Politicians need to make ‘much bigger case for buses’ says Polanski

Green Party leader Zack Polanski says that bus privatisation has been an “unmitigated disaster,” and that buses must be brought back into public control.

Pleased by the steps in this direction being taken by some Labour Metro Mayors, he said he welcomed the franchising systems like the one introduced by Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, or through cities owning their own bus companies.

He was speaking from Newcastle on Tyne’s central bus station. The high number of interview requests from local and national media meant he was late to a nearby campaign rally where hundreds of supporters had paid to hear from him.

“Poor bus connectivity costs the UK economy up to £23bn, and every pound we put into bus services brings £4.50 back into the local economy,” said Polanski.

“There’s also the cost of inaction,” he told TransportXtra. “We know from the National Audit Office that the cost of [renationalising buses] is between £12m and £23m, a small investment for what brings a lot of money into the economy.”

He stressed that “politicians need to be making a much bigger case for buses”. They're a vital lifeline for many people, he said. “We live in the fifth wealthiest economy in the world, where the 50 wealthiest families own more wealth than the bottom 50% of the population. There’s plenty of money, but far too often it goes to private companies and corporations, rather than vital public services, like buses, that are so necessary for the community.”

Labour’s North East mayor Kim McGuinness, is already planning a franchise-based takeover of the region’s buses under her proposed Angel Network, due autumn 2029.

“I don’t want to be churlish when Labour politicians take good steps,” said Polanski, “but I want to see us moving much faster and making this a real priority,” he said.

“If you don’t invest in public services and don’t invest in your communities, things still won’t be good enough. Particularly in rural areas, including across the North East, sometimes people tell me that it is not that you can’t get a bus every couple of hours – it is that you can’t get a bus every couple of days.”

The North East Combined Authority cabinet recently voted to proceed to the next stage of setting up a regional bus franchise system, in which operators such as Arriva, Stagecoach, and Go North East would bid for contracts to run services.

Responding to Polanski’s visit, McGuinness said: “I’m delighted to see the Green Party leader come to the North East to announce what Labour are already doing here. I am happy we’re pushing on with my plans to bring buses in the North East back into public control where they belong.”

Buses are the most used form of public transport in England, but usage has taken a huge and sustained drop recently, said a Green Party statement, down from 4.6bn journeys in 2009 to 3.6bn in 2024.

“Years of deregulation have led to soaring fares, unreliable services, and cut routes,” continued the statement. 

“Bus privatisation has been an unmitigated disaster. We need to bring buses back into public control so that local councils, who know what their communities need best, can put a ceiling on how much can be charged and make sure their communities are well served. Spiralling transport costs are one of the greatest causes of the affordability crisis and lack of services, and the expense of fares affects rural communities in particular.”