North East Mayor Kim McGuinness has welcomed a major step towards bringing buses back under public control, after council leaders approved moving her plan to the next stage, including opening it up to public consultation.
The North East Combined Authority Cabinet yesterday (Tuesday 17 March 2026) unanimously agreed that a detailed Bus Franchising Scheme Assessment will be submitted for independent audit and public consultation. A final decision is expected to be made early next year.
The plans explain how taking public control of buses could mean passengers benefit from a new performance regime to make buses more reliable, simple and affordable fares which work across all public transport and a single website for information, payment and customer service.
Speaking after the decision, North East Mayor Kim McGuinness said:
“Buses should work for people across our region – whether you’re travelling in the city centre, from rural towns and villages, or along our coast. We have already stepped in with the Mayor’s Fares to make travel more affordable by paying bus companies to make tickets cheaper. Now we can go further.
“I’ve always been clear I want to see buses back under public control as a way to deliver the improvements we all want to see. I said I would do this in my manifesto, and today we have taken a huge step forward.
“This opens the way for everyone in the North East to have their say on our plans. That’s going to happen this summer before we make a final decision.
“This has been a long and detailed process, but it matters because buses matter. We’ve already seen more growth in people using buses here than in many places in the country, and that shows just how important they are to people’s everyday lives.
“My ambition is to build a world-class public transport network for the North East – one that connects our communities, supports our economy, and gives people a real reliable alternative to the car.”
Council leaders were told the Franchising Scheme Assessment showed public control would mean more passenger journeys, more services, lower fares and greater value for public money when compared with an alternative partnership agreement with bus operators – but that there were also risks associated with moving to and operating a franchise in which private companies deliver services under contract to a public body.
The move would mean public transport in the North East would be brought together under a single identity across towns and cities stretching from Barnard Castle and Newton Aycliffe on the border with Yorkshire all the way to Berwick on the Scottish Border, making it the largest scheme of its kind in England by geography as well as serving the cities of Newcastle, Durham and Sunderland.
Subject to a successful audit, the 600-page assessment will move to public consultation this summer, giving local people the opportunity to shape the future of their bus services.
The consultation will be the next crucial step before the Mayor makes a final decision on whether to introduce a better, franchised bus network in the North East.
Improving buses has consistently been one of the strongest priorities raised by residents. During the Mayor’s Local Transport Plan consultation, more than 16,000 people shared their views, with better, more reliable bus services emerging as one of the biggest themes.
Stimulated by the hugely popular Mayor’s Fares, bus use in the North East has grown faster than the national average in recent years – demonstrating the vital role buses play in connecting people to jobs, education, healthcare and their communities across the region.
As part of her wider transport vision, the Mayor has committed to creating the Angel Network, world‑class transport for the North East, combining bus, Metro, Ferry and local rail into one joined‑up network.
Bus franchising would give the North East Combined Authority control over how buses operate – including routes, timetables, fares, and standards – allowing for the network to be designed around people of the North East rather than private bus operators.
Following the independent audit, the Combined Authority expects to launch a public consultation, giving people across the region the chance to help shape the final decision.
People can sign up to be part of our journey to the Angel Network – Mayor Kim’s vision for a world‑class transport system for the North East, including progress toward bringing buses back into public control: www.northeast-ca.gov.uk/bepartofthejourney. Those who join will be the first to hear when the public consultation opens and will have the opportunity to shape the future of buses in our region.
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