Council pushes to run its own bus service that 'people can rely on' in Milton Keynes

Leading councillors are urging the government to allow buses to return to council control in Milton Keynes.

They have slammed the privatisation of public transport as a “failed experiment, which places profit before people”.

Lib Dem Councillor Paul Trendall, the Progressive Alliance Cabinet Member for Highways, is proposing a motion this week that is set to be approved.

It states: “The withdrawal of bus services in Milton Keynes by the private and commercial operators has negatively impacted many citizens who rely on the service to attend work, school, and vital medical appointments. For many, buses are crucial as the ongoing cost-of-living crisis continues to worsen.”

The motion requests the council’s chief executive to write to the Secretary of State for Transport and request that Milton Keynes be allowed to operate its own buses, either as a city-wide service or concurrent with other bus operators.

Currently, government prohibitions prevent local councils from effectively managing their own bus services. Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative Government introduced the Transport Act in 1995 and this resulted in bus services that were once run by local authorities being privatised.

But MK’s Progressive Alliance believe it is time the 40 year old rules were scrapped.

Cllr Trendall said: “The privatisation of public transport is a failed experiment based upon Conservative ideology rather than social need, which places profit before people.”

He added: “We have had almost 40 years of Tory bus privatisation and year after year it continues to fail the people of MK. Thousands of people rely on the bus services every day to get to work, school and access the supermarkets. It is vital we push the Government to devolve more powers to the City Council so we can operate and manage our own bus services more effectively.”

Councillor Jennifer Wilson-Marklew, Labour’s Progressive Alliance Cabinet Member for Public Transport said: “Buses play a crucial role in Milton Keynes. They enable people to get to work, school and vital medical appointments. For many residents, bus services are a lifeline as the ongoing cost-of-living crisis continues to worsen.

“The Conservative Government needs to put the power back into our hands. We need to ensure the communities in Milton Keynes have the option of a bus service they can rely on.”

Last month there was tension between MK Council and private bus operators Arriva. Arriva pulled out of a multi-million pound deal to bring a fleet of electric buses to MK, saying they could not find a sustainable solution.

Councillors slammed Arriva’s action as a “major waste” of council and government time and resources, with one Cabinet member stating: “It feels like a kick in the teeth”.

However, Arriva said they had worked tirelessly to find a viable way to run an all-electric fleet but found the idea was not sustainable.

A spokesman for the company said: “We share Milton Keynes Council's disappointment, but with the current economic uncertainties and escalating operational costs, it would be irresponsible for us to continue with the bid at this time.”