Bus Industry Insights – Analysis and Commentary on Bus Safety, Transport Policy and Governance

In 1875, Samuel Plimsoll stood in the House of Commons and thundered the words: > “I am determined to unmask the villains who send to death and destruction.” He was fighting against shipowners who knowingly sent overloaded, unsafe vessels to sea — putting profit above human life. His courage led to the Merchant Shipping Act of 1876, a landmark in public safety and accountability. A century and a half later, we face a strikingly similar battle — only now, the arena is our bus network, not the high seas. Despite years of campaigning by bus drivers, trade unions, safety advocates, and campaigners like Tom Kearney (#LondonBusWatch), the Government has stripped every major safety clause from the Bus Services (No. 2) Bill. These included proposals to: Publish bus safety performance data quarterly Give drivers access to confidential incident reporting (CIRAS) Limit excessive driving hours Ensure qualified oversight within franchising authorities Every one of these measures was grounded in ...

I’m pleased to share some genuinely positive news on the campaign for Bus Safety Data transparency across the UK’s franchised bus networks. Following my open letter of 31 August 2025 to Oliver Coppard, Mayor of South Yorkshire, I’ve received a detailed and constructive response from Andrew Gates, Director of Strategy, Collaboration and Culture at the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA). While South Yorkshire is still in the early stages of its Bus Reform and Franchising Programme, the response goes further than any other combined authority to date in recognising the need for public transparency and data-led safety governance. --- From SYMCA’s Response: > “SYMCA recognises the importance of safety and accountability in public transport. While the Franchising Scheme 2025 and BSIP 2024 do not currently include a formal commitment to publish disaggregated bus safety performance data, the following commitments have already been made: • SYMCA will assume respons...

On 12 September 2025, Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) confirmed it was extending the deadline for my Freedom of Information request about Bee Network Bus Safety Data until 4 November 2025. The reason given is that GMCA are now considering a “public interest test” under Section 43 of the Freedom of Information Act, which applies when the release of information “may be prejudicial to commercial interests.” In plain English, this means GMCA acknowledge they hold the information I requested — but are now deciding whether revealing it would harm the commercial interests of private bus operators. This is exactly the problem with secrecy in public transport safety. Bus operations are being brought back under public control through franchising, yet data on crashes, injuries, and safety incidents is still being treated as a commercial secret rather than a matter of public accountability. The public deserves to know: 🚍 How many people are injured or killed in Bee Network bus incide...

--- Background On 12 September 2025, I received notice from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) that my Freedom of Information request about Bee Network Bus Safety Data is being delayed under Section 43 of the Freedom of Information Act (Commercial Interests). This means that GMCA now admits it holds the data but claims that publishing it might harm the commercial interests of private operators. That’s deeply concerning — because: GMCA promised in writing (December 2023) to publish this very data within 12 months; Transport for London has released the same information quarterly since 2014 without issue; and The Bee Network is a publicly controlled service — the public has every right to see how safe it is. Below is my full written response to GMCA’s letter. --- My Response to GMCA (Sent 14 September 2025) Subject: Re: FOI Request – Case 845285 – Public Interest and Section 43 Dear Information and Data Governance Team, Thank you for your update of 12 September 2025 regardin...