Open Letter to Mayor Claire Ward: Bus Reform Must Put Safety, Transparency and Drivers at the Centre

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, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.

This moment — with bus powers transferring to EMCCA from February 2026 — is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to rebuild a bus system that works for passengers, communities, and the workforce that delivers it.

But I am writing to place a clear issue on record at the very start:

Bus reform cannot succeed unless safety transparency, driver welfare, and public accountability are built in from day one — not added later as optional extras.

1. Safety Must Be a Core Measure of Success — Not an Afterthought

Across England, Combined Authorities are moving toward franchising and enhanced partnership models, often branded as “London-style” reform.

But London’s system is not defined only by public control — it is defined by public accountability.

Transport for London has published routine bus safety statistics since 2014, covering collisions, injuries, fatalities and incident trends. That transparency has supported learning, oversight, and public trust.

Outside London, however, safety reporting remains inconsistent, discretionary, and too often hidden behind claims of “commercial sensitivity.”

If EMCCA is serious about delivering genuine reform, the East Midlands must not repeat those mistakes.

2. Public Control Must Come With Public Safety Transparency

A publicly accountable bus network must include routine publication of safety performance data, including:

collisions and injuries

passenger falls

assaults and violence against staff

near misses and safety-critical incidents

trends, corrective actions and governance oversight

This is not about blame.

It is about learning, prevention, and trust.

Safety data belongs to the public — and to the workforce.

3. Bus Reform Must Be Sustainable for Drivers, Not Just Passengers

A bus system cannot be passenger-focused unless it is workforce-sustainable.

Drivers across the industry face daily pressures that undermine safety:

unrealistic running times

fatigue and insufficient recovery time

blame cultures around lateness

inconsistent reporting frameworks

rising assaults and abuse

Reform cannot simply change who holds the contract.

It must address the operational reality of delivering services safely.

4. Enhanced Partnerships Must Be Properly Scrutinised

In the East Midlands, the current model remains Enhanced Partnership working.

If EMCCA intends to continue with EP arrangements — or transition toward franchising — then the public deserves clarity on:

how safety is monitored and assured

what governance structures exist

what evidence is being collected

what benchmarking has been done against other regions

what role unions and drivers will have

Enhanced Partnerships must not become closed-door agreements with operators.

They must be transparent, evidence-based and accountable.

5. Drivers and Trade Unions Must Have a Formal Voice in the New System

The workforce is not a stakeholder to consult at the margins.

Drivers are the people who:

manage risk daily

respond first to incidents

understand timetable pressures

experience violence and fatigue

carry responsibility for passenger safety

A successful bus system requires structured union involvement in:

safety governance

service planning

timetable realism

contract standards

reporting and accountability frameworks

Questions for the Mayor — On the Record

I therefore ask you directly, Mayor Ward:

Will EMCCA commit to publishing routine bus safety performance data as the new transport authority develops?

Will safety transparency be embedded into any future franchising or EP operating model?

What formal role will drivers and recognised trade unions have in shaping safety governance and workforce standards?

How will EMCCA ensure reform does not reproduce the same pressures of fatigue, unrealistic schedules and blame culture?

Will EMCCA establish a clear framework for accountability and independent oversight from the outset?

Conclusion

Mayor Ward, EMCCA has the opportunity to set a national example.

Bus reform must not be reduced to branding or governance reshuffles.

It must deliver:

safer networks

transparent reporting

protected jobs and conditions

realistic schedules

workforce voice

public accountability

I would welcome your response so that your position is clearly on record as the East Midlands enters this new era of transport responsibility.

Yours sincerely,

Lee Odams

Branch Secretary, RMT Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire Bus Branch

Secretary, RMT National Industrial Organising Conference of Bus Workers

Frontline Bus Driver

Next Steps

I will continue pursuing Freedom of Information requests and publishing evidence on how different Combined Authorities are approaching:

franchising

Enhanced Partnerships

safety governance

workforce protections

transparency obligations

The public — and the workforce — have a right to know how seriously safety is being taken as bus reform accelerates across England.

Published by Lee Odams