Member Article

Tyneside bus takeover would disadvantage Sunderland, say Stagecoach

Bus operator Stagecoach says plans by North East councils to seize control of bus routes will disadvantage commuters in the south of the region.

Stagecoach say Tyne and Wear Integrated Transport Authority’s (ITA) contracting plans will mean half of adult fare-paying passengers in Sunderland and South Shields would pay more for their travel.

The firm say nearly 5 million journeys a year by passengers currently using Stagecoach services would be hit by fares increases, in some cases 20%.

Stagecoach North East managing director Phil Medlicott said: “This is damning evidence that the ITA’s bus contracting plans would have a hugely damaging impact on the living standards of some of the poorest and most vulnerable people in the North East.

“Families struggling to make ends meet on housing estates across Sunderland and South Shields would be hit with massive fares hikes overnight. These are people who have the least scope to make savings elsewhere and it could make bus travel for them financially inaccessible.

“It is also a matter of serious concern that Sunderland and South Shields would see a massive increase in bus fares while fares are protected in the very ward of the ITA’s Chairman, Councillor David Wood.

“Communities south of The Tyne are already battling inequality of opportunity. They will rightly be asking why they are paying more to hold fares down for electors in Councillor Wood’s own back yard.”

Deputy director general of Nexus, Tobyn Hughes, said: “We simply do not accept the claims made by Stagecoach. They do not publish their fare information and have not shared their analysis with us.

“The ITA’s Quality Contracts Scheme proposal sets out ‘zonal’ adult fares that apply right across Tyne and Wear. The proposed adult fare for a single journey anywhere in Sunderland and most of South Tyneside will be £1.30, all child single fares will be 60p, and a new ticket for 16-18 year olds will cost £7.50 a week.

“Stagecoach say their figures are based on 5 million journeys, which is under 7% of the journeys made on their buses in the North East and less than 4% of the 139 million journeys made on all companies’ services in Tyne and Wear each year. This analysis would appear to be selective at best.

“We would encourage people to visit the consultation website at www.nexus.org.uk/busstrategy so they can see the proposal for themselves.”

The ITA say taking control of fare revenue from private companies would allow for greater re-investment in Tyne and Wear local services.

At this week’s Labour party conference, the shadow transport secretary, Maria Eagle, backed the ITA’s efforts which she said were “reversing the failure of bus regulation.”

In July a consultation on the proposal was launched, which runs until November 5.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tom Keighley .