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

Why Greater Manchester’s refusal to publish bus safety data now requires ICO intervention A Publicly Controlled Bus Network Without Public Safety Transparency Is Not Reform Greater Manchester’s Bee Network has been promoted as one of the most significant transport reforms in a generation. A franchised bus system. Services brought under public control. A network supposedly run for passengers, not profit. But public control must mean public accountability. And accountability begins with one basic principle: Bus safety performance must be transparent. At present, it is not. Instead, Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) is delaying, deflecting, and restricting disclosure of the very safety reporting information that should sit at the heart of any publicly governed transport system. The Central Issue: Where Is the Bee Network Bus Safety Data? Unlike rail or aviation, the bus industry across most of England has no consistent requirement to publish safety performance data. That includ...

Bus franchising is being presented as a once-in-a-generation reform of local public transport. Greater Manchester’s Bee Network is at the centre of that national story — held up as a model of “public control,” passenger-first planning, and Vision Zero ambition. But one critical question remains unanswered: Where is the promised safety transparency? Because without openness on safety performance, public control becomes little more than branding. And the public cannot hold anyone to account. A Written Commitment Has Been Broken In December 2023, the Mayor’s Office confirmed in writing that Transport for Greater Manchester intended to publish Bee Network accident and incident data within approximately 12 months. That was a clear public assurance. It is now more than 20 months later, and no such data has been published. Instead, what has followed is a pattern of delay, refusal, redaction, and retreat behind Freedom of Information exemptions — including repeated claims of “commercial sensit...

As the East Midlands Combined County Authority prepares to take on new transport powers from February 2026, we are entering a critical moment for the future of buses across Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to rebuild a bus network that genuinely serves passengers, communities, and the workforce that delivers these services every day. For that reason, I am publishing the following open letter to Mayor Claire Ward. Open Letter to Mayor Claire Ward Bus Reform in the East Midlands Must Put Safety, Transparency and Drivers at the Centre Dear Mayor Ward, I am writing publicly as a frontline bus driver and as the elected Branch Secretary of the RMT Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Bus Branch, and Secretary of the RMT National Industrial Organising Conference of Bus Workers. I welcome the establishment of the East Midlands Combined County Authority and the opportunity it represents to reshape public transport across Derby, Derbyshire, ...

Mayor Steve Rotheram has recently stated that buses in the Liverpool City Region will be run “not for profit, but for passengers” as franchising begins from Autumn 2026. 📌 ITV Granada report: https://www.itv.com/news/granada/2026-01-23/mayor-promises-buses-will-run-not-for-profit-but-for-passengers As a frontline bus driver with 19 years’ experience, and as the elected Branch Secretary of the RMT Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Bus Branch, I welcome any serious attempt to rebuild bus networks around public need rather than commercial pressure. However, I am also writing publicly to place an important message firmly on record: Bus reform cannot succeed unless it is safe, transparent, and sustainable for the workforce who deliver it every day. Franchising must not simply be a change in governance. It must be a change in safety culture, accountability, and operational reality. A Passenger-First System Must Also Be Driver-Sustainable A bus network cannot truly be “for passengers” if it is ...

As bus franchising expands beyond London, more Combined Authorities are moving toward so-called “London-style” bus networks. This is often presented as the solution to reliability, fares, and local democratic control. But one critical issue is still being left behind: safety transparency. From my experience as a bus driver, union representative, and through extensive Freedom of Information (FOI) work, one thing is clear: If safety governance and public reporting are not embedded from the outset, they become optional, delayed, or quietly hidden behind claims of “commercial sensitivity”. That is why I have now submitted FOI requests across England to Combined Authorities that are exploring, consulting on, or actively progressing bus franchising. This is not a collection of isolated requests. It is a co-ordinated, national piece of scrutiny. Why This Matters The Bus Services (No. 2) Act handed local transport authorities unprecedented control over bus networks. What it did not do was requ...

West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) has now confirmed that its future franchised bus network will be known as Weaver. This is a significant step forward. Naming a network signals intent, confidence, and momentum behind bringing buses into public control. It also creates an opportunity to do things properly from the outset — particularly when it comes to safety transparency and accountability. That is why I have now submitted a further Freedom of Information request to West Yorkshire Combined Authority, specifically focused on how bus safety data will be governed, reported, and published under the Weaver network. Why this FOI matters Across England, combined authorities are rapidly moving toward “London-style” bus franchising. However, one critical lesson from London is often overlooked: Transparency around bus safety performance was not automatic — it had to be fought for. Transport for London has published quarterly bus safety data since 2014 only after sustained pressure from ca...

Over the past few months, I’ve been pursuing a series of Freedom of Information requests and formal correspondence with transport authorities across England to answer a simple question: When bus services are franchised, how is safety data governed, reported, and made transparent to the public? What I’ve uncovered so far is revealing — not because of what is being published, but because of what hasn’t yet been decided, even at an advanced stage of franchising. What West Midlands Combined Authority Has Now Confirmed Following direct correspondence with Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) — the transport arm of West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) — I’ve received a written response clarifying their current position on bus safety data under the franchising model. WMCA has confirmed that: • There is a commitment to routine public reporting of bus safety data under franchising • However, no framework has yet been agreed for how this reporting will work • There are no defined milestones set...

Like many households, we wanted to reduce our energy costs and our carbon footprint. In 2024, we entered into what appeared to be a sensible, regulated arrangement: a long-term solar and battery lease linked to a licensed UK energy supplier. The scheme promised predictable costs, professionally installed renewable technology, and ongoing technical monitoring and support. On paper, it looked like exactly the kind of consumer-facing innovation the UK needs to support the transition to net zero. What followed has exposed a serious regulatory gap. A system installed — then taken out of reach A solar PV system and battery were installed at our home. Initially, we were able to monitor the system through the manufacturer’s app, allowing us to see solar generation, battery charging and discharging, and grid import and export. This visibility matters. It is how households understand whether systems are operating safely and efficiently, and how they manage energy use. In 2025, an engineer acting...

By Lee Odams – Nottingham bus driver (19+ years’ experience) Across the East Midlands, older and disabled people are prevented from using their concessionary bus passes before 9.30am on weekdays. This outdated restriction limits independence, worsens isolation, and undermines local bus services — at a time when living costs are rising sharply. Greater Manchester has confirmed this restriction will be scrapped from 26 March 2026. As the East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA) prepares to take full control of transport powers, I believe our region should now follow suit. Below is my open letter to Claire Ward, Mayor of the East Midlands Combined County Authority. Open Letter to Claire Ward, Mayor of the East Midlands Combined County Authority Dear Mayor Ward, My name is Lee Odams. I am a bus driver with over 19 years’ frontline experience in Nottingham, as well as an elected trade union representative. I am writing to urge the East Midlands Combined County Authority to remove the...