Bill and the opportunity it could give local councils to improve services.
These include powers that will allow authorities to set standards of service, incorporating branding, ticketing and frequency.
This council remains concerned that powers to franchise services, similar to those of Transport for London, will only be made available to areas that have chosen to have a directly-elected mayor, unless they get special permission from the Transport Secretary.
This council believes:
– that these powers should be accessible for all councils, with bus services in areas like [NAME] of crucial importance for people who live in isolated and rural areas, for countering traffic congestion in our towns and for improving east-west connectivity across the county;
– that these reforms, particularly over franchising, are a golden opportunity to halt the decline in bus usage and help ensure that services are sustainable and should be made available to all councils by default;
– that the government should ensure that councils are given support to enable the costs of setting up a franchise to be met
Calls upon the Cabinet to make representations to [local MPs and the Secretary of State for Transport] for this Council to have the power to franchise without having to have a directly elected mayor.