Arriva boss asked Hertfordshire County Council not to progress with bus franchising, councillors told
The boss of bus company Arriva has personally appealed to Hertfordshire County Council not to continue on its route towards bus franchising, councillors have been told.
Under the current system in Hertfordshire, commercial bus companies choose the routes and set the fares for bus journeys.
But with bus franchising, the local transport authority - in this case Hertfordshire County Council - takes public control of the bus network.
Earlier this year the county council was awarded £1.064m from the Department for Transport to support its own assessment of whether franchising could improve services across parts of the county.
Now the council has issued a formal notice, outlining its intention to prepare an assessment of a proposed franchising scheme, that could cover North Hertfordshire, East Hertfordshire and Stevenage areas.
On Wednesday (October 20), leader of the county council Cllr Steve Jarvis (Liberal Democrat, Royston West and Rural) updated a meeting of the full council on progress, and said that the managing director of Arriva had visited him personally to ask that the council not do it.
“We have made a significant step forward on bus franchising,” he told the meeting.
“We have issued the formal notices that we are embarking on that process.
“I think the import of that is indicated by the fact that the managing director of Arriva came to my office and asked us not to do it.
“I think that emphasises we are doing the right thing there.”
Were the change to be implemented in Hertfordshire, bus franchising would allow the county council to specify bus routes, fares, timetables and service standards, with operators then contracted to run the services on the council’s behalf.
The publication of the notice is the beginning of a formal process to assess the potential benefits, costs, risks and impacts of franchising, compared to alternative arrangements.
In a statement issued by the council after the meeting, executive member for environment, transport and growth Cllr Paul Zukowskyj said it demonstrated the council’s commitment to exploring all available options.
“We know that reliable and accessible bus services are vital for connecting people to jobs, education, healthcare and leisure opportunities,” said Cllr Zukowskyj (Liberal Democrat, Hatfield South).
“The publication of this Notice of Intent demonstrates our commitment to exploring all available options to improve bus services across North Hertfordshire, East Hertfordshire and Stevenage.
“The franchising assessment will enable us to fully understand whether greater local control over routes, fares and service standards could help deliver a more reliable, integrated and sustainable bus network for our communities.
“This is the start of a thorough and evidence-based process, and no decision has been made on whether bus franchising will be pursued.
“We look forward to working closely with operators, stakeholders and residents as the assessment progresses.”
Meanwhile, commenting on the meeting between Arriva officials and Cllr Steve Jarvis, a spokesperson for Arriva South said: “We meet regularly with council leaders across the areas we serve to discuss how bus services can best meet the needs of passengers.
“This is a normal part of our engagement with local leaders, and we will continue to work constructively with the council to deliver the best outcomes for passengers.”