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Government to ‘learn lessons’ from Nottingham City Transport ahead of plans for more publicly-owned buses

By Joe Locker, Local Democracy Reporter

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The new Labour Government will ‘learn lessons’ from Nottingham’s award-winning bus company as it looks to bring public transport under greater public control, a minister says.

Simon Lightwood, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport, visited Nottingham on Thursday (July 18) to learn from Nottingham City Transport (NCT) about how best to expand this model across the country.

The Government says a ‘Better Buses Bill’ will deliver Labour’s manifesto pledge to reform bus services in England, through new powers for local leaders to franchise bus services.

Restrictions on the creation of new publicly-owned bus operators could also be lifted under the Bill.

NCT is today under public ownership. Former leader of Nottingham City Council, Betty Higgins, opted to keep it in public hands at a time when bus companies were being sold to private operators.

Through its public ownership, NCT provides a dividend to the council, with any profits put back into council services.

On the visit, Mr Lightwood said: “It has been a fantastic visit to Nottingham City Transport. I was really keen, because I think it is an exemplar when it comes to municipal bus companies.

“I wanted to learn the lessons from NCT so we can look at how we can expand that across the country and build upon the success.”

Cllr Neghat Khan (Lab), the leader of the council, added: “He’s seen the best of the best here in Nottingham.

“Anything outside of London, this is the best place to come. It is really good the minister has come to Nottingham for his first outing.

“While I was talking to the minister he heard about how NCT has won [UK Bus Operator of the Year five times], about the satisfaction rates, and if you are going to put this out elsewhere in the country then Nottingham is the best place to build on NCT with their record.”

Under the former Conservative Government, the Department for Transport (DfT) has also been funding a £2 cap on thousands of single bus journeys across the country to help with the ongoing cost of living crisis.

It has been extended on numerous occasions and will now run until December 2024.

However, trams have been left out of the deal, and passengers must pay full price on Nottingham’s NET network.

Tim Hesketh, the chief executive officer of Tramlink, the group of companies behind the network, previously said: “When they start giving out cash to support public transport, it’ll either get put into trains or buses.

“But none of it has come to tram at all. Not just in Nottingham but every light rail system in the country is now competing with the £2 bus fare, which is very difficult.”

Cllr Khan said she had raised the issue with Mr Lightwood and added: “There are parts of the city, for example, Hyson Green, that do not get served by the buses, we have got the tram, but travel at the moment costs more.

“We believe in integrated networks, so if you use the Robin Hood card you can’t get the same discount, it will cost you more, so we did say that. But the minister has not made any commitments on that because they want to make sure any commitments they make are funded.”

Asked by the Local Democracy Reporting Service if a similar fare cap was on the Government’s agenda, Mr Lightwood said he would “look at all options”.

He added: “Affordability of public transport is critical. We are looking very carefully at the results of that £2 cap.

“We will be looking at whether or not that is the best vehicle for the future to make sure that, A, public transport is affordable, but also because people can rely upon services.”