Bus Reform Without Safety Governance FOI Evidence, KPI Data and Partnership Structures Reveal a Critical Gap


Over the past few weeks I have been submitting Freedom of Information requests to understand how bus safety is governed within current and proposed reform models across the UK.

What I have found raises serious and important questions.

The FOI Response

A Combined Authority has confirmed the following:

  • It does not have any powers or responsibility over bus safety
  • There are no safety governance arrangements or assurance processes in place
  • Safety risks do not form part of Enhanced Partnership discussions
  • No safety reporting is provided to the Partnership Board

This is not a minor omission. It is a clear statement that safety is not embedded within the governance structure overseeing bus reform.

The Governance Structure Does Exist

At the same time, formal governance arrangements are clearly in place.

The North East Bus Partnership Board:

  • Provides governance to the Enhanced Partnership
  • Reviews performance against Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
  • Oversees delivery of the Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP)
  • Receives regular reporting on performance

This is a structured system of oversight, monitoring and decision-making.

The Performance System Is Detailed

Supporting this governance structure is a comprehensive performance framework.

Key indicators include:

  • Patronage and modal share
  • Customer satisfaction
  • Reliability and punctuality
  • Bus speeds
  • Emissions

Regular reporting tracks progress against targets, identifies gaps, and informs decision-making.

In short — performance is being measured, monitored and managed.

What Is Missing

Despite this, one critical element is absent:

Safety.

There are:

  • No safety Key Performance Indicators
  • No safety reporting into governance structures
  • No formal discussion of safety risk at Partnership Board level
  • No system-wide safety assurance framework within the Enhanced Partnership

This is not due to a lack of governance.

It is due to safety not being included within that governance.

Why This Matters

Bus drivers are responsible for transporting millions of passengers safely every day.

Passengers rightly assume that safety is:

  • Monitored
  • Managed
  • Embedded within decision-making

But the evidence suggests that while performance is governed in detail, safety governance is not.

This creates a disconnect between:

  • Operational reality
  • Public expectation
  • Governance frameworks

A Structural Gap

The issue here is not the absence of systems.

There is a governance structure.
There is a performance framework.
There is oversight and reporting.

But safety is not part of it.

That represents a structural gap in how bus reform is currently being approached.

Final Thought

This is not an argument against reform.

It is an argument for getting reform right.

Because reform that measures everything — except safety governance — is not complete.

And in a system built on public trust, that matters.

About the Author

Lee Odams is a professional bus driver with over 19 years’ experience in the industry and currently serves as Branch Secretary of the RMT Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire Bus Branch.

He is actively involved in national discussions on bus safety, governance, and transport policy, regularly engaging with regulators, Combined Authorities, and industry bodies.

Lee is also Conference Secretary for the National Industrial Organising Conference of Bus Workers (April 2026), working with stakeholders across the sector to improve safety, standards, and accountability in UK bus services.

Bus Safety, Bus Reform, Public Transport, Transport Policy, Bus Governance, Enhanced Partnerships, BSIP, Combined Authorities, UK Transport, Passenger Safety, Bus Drivers, Transport Reform, Accountability, FOI, Transparency

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