Kent leaders give mixed response to government's Better Buses bill

Plans to change the way bus services are run and hand more power to local leaders has split opinion among Kent local authorities.

Transcript

00:00For a lifeline for many, but many passengers believe the quality and the number of services

00:06are going downhill.

00:08The government says a new bill coming will recognise this and drive change.

00:13Plans would see local authorities taking control of the will.

00:16This rightly isn't a one size fits all approach and crucially places no additional burden

00:23on taxpayers.

00:25It simply acknowledges a truth that many in this house will agree with.

00:30That the best decisions aren't always made by Whitehall.

00:34They are made in town and city halls across the country.

00:38By those accountable to local communities.

00:42By those who day in day out use the very services that we're talking about.

00:48Reforms are set to mimic the London bus network locally here in Kent and the aim would be

00:53for the county services to be integrated more efficiently.

00:56With the government saying they'll remove barriers to local leaders so buses can be

01:00faster and cheaper than ever before.

01:03But the man overseeing buses at Kent County Council has concerns.

01:07Clearly the devil's going to be in the detail.

01:09At the moment a lot of people think I am the fat controller of buses in Kent because well

01:12we've had a deregulated bus system for decades now.

01:15That's not always clear.

01:17My fear is that the public expectation may be raised about what councils could do but

01:22there's been no indication that central government will transfer any funds to allow us to do

01:27that.

01:28And I think that would be the worst of both worlds where we have the theoretical ability

01:31to do something which is improve buses which we'd all like to do but no extra funds to

01:35do it and with our current financial position I cannot see how we could deliver that in

01:39any reasonable way.

01:41Councils would be given powers to introduce new routes and set fares.

01:45In Medway the leader says this is a step in the right direction.

01:49We know there are examples, longer term examples before the law changed under the Conservatives

01:54where councils have run bus services and the profits that come from that go back into council

01:58services.

01:59That's a positive approach to public transport.

02:02And we'll certainly be playing our part in the consultation because longer term we've

02:05got to have a system which works for people.

02:07For too long the bus services have not worked for the residents of Medway and indeed across

02:12the county.

02:14A consultation is currently running and the bill is expected to enter Parliament later

02:18this year.

02:19But more details on any funding settlement might become apparent.

02:24Gabriel Morris in Medway.