CONSULTATIONS have begun surrounding a shake up to the region's bus services which will see them brought under local control.
In October, metro mayor Steve Rotheram announced that Liverpool City Region would soon be franchising the region's buses to give local bosses greater control over fares, tickets, timetables, and routes.
It is a similar move to the 'Bee Network' launched in Greater Manchester last year, and St Helens will become the first area to benefit from the franchising model as part of a phased introduction from 2026.
A fully franchised system, including a zero-emission hydrogen fleet, is expected to be in place across the whole of the city region by the end of 2028.
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With the plans described as the "biggest shake up to the region's buses in four decades", residents are encouraged to give feedback on the plans, the bus connections they would like to see, and potential future improvements to the network.
The survey will also ask people to suggest changes that might encourage them to uses buses more frequently.
As St Helens is the first area in the region to introduce the franchising model, a public consultation on the plans began yesterday (Monday, February 26) and will run until Sunday, March 17.
St Helens franchising roadshow events will be taking place at the below locations on these dates:
Tuesday, February 27 and Thursday, February 29: Opposite Cassandra’s Coffee House St Marys Arcade, WA10 1AR from 10am-4pm
Friday, March 1: Earlestown Market Earlestown, WA12 9AQ from 10am-2pm
Monday, March 4: March Chester Lane Library Four Acre Lane, WA9 4DE from 11.30am-3.30pm
Tuesday, March 5: Rainford Village Hall 34 Church Road, WA11 8HB from 1pm-5pm
Wednesday, March 6: St Andrews Church Hall / The Hub Dentons Green, WA10 6RU from 1.30pm-5.30pm
Thursday, March 7: Haydock Library Church Road, WA11 0LY from 10.30am-2.30pm
Residents can also give their thoughts on an online survey here.
Mr Rotheram said: "Hundreds of thousands of people in our area rely on buses to get about every day, with 82% of all public transport journeys taken by bus.
"Franchising is the biggest shake up to our region’s buses in four decades and, while it will take a few years to reregulate the entire network, the change will be transformational.
"We will have greater control over fares, tickets and routes to ensure that services are run in the best interests of passengers – not shareholders.
"We're taking back control of our network and putting our buses back where they belong: under public control.
"It is another massive step forward on our journey to building an integrated London-style transport network that will make getting around our region faster, cheaper, cleaner, and more reliable."
Cllr David Baines, leader of St Helens Council, said: "Buses are the backbone of the public transport network here in St Helens – tens of thousands of residents every day use the bus to travel to work, school and college, to the shops or to see family and friends.
"We need a bus service that is affordable, reliable and works for everyone in our region, which is why last year Mayor Rotheram took the important decision to undo nearly 40 years of deregulation and bring bus services under local public control.
"Now we're asking people in St Helens and beyond to let us know what they want to see from new, franchised bus services in the borough.
"Whether you take part in the survey online, or attend an in-person roadshow session, we want to hear from you.”
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