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After two and a half years of campaigning by Bristol Green Party, and a coalition of groups, the West of England mayor Dan Norris has taken the first steps to considering bus franchising in Bristol [1].
Carla Denyer, MP candidate for Bristol Central and Green Party co-leader, said:
“Everyone in Bristol wants our transport system to work better, and buses are vital to creating fairer, greener communities in this city. Accessible, reliable and affordable public transport is the foundation of a thriving city – connecting people to each other, education, work, and crucial services, whilst tackling congestion, air pollution and climate change all at the same time.
It is promising for the people of Bristol that the West of England Mayor is finally admitting the failure of the current model. However, this fight is not over and we will continue to call on Dan Norris to ensure he follows through and uses his powers to bring buses into a franchise system.
“This would give the authority greater powers to set routes and frequencies rather than private companies cherry-picking the profitable routes while leaving other passengers out in the cold and some communities completely cut off.
“Subsidising public transport can result in savings elsewhere, cutting the costs of congestion, reducing health costs associated with air pollution and helping tackle carbon emissions and the huge costs we will incur from the climate crisis.”
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