Not wanting to jump ahead, but I'm wondering whether SYMCA (or any other local authority) would be allowed to set up its own (non-profit) bus company and bid for a franchise, thus remunicipalising the buses. After deregulation in the 1980s, SYCC-owned South Yorkshire Transport held on for a while as almost sole operator. The Government of the day tried to put a stop to this using a law that they'd thoughtfully provided themselves with that prevented one company from becoming dominant over a significant area of the country. If memory serves, this failed, because it was ludicrous to suggest that South Yorkshire amounted to a significant area. Eventually the dominance of First and Stagecoach that meant SYT could not compete. Privatisation was after all never meant to produce effects so obviously loony left as competition, diversity or meeting local needs.
There was always something perverse about deregulation of local public transport. In 1897, Sheffield Corporation, having purchased the private tramway company's undertaking, immediately made plans to electrify and quadruple the network. Ald. W. E. Clegg was able to boast that in the first year of municipal ownership, '8,453,078 passengers have been carried, as against 6,566,038 in the previous year—the last of the company management. There is a surplus of over £8,000. The employees are smartly uniformed, have better wages and shorter hours. Whichever way the figures are looked at, the same satisfactory results appear. Though there are more cars, the receipts per car per week are higher. With one exception, we believe that every week of the year has seen higher profits than the corresponding week of the previous year. Thus the public are better served, the employees better treated, and the receipts larger. A profit, of over £8,000, an increase of nearly 2,000,000 in the number of passengers, greater facilities, reduced fares, better conditions of labour for the employees, are circumstances which go far to justify an experiment in what is sometimes described as "municipal Socialism.'''
Thanks Robin. I think the law is fairly clear on this point, that no - it can't be done. See the Bus Services Act here: "A relevant authority may not, in exercise of any of its powers, form a company for the purpose of providing a local service." (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2017/21/section/22)
Louise Haigh says she’d support allowing municipalisation of buses but at one of Oliver Coppard’s bus sessions I asked him about this and was very dismissive about it preferring Franchising. I did a masters degree in Transport. I graduated in 1998 and Franchising was the answer then except in the decades since it has only just come forward in a few places against the interests of the resistant private bus industry. It raises the structure of the bus to that of the current privatised rail industry and leaves businesses philosophically opposed to it operating it.
To bring back the days when South Yorkshire had the best buses anywhere I think would require the legalisation of municipal companies. I don’t suppose a new labour government would adopt such an old Labour idea?
Re: the question of livery. Having just read about the Twitter poll (I don't use it - life's too short) that voted for green, there was an experiment with green-painted trams in Sheffield, the hand-lining required for the blue/cream/gold livery being expensive. It was not well-received, but it was a rather dull green. The darker green used for the renovated sewer gas lamps could be quite attractive. Chesterfield used to be dark green, and always looked rather smart, as well as not showing the dirt so much.
Great article, Dan. Detailed but clear. And leading to an interesting discussion in the Comments. I've not seen anything to rival this in either The Times or the Sheffield Star.
The Day of the Big Decision: I'm cancelling my physical newspapers, specified above. And I'm signing up another friend to The Tribune. Dan: "The cheque's in the post!"
25 million spent to decide whether or not to change something and even if there is then a change it might be challenged legally? Why? To keep politicians and bureaucrats in jobs?
Not wanting to jump ahead, but I'm wondering whether SYMCA (or any other local authority) would be allowed to set up its own (non-profit) bus company and bid for a franchise, thus remunicipalising the buses. After deregulation in the 1980s, SYCC-owned South Yorkshire Transport held on for a while as almost sole operator. The Government of the day tried to put a stop to this using a law that they'd thoughtfully provided themselves with that prevented one company from becoming dominant over a significant area of the country. If memory serves, this failed, because it was ludicrous to suggest that South Yorkshire amounted to a significant area. Eventually the dominance of First and Stagecoach that meant SYT could not compete. Privatisation was after all never meant to produce effects so obviously loony left as competition, diversity or meeting local needs.
There was always something perverse about deregulation of local public transport. In 1897, Sheffield Corporation, having purchased the private tramway company's undertaking, immediately made plans to electrify and quadruple the network. Ald. W. E. Clegg was able to boast that in the first year of municipal ownership, '8,453,078 passengers have been carried, as against 6,566,038 in the previous year—the last of the company management. There is a surplus of over £8,000. The employees are smartly uniformed, have better wages and shorter hours. Whichever way the figures are looked at, the same satisfactory results appear. Though there are more cars, the receipts per car per week are higher. With one exception, we believe that every week of the year has seen higher profits than the corresponding week of the previous year. Thus the public are better served, the employees better treated, and the receipts larger. A profit, of over £8,000, an increase of nearly 2,000,000 in the number of passengers, greater facilities, reduced fares, better conditions of labour for the employees, are circumstances which go far to justify an experiment in what is sometimes described as "municipal Socialism.'''
Thanks Robin. I think the law is fairly clear on this point, that no - it can't be done. See the Bus Services Act here: "A relevant authority may not, in exercise of any of its powers, form a company for the purpose of providing a local service." (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2017/21/section/22)
Labour's shadow transport secretary, Louise Haigh, has said they will lift this ban, so that may change (https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/mar/09/labour-promises-overhaul-broken-bus-services-england)
Louise Haigh says she’d support allowing municipalisation of buses but at one of Oliver Coppard’s bus sessions I asked him about this and was very dismissive about it preferring Franchising. I did a masters degree in Transport. I graduated in 1998 and Franchising was the answer then except in the decades since it has only just come forward in a few places against the interests of the resistant private bus industry. It raises the structure of the bus to that of the current privatised rail industry and leaves businesses philosophically opposed to it operating it.
To bring back the days when South Yorkshire had the best buses anywhere I think would require the legalisation of municipal companies. I don’t suppose a new labour government would adopt such an old Labour idea?
On your last point you are undoubtedly correct, they wouldn't.
Re: the question of livery. Having just read about the Twitter poll (I don't use it - life's too short) that voted for green, there was an experiment with green-painted trams in Sheffield, the hand-lining required for the blue/cream/gold livery being expensive. It was not well-received, but it was a rather dull green. The darker green used for the renovated sewer gas lamps could be quite attractive. Chesterfield used to be dark green, and always looked rather smart, as well as not showing the dirt so much.
There's a photo of one of the the 1952 experimental green liveries here: https://www.sheffieldhistory.co.uk/forums/topic/1600-the-green-tram/#comment-8662. There was another version, using two shades of green, presumably something like the new Connect buses.
Great article, Dan. Detailed but clear. And leading to an interesting discussion in the Comments. I've not seen anything to rival this in either The Times or the Sheffield Star.
The Day of the Big Decision: I'm cancelling my physical newspapers, specified above. And I'm signing up another friend to The Tribune. Dan: "The cheque's in the post!"
This is a great old video that is a reminder that buses used to be great: https://youtu.be/kjyAsNfkQ-w
25 million spent to decide whether or not to change something and even if there is then a change it might be challenged legally? Why? To keep politicians and bureaucrats in jobs?
So I'm guessing that this model wouldn't allow you to get off a tram and onto a bus with a single ticket like you can on Manchester/ London?
Coppard was saying that yes, it would - franchising is the system in place for London buses as well, so there's no reason in principle why not.