Leaders accused over buses

TRANSPORT protesters wore masks of napping politicians to accuse them of being "asleep at the wheel".

Members of Reclaim

Our Buses, which is calling on the region’s leaders to bring buses back under public control using a system called franchising, gathered outside a West of England Combined Authority meeting in Filton in March wearing masks of Bristol Mayor Marvin Rees, Metro Mayor Dan Norris and council leaders Toby Savage and Kevin Guy.

Franchising is being explored in other Labour-led combined authorities, and Matthew Topham, from Reclaim Our Buses, accused Mr Norris of "dodging his duty to investigate what could be an essential change for the region". He called on the Metro Mayor to start the legal process of assessing commercial data from operators to see if franchising would be a net cost or benefit.

Mr Norris has blamed South Gloucestershire Council for holding up bus franchising, but South Glos leader Mr Savage said he supported an investigation of the idea and accused Mr Norris of "politicking".

Meanwhile Mr Norris has said there will not be any money to provide a replacement for the axed 47 service to Oldbury Court unless Bristol and the other councils in WECA agree to increase transport levy subsidies. He said: "Less cash cannot equal more buses."